Open mike 29/07/2014
Written By:
- Date published:
7:04 am, July 29th, 2014 - 297 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
297 comments on “Open mike 29/07/2014 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- Priorities
Much of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...30 mins ago - Farmers earning their reputation again
New Zealand farmers routinely complain about the public viewing them as environmental vandals. At the same time, they're opposing basic environmental regulation: Federated Farmers has asked that a wide-ranging plan change setting water use rules for South Canterbury remove all references to the protection of “indigenous fish”. [...] ...4 hours ago - NZ Politics Daily – 22 October 2020
Labour-Greens talks, Labour govt Henry Cooke (Stuff): There is no evidence National voters backed Labour to keep the Greens out Audrey Young (Herald): Labour holds all the cards as Ardern’s talks with Greens get underway RNZ: Greens better off independent – Former Green MP Catherine Delahunty Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Greens would be ...8 hours ago - Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East: How Arab media reported on NZ’s electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and on Saturday, Arab media remained focused heavily on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election – and especially Jacinda Ardern’s personal success – received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news channels, newspapers and ...8 hours ago
- It's Time For Some “Earnest Struggle”.
9 hours ago - Party Like It’s 1936: Songs for the Philologists
It’s the most obscure Tolkien book of all… so obscure that only fourteen copies exist: Songs for the Philologists, a 1936 collection of thirty humorous verses, by Tolkien (who wrote thirteen), E.V. Gordon, and ... 16 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – National’s catastrophic collapse and fraught rebuildThe National Party’s defeat has been so comprehensive that few in the party seem optimistic they will recover anytime soon. Falling from 47% in 2017 to just 27% (which might drop as low as 25% once special votes are counted), is one of the most severe collapses in New Zealand’s ...20 hours ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #42, 2020
Dust-up at the Denial Corral, in "journal time" Way back in 2017 the Institute of Physics publication Environmental Research Letters (ERL) published a featured article, Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014), by Supran & Oreskes. The article reverberated widely as it exposed a documented a pattern of behavior arguably described as perfidious. The authors ...22 hours ago - Now’s the time – expand ACC
Having ruled out Capital Gains Tax and Wealth Tax, the incoming Labour government must be looking for some significant progressive policies that they haven’t already ruled out. Expanding the ACC scheme fits that brief, and the Green Party have conveniently already proposed doing so. But, how to fund it? The accident/illness ...1 day ago - Managing to the targetNew Zealand's health system is chronicly underfunded, and so almost all DHBs run deficits. Last month, just before he bailed out Canterbury DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins was repeating the mantra that DHBs must live within their means and "have a credible plan to return to financial sustainability". But yesterday, ...1 day ago
- Solarise all the things!If we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, we need to decarbonise the economy and shift our energy supply completely to renewables. The good news is that the International Energy Agency thinks that that is going to happen. The reason? Interest rates have dropped. And this means that ...1 day ago
- New Zealand weighs up a nation-sized battery
Ian Mason and Robert McLachlan Climate change was a small but perceptible part of the recent election. On climate change, Labour pointed proudly to their record of legislating for net zero emissions by 2050 (nicknamed the ‘Zero Carbon Act’), establishing a Climate Change Commission to set carbon budgets and advise ...1 day ago - NZ Politics Daily – 21 October 2020Today’s content Election Jack Vowles (The Conversation): The 2020 NZ election saw record vote volatility — what does that mean for the next Labour government? Jason Walls and Chris Knox (Herald): 20 fascinating facts about the 2020 election you might have missed Stuff: Labour Day: A vote-by-vote analysis of New Zealand’s historic shift ...1 day ago
- Do Landslides Change the Landscape in the Long Run?
It was easy for election night commentators to use the ‘landslide’ trope to describe Labour’s winning of the 2020 election. But the historical record suggests that such landslides may not last long. In 1935, the First (Savage-Fraser) Labour Government won 53 seats in a parliament of 80; National ...2 days ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Prevent misinformation from sticking if you canThis blog post is part 2 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Prevent misinformation from sticking if you can Because misinformation is sticky, it’s best preempted. This can be achieved by explaining misleading or ...2 days ago
- Graeme Edgeler: Mandates are not mandatory, but they are also not meaninglessThere’s a lot of talk about what the Labour Government’s new mandate is. For a discussion of exactly what that might mean, Graeme Edgeler explores the murky logic of what they can and can’t do, pointing out that ultimately voters decide if this mandate was properly used in three years. ...2 days ago
- Hyping it up over fluoridation
In my time as a scientific researcher, honest scientists used to condemn colleagues who over-hyped their science. To our mind there should have been a special place in hell for scientists who misrepresented their ... 2 days ago - Don’t fall for the Covid contrariansAs life in Aotearoa gets back to some kind of normal after our latest Covid-19 outbreak, cases in the northern hemisphere are on the rise again and that puts us all at risk. Because no one is safe until we are all safe. This is a tricky virus. We now ...2 days ago
- Liam Hehir: Online abuse and the standard you walk byThere’s a lot of nastiness in the online public sphere, much of it tribal, petty and personal. Political commentator and Twitter enthusiast Liam Hehir has seen too much of it, and explains why he’s going to actively stand up against it. I did a radio interview a little while ...2 days ago
- Tanzania: elections, neoliberalism and economic diplomacy
Politics in New Zealand is the main focus of Redline, along with supporting liberation movements and anti-imperialist struggles. We have had little material from the African continent, so are pleased to print this submission from a Tanzanian writer on their pending elections. Tanzania will be going to the polls on ...2 days ago - Governing For All Of Us.2 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 20 October 2020Today’s content Coalition negotiations, shape of government Gordon Campbell: On why the Greens shouldn’t join the government Andrew Geddis (Pundit): What Sort Of Relationship Might Labour And The Greens Agree On? Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holds preparatory talks with Greens but coalition looking unlikely Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern tight-lipped after ...2 days ago
- What sort of relationship might Labour and the Greens agree on?
Even without knowing the final election result (because, don’t forget there’s about 500,000 special votes still to count and they very likely will change Saturday’s results), we can say two things for certain about the next government. Jacinda Ardern will be its Prime Minister. And Labour will be at its core. But ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Leftwing euphoria meets realityThe political left has been euphoric since Saturday’s night historic landslide victory for Labour. But political commentators from across the spectrum are united in warning that the new Government isn’t about to be transformative. Instead, we will see more of a status quo administration grappling with a crisis, with very ...3 days ago
- Yes, a mandate for sure… but issues for NZ will be far, far more difficult now
With the NZ General Election and Referendums over for 2020, Jacinda Ardern is to form a Government over the next few weeks, “there are some areas we do want to crack on with, that we will need to expedite”, and talks will begin to form around what the voters ...3 days ago - Labour Party landslide – 2020 Election in review
Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New ZealandThe 2020 General Election has been one of the most interesting in New Zealand’s political history. Not only did we have voters provide the Labour Party with a stratospheric 49.1% mandate to govern, the results also delivered National with a crushing 26.8% defeat ...3 days ago - Be careful what you wish for: Labour's difficult triumph
Labour’s overwhelming victory at the election has been greeted with rousing cheers on the left of New Zealand politics and the start of transformational demands. It’s a multi-generational win for Labour, out-polling the Kirk, Lange and Clark victories. You have to go back to 1938 for a bigger percentage (55.8%) ...3 days ago - A Skeptical Science member's path to an experiment on carbon sequestrationDuring what now seems like another era entirely- back in February of this long year- Skeptical Science regular RedBaron (aka Scott Strough) mentioned in a discussion thread here that he'd been working on an idea for no-till cultivation of vegetables, was seeking to quantify what appeared to be promising results. Scott ...3 days ago
- Jacinda Will Keep Us Moving – To The Same Place.Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes? Not Likely: Though few New Zealanders would express it in such a fashion: Jacinda’s and Labour’s general handling of the Covid-19 crisis proved both to be highly effective defenders of the capitalist status quo. She, and they, kept the lights on. And that, in the absence of an alternative ...3 days ago
- The Greens and LabourWith an absolute majority, Labour can govern in its own right, and doesn't need partners. But while unnecessary, they're a nice-to-have, both as backup and for PR reasons. Ardern has talked about "consensus", and there are obvious benefits for her of having government policy endorsed by as many parties as ...3 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #42Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Earth has warmest September on record, and 2020 may clinch hottest year Record warmth in Europe and Asia overwhelms a ...3 days ago
- Josh Van Veen: The Vindication of Winston PetersAn egalitarian spirit is currently being revived in New Zealand, and we should thank Winston Peters for keeping alive that spirit. Josh Van Veen, who once worked with the NZ First leader, pays his tribute. With New Zealand First receiving less than 3% of the vote, critics are happily ...3 days ago
- The Hunt for Red October: Musings on Taieri
So New Zealand has had its general election. Jacinda Ardern has managed a single-party majority government, New Zealand’s first in twenty-six years, and its first since the adoption of proportional representation. I intend to do a comment on that further down the line – my feelings on the Sunday ...4 days ago - Lessons from the ElectionThis year’s general election has broken new ground – and not just in terms of its outcome, the seats won and votes cast, and – in an MMP environment – the margin of victory. It also suggests that something quite fundamental has changed in New Zealand politics. The outcome is ...4 days ago
- The unexpected resultThe people have spoken, and its a Labour majority government. This wasn't meant to happen under MMP, and in fact its exactly what the system was designed to prevent: no majority governments, no elected dictatorships, unless we really, really want it (which at the time seemed unlikely on 40 years ...4 days ago
- Schadenfreude is a dish best served blue
What started out as the largest party in parliament has ended election night scratching the back door of the house of irrelevance. ...4 days ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 through Sat, Oct 17, 2020 Editor's Choice A FIELD GUIDE TOTHE ELECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE The presidential election is just weeks away, and climate change has broken ...4 days ago
- Legal Beagle: Election '20: The Special Votes
The 2020 General Election has a preliminary result. For reasons I am unable to really explain, we will not have even a preliminary result for the end of life choice and cannabis legalisation referendums for some weeks (I dropped the ball on that one when the referendum legislation was before ...5 days ago - National rejects tonight’s result as a ‘rogue poll’
National are dismissing tonight’s election result as an “obvious outlier” Half an hour into counting, National Party leader Judith Collins and deputy leader Gerry Brownlee are already dismissing tonight’s election result as a “rogue poll”, saying it’s an incomplete survey with shoddy methodology. Brownlee called an emergency media stand-up just ...5 days ago - Jacinda Ardern ran down four National supporters with her car this morning but due to electoral law ...Dr. Ashley Bloomfield reported at today’s 1pm health briefing that the Coronavirus turns out not to exist, but that information was also withheld on the same grounds. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began her election morning by ruthlessly driving her car into a family of National supporters just blocks from her ...5 days ago
- Six weird animals that have nothing to do with the electionGet a load of these things! Some of these animals are just crazy. You wouldn’t want a single one of these animals anywhere near your kids. It could ruin them for life. Last thing you’d want is your kid growing up around any of these, and thinking that’s what animals ...5 days ago
- 1pm Covid Health Update for 17th October, 2020What follows is today’s 1pm health update from the Ministry of Health There are 12 new cases of Covid-19 today, six in managed isolation, three escaped, and three are wealthy foreigners so it’s fine. One of these cases is a man in his 50s who visited Auckland sex club Fisting ...5 days ago
- It's Election Day.5 days ago
- National caucus convening to elect new leader for final 2 hours of the campaignThis is a breaking news event, and further updates and clarifications may be forthcoming. With less than three hours to go in the election campaign, The National Party is holding an emergency meeting to elect a new leader, one they hope can turn things around in the final one and ...6 days ago
- Judith Collins asking for two week extension on election due dateCollins says she was “ever so close” to finishing everything up, but a family member died, her computer crashed, and she just needs “a little more time” to get things right. In a late move this evening, Judith Collins has written an urgent letter to the Electoral Commission requesting a ...6 days ago
- The Debunking Handbook 2020: Misinformation is damaging and stickyThis blog post is part 1 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020. The list of references is available here. Misinformation can do damage Misinformation is false information that is spread either by mistake or with intent to mislead. When there is intent to mislead, it is ...6 days ago
- Not as a Christian, but as a New Zealander: Why I am voting against assisted suicide tomorrow.
I am no stranger to lost causes. And, while there is always hope, it does appear that David Seymour’s “End of Life Choice” law will receive the necessary endorsement of voters to finally legalise assisted suicide in this country. A significant minority of voters will dissent, however.I will be one ...6 days ago - Ardern reassures voters that Greens’ negotiating table will be a tiny, humiliating oneOn the eve of the election, the Prime Minister wants New Zealanders to know the Greens will be given a very small seat at the table, quite literally. In the final hours of the campaign, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made a forceful appeal to the electorate not to be ...6 days ago
- A Waste of Time: The Hundred “Best” Fantasy Books
Time Magazine has put out a list of the hundred best fantasy books of all time: https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/ It is bad. Very bad. I get that this is clickbait nonsense, but… really. Time Magazine ought to be ashamed of themselves. Ostensibly, the selection process was as follows: ...6 days ago - Big changes do stickIn one of her last pre-election interviews, Jacinda Ardern tries to defend her policy of doing nothing while in government: Ardern reflected on large changes made by Helen Clark’s government – particularly in education and welfare – that were still part of the system now, saying they prove smaller ...6 days ago
- Polls show regret for not voting Green
I have looked at election polling for last four elections and have noticed a concerning pattern. The Green Party's polling leading up to each election is stronger than what they actually achieve, then the poll immediately afterwards is always considerably higher. For most parties the opposite is generally the case. ...6 days ago - Climate Change: Planning to failLast year, the government passed the Zero Carbon Act, setting short-term and long-term goals for carbon reduction. And they're already saying that they will fail to meet them: Environment Minister David Parker appears to have already given up on the country’s ability to meet the 2030 methane goal set ...6 days ago
- Another issue Labour is ignoring its voters overJacinda Ardern is trying to rule out even discussing a wealth tax if she gets re-elected. But if she gets re-elected, it will be by voters who support one. A Newshub poll shows that nearly half of all voters - and 60% of labour supporters - support a wealth tax: ...6 days ago
- Scholarship PhysicsIt’s that time of year when school students become seriously focused on exams. This year has been messy for student learning, and has affected some students more than others, but the NCEA external assessments and the Scholarship exams are going ahead pretty-much as normal. I’ve taken some interest in the ...6 days ago
- “Fitz” On Cannabis."I Like It!" “Shall I tell you the real reason to legalise cannabis? Because all the stuff I’ve told you, while true, isn’t enough. You should legalise cannabis because you’d like it. No, actually, you’d love it! Cannabis makes food taste better. It turns music into magic. It suppresses pain and nausea ...6 days ago
- Crusher fails to resonate1 week ago
- A flaw in our electoral transparency regime IILast month, we learned there was a flaw in our electoral transparency regime, with the New Zealand Public Party receiving a quarter of a million dollars in donations which will never have to be decalred. And now its got worse,as it turns out they're also explicitly soliciting donations from rich ...1 week ago
- “Entirely separate”When two people whose identities we all know but cannot say publicly due to name suppression were charged with "Obtaining by Deception" over routing donations to NZ First through the NZ First Foundation, Winston Peters claimed his party had been exonerated because "The Foundation is an entirely separate entity from ...1 week ago
- Judith Collins' little green liesNew Zealand is not the United States, thank goodness. We don't have the same level of political partisanship nor public media outlets that blatantly display political bias. However, during the closing weeks of this campaign I do feel an infection of trumpism is evident. Judith Collins and her National Party ...1 week ago
- Which ‘milk’ is best for the environment? We compared dairy, nut, soy, hemp and grain milksMaking eco-conscious choices at the shops can be tricky when we’re presented with so many options, especially when it comes to milk. Should we buy plant-based milk, or dairy? We’ve looked at the evidence to help you choose. Dora Marinova, Curtin University and Diana Bogueva, Curtin University Dairy has the ...1 week ago
- Josh Van Veen: The Psychology of ArdernismJacinda Ardern has made New Zealanders feel safe. Josh Van Veen looks at psychological understandings of leadership to help explain the ongoing success of Labour in this election campaign. Simon Bridges could have been the Prime Minister. Opinion polls in February suggested a close election, with Colmar Brunton giving the ...1 week ago
- Let's Make Jacinda Break Her Promises.1 week ago
- Two days to go, 12 questions still worth asking
One last lap. One last crack. One last chance to boost your own policies or knock down your opponents. Tonight TVNZ hosts the final leaders’ debate and although over a million New Zealanders have voted and much of the policy debate seems to have stagnated around negative attacks, there are ...1 week ago - Possible inter-satellite collision on FridayTwo objects in low-Earth orbit may collide with each other on Friday, in a hyper-velocity impact which would lead to millions of fragments being left on-orbit, each potentially-lethal to functioning satellites. Fingers crossed (not that I am superstitious) that it is a miss, rather than a hit. One local ...1 week ago
- Do Elections Deliver What We Want?
MMP may deliver a parliament which reflects us, but frequently the government does not. At the heart of my recent history of New Zealand, Not in Narrow Seas, is the interaction between economic and social change. I could measure economic change via the – far from comprehensive – ...1 week ago - Flailing last grasps bring lasting gasps in the NZ General Election…
The last week of the 2020 election here in New Zealand has been an increasingly torrid and venal affair has it not? Many expect the last week of any Election campaign to get considerably more tetchy, everyone is hurrying to nail the last voter down after all. But this ...1 week ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #41, 2020Zika follows climate Sadie Ryan and coauthors combine what we know about the Zika virus and its preferred regime with modeling to show the pathogen will greatly expand its range during the next few decades. We do have some remaining control over the situation. From the abstract: "In the ...1 week ago
- Does a delay in COP26 climate talks hit our efforts to reduce carbon emissions?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz Will the delay of the COP26 UN climate negotiations impact ...1 week ago
- Where do the parties stand on open government?The election is in less than a week, so I thought I'd take a quick look at where the parties stand on open government, freedom of information, and the OIA. The short answer is that most of them don't. While Andrew Little has "promised" to rewrite the OIA, there's no ...1 week ago
- The Second Time As Farce: National's Election Campaign Falls Apart.1 week ago
- National's Little Helpers have A Cunning Plan.Keep Your hands Off Of My Stash: Viewed from the perspective of the 2020 General Election as a whole, the intervention of the Taxpayers’ Union against the Greens' Wealth Tax confirms the Right’s growing sense of desperation that the campaign is slipping away from them. With hundreds of thousands of ...1 week ago
- Covid-19: A planetary diseaseLouise Delany* This blog focuses on the underlying environmental causes of Covid-19 (Covid) and the role of international law in tackling both Covid and other planetary crises. I argue that major changes to our relationship with our planet and its creatures are needed and these changes must be supported by ...1 week ago
- Liam Hehir: How to make your mind upIf you’re still on the fence about how to vote, Liam Hehir says it’s probably more important for you to vote on the basis of your principles, and he offers a way to think about how these principles might align with the main party options. Still undecided? Here’s how ...1 week ago
- What else apart from a Wealth Tax? The shape of a Labour-Greens coalition
If you haven’t heard, the Green Party supports a Wealth Tax. Yeah, I thought you might have heard of it. Everyone’s been talking about it on the campaign trail these past few days. It would force the wealthiest six percent of New Zealanders to pay a one percent tax each ...1 week ago - Time is slipping by for the fruit industry to improve wagesThe covid-19 pandemic has meant a lot of changes for New Zealand. Lockdowns, social distancing, a massive shift to working from home and the death of tourism for a start. But the sensible and necessary border closure has also completely cut off the supply of cheap, migrant labour - and ...1 week ago
- WATCH LIVE: Election Night 2020
...5 days ago - Election Night Speech – Marama Davidson
Kia ora tātou kātoa. Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou Te Roopu Kakariki, ngā kaitautoko, e aroha ana I te kaupapa mo te taiao me te mokopuna. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. I am so proud to be standing here tonight, at the end of an ...5 days ago - Election Night Speech – James ShawOn Election Night three years ago I stood up in front of you to say, “We are still here!” Well, tonight, not only are we still here, we are the first support party in MMP history to have started and finished a term in government above the 5% threshold. We ...5 days ago
- Greens only party with plan to meet scale of climate challengeA new report showing that the effects of climate change are already being felt in Aotearoa New Zealand shows the importance of the Green Party pushing for urgent action in the next Government. ...1 week ago
- Green Party commits to stronger urban tree protection and no new mines on public conservation landThe Green Party is the only party in Parliament which is explicitly committing to protecting public conservation land and the indigenous plants and wildlife which live there, from destructive mining. ...1 week ago
- Vote still undecided? Watch this.As of today, over 1.4 million New Zealanders have already cast their votes in this year’s election. While this shows that a huge number of people have already made up their minds about who they want to lead our country, there are many who are still undecided. ...1 week ago
- Labour's 2020 Election ManifestoThe Labour Party understands how important continuity, stability and clarity are for New Zealanders in these uncertain times. That’s why, in our 2020 Election Manifesto, we’re setting out how we will continue to invest in people, jobs, small businesses, infrastructure, and global trade, to set New Zealand up for the ...1 week ago
- Green Party releases tourism policyToday the Green Party’s conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage went kayaking on Akaroa Harbour to highlight the greater protection achieved for Hector’s and Maui dolphins this term and the Greens’ election commitment to supporting sustainable tourism. ...1 week ago
- National’s false ‘wealth tax’ claims: The “last roll of the misinformation dice”“Collins has warned voters to expect a wealth tax. This is despite the fact Labour has ruled this out a number of times.” – Jason Walls, NZ Herald. “The Labour Party has ruled out implementing the Green Party's wealth tax.” – Henry Cooke, Stuff. “Labour has time and time again ...1 week ago
- Week that was: Counting down to Election DayIt’s getting incredibly close to Election Day now – and over a million people have already cast their vote! ...2 weeks ago
- Jacinda Ardern's Wellington Rally SpeechJacinda Ardern delivers a rally speech at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Grant Robertson's Wellington Rally SpeechGrant Robertson delivers a rally speech at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Building a vibrant creative sector The Green Party will push for better conditions, more certainty, and greater opportunities for New Zealand’s artists and creatives as part of the next Government, Co-leader of the Green Party, James Shaw said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens promise continued action to reduce mental health waiting timesThe Green Party is committed to reduce the waiting times people in mental distress have to put up with before they receive attention and get treatment. ...2 weeks ago
- Early voting is openDid you know that early voting is open? That means you can go out and cast your vote right now - whether you've already enrolled or not. Almost 600,000 Kiwis have already voted, and you can join them! ...2 weeks ago
- Greens would go further and faster for kauri protectionThe Green Party says Labour’s commitment to protecting kauri is a good start, but the Greens would go further and faster to keep our kauri standing. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens would bring urban food farms to Auckland CityThe Green Party will invest funding in community agriculture and urban food gardens in places like Auckland city centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Our next steps on climate changeWe’re proud of our record on climate change. Since coming to Government we’ve put climate and the environment at the heart of all of our policies, as they are inextricable from issues like housing, agriculture, waste, energy and transport. ...2 weeks ago
- 10 days out: 10 reasons to vote LabourWith only ten days to go until Election Day, we’re counting down the top ten reasons you should vote Labour this October. Already voted? Share this list with friends and family who haven’t voted yet to encourage them to give two ticks to Labour! ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome Labour’s climate commitments, will push for more action to match the scale of the c...The Green Party welcomes Labour’s commitment to reduce climate emissions in the next term of Government, but would go further and faster to address the true scale of the crisis. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for independent review of PharmacThe Green Party is calling for an independent review of Pharmac to ensure that there is proper equity around funding for medication for sick New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour’s record on Christchurch and CanterburyFrom investing in health and education to getting key projects built, we’re proud of our record in Canterbury. We know there’s still more to do, but we’ve made a good start, and we’re committed to supporting the region as together, we respond to COVID-19. ...2 weeks ago
- Investing in the South IslandAs part of our COVID recovery plan, we’re investing in shovel-ready infrastructure projects that not only create jobs across the South Island, but also help us build back better. From tackling climate change to strengthening our health system, we’re taking on the long-term challenges while keeping our economy moving. ...2 weeks ago
- National versus Labour: Our record on ChristchurchThe past decade has been tough for our second largest city. Unlike National, Labour’s backing the people of Christchurch so together, we can make it through COVID-19 and build back better. Here’s how National’s record on Christchurch compares to our progress so far. ...2 weeks ago
- National’s economic plan a cruel blow for those on low incomesThe Green Party says National’s economic plan would devastate those earning the least, and further entrench poverty across our communities. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome Labour’s commitment to ban conversion therapy, but want Office for Rainbow Communit...The Green Party is pleased to see Labour commit to a long-standing Green stance of banning gay conversion therapy, as part of its Rainbow policy released today. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party announces plan for net zero energy buildingsIf re-elected, the Green Party would work towards net zero energy new buildings by 2030 in order to accelerate the transition to a low carbon future for Aotearoa and a cleaner, safer planet for our kids and grandkids. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens commit to protecting KauriIf re-elected, the Green Party will focus $50 million of the existing Jobs for Nature package to keep Aotearoa’s iconic kauri forests standing. “Kauri are an incredibly important taonga for Aotearoa and the Greens want to go further and faster to keep them healthy and standing,” said Green Party ...3 weeks ago
- Week that was: Health, housing and early votingIt was a big week of policy announcements as Jacinda and the Labour team hit the road to let New Zealanders know about our plan to keep New Zealand moving. From snow down south to our day of action, here are this week’s highlights from the campaign trail. ...3 weeks ago
- NZ announces a third P-3 deployment in support of UN sanctions
The Government has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea, announced Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “New Zealand has long supported ...3 days ago - Pacific trade and development agreement a realityPacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in 60 days now that the required eight countries have ratified it. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the announcement that the Cook Islands is the eighth nation to ratify this landmark agreement. “The agreement represents ...1 week ago
- Securing a pipeline of teachersThe Government is changing its approach to teacher recruitment as COVID-19 travel restrictions continue, by boosting a range of initiatives to get more Kiwis into teaching. “When we came into Government, we were faced with a teacher supply crisis,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “Over the past three years, we ...1 week ago
- Border exceptions for a small number of international students with visasThe Government has established a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand and continue their studies, in the latest set of border exceptions. “The health, safety and wellbeing of people in New Zealand remains the Government’s top priority. Tight border restrictions remain ...1 week ago
- First COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreement signedThe Government has signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 750,000 people – from Pfizer and BioNTech, subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, say Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Health Minister Chris Hipkins. ...1 week ago
- International statement – End-to-end encryption and public safetyWe, the undersigned, support strong encryption, which plays a crucial role in protecting personal data, privacy, intellectual property, trade secrets and cyber security. It also serves a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and other vulnerable people, as stated in the 2017 resolution of the ...1 week ago
- Ministry of Defence Biodefence Assessment releasedThe Ministry of Defence has today released a Defence Assessment examining Defence’s role across the spectrum of biological hazards and threats facing New Zealand. Biodefence: Preparing for a New Era of Biological Hazards and Threats looks at how the NZDF supports other agencies’ biodefence activities, and considers the context of ...1 week ago
- New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020 Hon David Parker’s response following Thomas Piketty and Esther Duflo. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, wherever in the world you might be. I first acknowledge the excellent thought provoking speeches of Thomas Piketty and Esther ...2 weeks ago
- Kaipara Moana restoration takes next stepA Memorandum of Understanding has been signed today at Waihāua Marae between the Crown, local iwi and councils to protect, restore and enhance the mauri of Kaipara Moana in Northland. Environment Minister David Parker signed the document on behalf of the Crown along with representatives from Ngā Maunga Whakahī, Ngāti ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand and Uruguay unite on reducing livestock production emissionsAgriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Uruguayan Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Carlos María Uriarte have welcomed the launch of a three-year project that will underpin sustainable livestock production in Uruguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica. The project called ‘Innovation for pasture management’ is led by Uruguay’s National Institute of Agricultural ...2 weeks ago
- 3100 jobs created through marae upgradesHundreds of marae throughout the country will be upgraded through investments from the Provincial Growth Fund’s refocused post COVID-19 funding to create jobs and put money into the pockets of local tradespeople and businesses, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced. “A total ...2 weeks ago
- Health volunteers recognised in annual awardsHealth Minister Chris Hipkins has announced 9 teams and 14 individuals are the recipients of this year’s Minister of Health Volunteer Awards. “The health volunteer awards celebrate and recognise the thousands of dedicated health sector volunteers who give many hours of their time to help other New Zealanders,” Mr Hipkins ...2 weeks ago
- Community COVID-19 Fund supports Pacific recoveryThe Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio says a total of 264 groups and individuals have successfully applied for the Pacific Aotearoa Community COVID-19 Recovery Fund, that will support Pacific communities drive their own COVID-19 recovery strategies, initiatives, and actions. “I am keen to see this Fund support Pacific ...2 weeks ago
- Community benefits from Māori apprenticeshipsUp to 50 Māori apprentices in Wellington will receive paid training to build houses for their local communities, thanks to a $2.75 million investment from the Māori Trades and Training Fund, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “This funding will enable Ngāti Toa Rangatira Incorporated to provide its Ngā Kaimahi ...2 weeks ago
- Training fund supports Māori jobseekersRapidly growing sectors will benefit from a $990,000 Māori Trades and Training Fund investment which will see Wellington jobseekers supported into work, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “This funding will enable Sapphire Consultants Ltd. to help up to 45 Māori jobseekers into paid training initiatives over two years through ...2 weeks ago
- Ruakura Inland Port development vital infrastructure for WaikatoThe Government is investing $40 million to develop an inland port at Ruakura which will become a freight super-hub and a future business, research and residential development for the Waikato, Urban Development and Transport Minister Phil Twyford, and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The funding has been has ...2 weeks ago
- Appointments made to Defence Expert Review GroupDefence Minister Ron Mark announced today the establishment of an Expert Review Group to review a number of aspects of the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) structure, information management and record-keeping processes. The Expert Review Group’s work arises out of the first recommendation from the Report of the Government’s Inquiry ...2 weeks ago
- No active community cases of COVID-19There are no active community cases of COVID-19 remaining in the country after the last people from the recent outbreak have recovered from the virus, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “This is a big milestone. New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus. The systems ...2 weeks ago
- Clean energy upgrade for more public buildingsMore public buildings will be supported by the Government to upgrade to run on clean energy, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. Minister Shaw announced that Lincoln and Auckland universities will receive support through the Clean-Powered Public Service Fund to replace fossil fuel boilers. Southern, Taranaki, and ...2 weeks ago
- Schools back donations scheme for the second yearMore schools have opted in to the donations scheme for 2021, compared to 2020 when the scheme was introduced. “The families of more than 447,000 students will be better off next year, with 94% of eligible schools and kura opting into the scheme,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is ...2 weeks ago
- Ruapehu cycle trails gets PGF boostThe spectacular Mountains to Sea cycle trail in Ruapehu District will receive $4.6 million in funding from the Provincial Growth Fund for two additional trails, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This is an exciting development for the local community, and one that will provide significant economic opportunities ...3 weeks ago
- Water Cremations One Answer To Growing Pressure On Cemeteries
...20 mins ago - 600 Million Children Miss Out On Desperately Needed Support During Covid-19Save the Children NZ calls on new government to extend Best Start payments in light of global research as more families feel impact of COVID-19 A new report released by Save the Children is recommending governments commit to and implement universal ...26 mins ago
- The Internet of Things is connecting our world so we can make better decisions
IoT is everywhere – we’ve just got to know where to look. Ben Fahy got a lesson on how to find it.Spark’s Tony Agar has a lot of explaining to do, which comes with the territory when you specialise in the Internet of Things. “I’ve had to explain to my kids ...48 mins ago - The power of the grand final crowd recalls ancient times
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Macquarie University The year has been a strange one for sports lovers. We’ve seen athlete protests here and around the world. Where big gatherings have been permitted in the US, ...56 mins ago - Animals Will Be At Risk Of Injury Or Death During Rodeo Opening WeekendThe annual rodeo season opens this weekend with the Winchester Rodeo on Saturday, and the Methven Rodeo on Sunday. Like last year, animals will be at risk of injury or death. Two animals died last rodeo season, both at the ‘Mad Bull’ rodeo in ...1 hour ago
- The cost-cutting consultants cashing in at The WarehouseWith hundreds of jobs slashed and stores shuttered nationwide, BusinessDesk‘s Rebecca Stevenson looks into the controversial restructuring programme at New Zealand’s largest retailer.I still recall as an employee of the former Fairfax Media business seeing a report in The Australian in 2013 which filled me, a junior reporter with an ...2 hours ago
- Queensland’s LNP wants a curfew for kids, but evidence suggests this won’t reduce crimeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia One can always sense an election is looming when law and order becomes headline news. As Queenslanders head towards election day on October 31, the state’s opposition leader Deb ...2 hours ago
- A tale of two minor parties: Lessons for 2023 for TOP and the New ConservativesThey may be poles apart ideologically, but for TOP and the New Conservatives, the election campaign featured some remarkably similar successes as well as failures. On an ideological level, it doesn’t make sense to put The Opportunities Party (TOP) and the New Conservatives in the same category. But their electoral vote ...2 hours ago
- We can no longer ignore the threats facing the Pacific — we need to support more migration to Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW The effects of a warming planet are no longer far away in time or distance. We are witnessing transformed landscapes, mass extinctions and people on the move, ...3 hours ago
- Explainer: why the government can’t simply cancel its pandemic debt by printing more moneySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ananish Chaudhuri, Professor of Behavioural and Experimental Economics, University of Auckland With the government borrowing heavily to fund its pandemic response and recovery, it has been suggested it could simply cancel its debt by printing more money. That sounds like an attractive ...3 hours ago
- New Demand To End The Private Sale And Use Of FireworksWith the fireworks season about to start and the Cabinet about to be announced, there is a new demand on the government to end the private sale and use of fireworks in New Zealand. Auckland Councillors Cathy Casey and Fa’anana Efeso Collins have ...3 hours ago
- Five successful New Zealand women on how they deal with imposter syndromeA governor general, a microbiologist, a New Zealander of the Year, an Oscar-nominated producer and a comedian walk into a bar. The punchline? They all struggle with imposter syndrome despite being extremely cool and successful women. “I’m the governor general, I have to accept that I’ve done some things right – ...4 hours ago
- Russian fishing crew not feeling too unwell, says Sealord bossBy RNZ News Hundreds of Russian fishing crew at a New Zealand covid isolation hotel in Christchurch are said to be in good spirits and those who have the virus are doing well. Eighteen of the 237 foreign workers at the Sudima Hotel are infected with covid-19. They will all ...4 hours ago
- LIVE: A View from Afar – With Paul Buchanan + Selwyn Manning: New Zealand and Bolivia Elections ...Welcome to Evening Report’s A View from Afar As always, we are joined by political scientist Paul Buchanan and this week we will discuss: In these weeks leading up to the United States elections… there have been a number of countries around the world that have seen voters swing ...4 hours ago
- Here’s hoping our new govt gets the message about intelligence from GSCB’s role in exposing Russ...
Three cheers for the GSCB. It has been lauded by the US FBI and intelligence agencies for its role in uncovering Russian covert intelligence activities around the world. The Minister in Charge of the intelligence services, Andrew Little, expressed surprise we had been named – but this is a wake-up ...5 hours ago - PNG auditor calls for ‘sanctions’ in private probe over medicines rowBy Clifford Faiparik in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s Auditor-General has questioned who approved a US-based international auditing firm to audit the awarding of contracts by the Health Department to pharmaceutical companies. Acting Auditor-General Gordon Kega said his office should “sanction” the involvement of any private firm in the auditing ...5 hours ago
- International Media Hails New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Re-electionTom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 21 October 2020, original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/10/21/nzel-o21.html The world’s corporate media has responded to the re-election of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government for a second term with a wave of adulation. ...5 hours ago
- When officials dance on the head of a pin
As the Royal Commission into abuse in state care continues its hearings, Aaron Smale outlines one graphic set of denials by officials which turned out to be false and misleading. Sometimes the work of a journalist is to convert technical information into something the average intelligent reader can understand. Sometimes ...6 hours ago - New Parliament Demonstrates That Māori Seats Should GoNew Parliament demonstrates that Māori seats should go ...6 hours ago
- Low interest rates are killing the home ownership dream for many – even John Key is concernedSuper-low interest rates are a blessing to those already on the housing ladder. For those still renting and without a deposit, it is yet another nail in the long-sealed coffin of potential home ownership.Last week, when Heartland Bank became the first lender in New Zealand history to offer a home ...6 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 22 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Labour-Greens talks, Labour govt Henry Cooke (Stuff): There is no evidence National voters backed Labour to keep the Greens out Audrey Young (Herald): Labour holds all the cards ...7 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: National’s catastrophic collapse and fraught rebuild7 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Election Day DemographicsAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Auckland electorates have lower populations, on average. Chart by Keith Rankin. This week’s first chart shows the average numbers of votes cast – on and before election day – in New Zealand’s different regions. In principle, all electorates have the same population, with electorate boundaries drawn ...7 hours ago
- Review: Rose Matafeo will make you laugh and make you cry in Baby DoneThe comedian stars opposite Matthew Lewis, the artist formerly known as Neville Longbottom, in a charming new New Zealand comedy about a pregnant woman completely losing her shit. Recently I watched all of series one of Duchess, the semi-biographical Netflix vehicle of comedian Katherine Ryan, based on her life as an ...7 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks: Just Being The Anti-Labour Party Will Not Work For NationalBy any measure the National Party has been the most successful New Zealand political party of recent times. After all, it has won 16 of the last 25 elections, governing for 47 years since first winning office in 1949, almost twice as long as the Labour ...8 hours ago
- How Many Malt Patrons Used COVID Tracer App On Friday?“Confusion is reigning after patrons at a pub may have been exposed to COVID, and the problem is a total failure of the Government’s NZ COVID Tracer app,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Prime Minister’s ‘team of 5 million’ ...8 hours ago
- Over 1 million mail-in ballots could be rejected in the US election — and the rules are changing b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah John, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University In the US election next month, record-breaking numbers of voters will cast their ballots by mail for the first time. Millions of these ballots will be processed by local election administrations inexperienced ...8 hours ago
- Thinking of ditching private health insurance in the pandemic? Here’s how to calculate if it’s w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, University of Melbourne Almost all private health insurers increased their premiums in October, and have scheduled another price rise for April 2021. As many people struggle financially amid the pandemic, you may be wondering whether you ...8 hours ago
- School of fish: how we involved Indigenous students in our investigation of a 65,000-year-old siteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Morgan Disspain, Adjunct Researcher, Southern Cross University A recent program for school kids in Kakadu and West Arnhem Land, incorporating traditional knowledge and Western science, is a model for teaching Indigenous children on Country. The Djenj Project (djenj means “fish” in the ...8 hours ago
- At the heart of the broken model for funding aged care is broken trust. Here’s how to fix itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rafal Chomik, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), UNSW This article is part of our series on the future of aged care. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will hold its final ...8 hours ago
- Why philosophers say solitude can be helpful (even if you didn’t choose it)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor in Philosophy, Deakin University Over the past seven months, many of us have got closer to experiencing the kind of solitude long sought by monks, nuns, philosophers and misanthropes. For some, this has brought loneliness. Nevertheless, like religions ...8 hours ago
- Live updates, October 22: ‘Contract tracing system working’ – HipkinsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 22. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.45am: ‘Contract tracing system working’ – HipkinsThe health minister does not believe there’s any reason for Auckland’s alert level to change, following news an infectious Covid-19 case visited ...9 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Everyone’s got an opinion for the GreensGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Questions over how Greens should approach Labour relationship, Auckland pub patrons told to self-isolate, and highly leveraged investors send house prices higher.How lucky is the Green party, to have so many people giving advice and suggestions right now? As talks continue ...10 hours ago
- Business & Investing: NZX and European exchange in ETS service
NZX will help develop Emissions Trading Scheme auction platform, plus Kiwis have way less debt on their credit cards ...10 hours ago - Labour's final online ad push: $24 a minute
In the final week of election campaigning the Labour Party was spending $24 every minute on Facebook and Google advertising It was a huge finish. Not only did Labour win by a landslide on election night, it outspent competitors in the last week of campaigning online. In a seven day period the ...10 hours ago - Book of the Week: Jesse Mulligan on Chelsea Winter
Food critic Jesse Mulligan cooks his way through Supergood by Chelsea Winter Dad might have been the only person in Hamilton who truly bought Playboy for the articles. If he knew there were naked ladies in there too well, it never came up, and when he occasionally passed me a ...10 hours ago - Police reviewing mysterious death in Gore
Police are reviewing the case at the centre of a Newsroom video investigation which revealed a substandard inquiry into the death of a three-year-old Southland boy. Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner report WATCH: Melanie Reid's video investigation Police have confirmed they are conducting a review into the case relating to ...10 hours ago - Who the hell is Gideon Rozner, anyway?
Cindy Baxter looks into the background and associations of the author of a stark attack on re-elected Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern As I read the outrage at the negative outlier of an article about Jacinda Ardern’s victory in The Australian, I thought it was worth putting this piece into ...11 hours ago - Lion linked to Myanmar human rights abuses
The parent company of NZ’s largest beverage provider has been implicated in the funding of genocide. ...11 hours ago - Aussies stand by to fly on over
Australians are queuing up to go on a safe overseas holiday. Ross Stitt argues that New Zealand is missing out on a potential bonanza if it doesn't join the travel bubble. The much-anticipated Trans-Tasman ‘travel bubble’ has finally arrived. Sort of … Travellers from New Zealand are now allowed quarantine-free ...11 hours ago - Why New Plymouth voters went for Labour
After the Government announced a surprise ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018, the New Plymouth electorate looked like a sure thing for National. What changed? ...11 hours ago - W R Peters loans $60k to NZ First
As New Zealand First tried to fight off electoral oblivion, a W R Peters put his money where Winston's mouth was, Sam Sachdeva reports New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, or someone with the identical initials and home base, appears to have lent the party $60,000 in the dying days of the ...11 hours ago - 1980 Moscow boycott still hurts Kiwi gymnast
When the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed, those who would have known just how the New Zealand team felt were the athletes selected for the 1980 Moscow Games. Their dreams were shattered 40 years earlier by a boycott - and 34 of those Kiwi athletes never got the chance to compete ...11 hours ago - Be fearless: Sandra Lee’s advice for Chlöe Swarbrick, 27 years after she stormed Auckland CentralThe woman who won Auckland Central for the Alliance in 1993 had some words of wisdom for the Green Party’s Chlöe Swarbrick on Sunday’s post-election episode of Gone By Lunchtime.“I always thought you could do it,” former cabinet minister Sandra Lee told Chlöe Swarbrick the morning after a dramatic election ...11 hours ago
- Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Covid-19 and the Swiss cheese systemThe effort to defeat the coronavirus relies on many layers of defence. Or, let’s call them, slices of cheese.One thing that has really irked me during Covid-19 has been the labelling of any mistake in our systems or any unexpected transmission of the virus as a failure. Yes, I understand ...11 hours ago
- Auckland's cone zone
Construction of Auckland's City Rail Link is well underway and don't local retailers know it. It's killing the heart of the city, with the sound of construction replacing the ringing of tills. The country's largest infrastructure project, the $4 billion Auckland City Rail Link, is touted as long awaited solution ...11 hours ago - Taskmaster NZ proves we can do panel comedy as well as the BritsNew Zealanders love Taskmaster UK. But will they warm to the homegrown version? Guy Williams is doing his best to amp up the crowd, while Angella Dravid sits quietly alongside with her usual look of both discomfort and amusement. Leigh Hart has that wry smirk on his face that viewers of ...21 hours ago
- At the highwater mark with little wriggle room
This Government’s work, its future successes and its failures, will now all sit fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the Labour Party. ...22 hours ago - The US is taking on Google in a huge antitrust case. It could change the face of online searchSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UNSW, and Academic Lead, UNSW Grand Challenge on Trust, UNSW The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for unlawful monopolisation. The department says Google’s conduct harms competition and consumers, ...22 hours ago
- Wāhine grab chance to have voice at the council table
Local government in Wairarapa is no longer the "pale, stale male" environment it once was, according to a recent survey. ...23 hours ago - NSW wants to change rules on suspending and expelling students. How does it compare to other states?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Sullivan, Associate Professor of Education, University of South Australia The disability royal commission heard from experts last week on the disproportionate number of students with a disability who have been suspended or expelled from school for “problem behaviour”. The commission’s public ...23 hours ago
- Greater needs, but poorer access to services: why COVID mental health measures must target disadvant...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graham Meadows, Professor of Adult Psychiatry, Monash University COVID-19 outbreaks and the resulting lockdowns, particularly in Victoria, have adversely affected many people’s mental health. Social isolation, financial stress, and anxiety about contracting COVID-19 can all contribute to psychological distress. For some people, ...23 hours ago
- NSW needs to prohibit religious discrimination, but not like thisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Elphick, Adjunct Research Fellow, Law School, University of Western Australia It has long been a glaring problem that the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Act (ADA) does not prohibit religious discrimination. One Nation’s Mark Latham recently proposed a new Religious Discrimination Bill. ...1 day ago
- The redemption of Hine-nui-te-pōAn extract from Witi Ihimaera’s new book Navigating the Stars: Māori creation myths.This is an abridged passage of a deeply empathetic section analysing the life story of Hine-nui-te-pō, who crushed Māui to death with her vulva. At the end of the book, Ihimaera argues that Hine-nui-te-pō should be instated to ...1 day ago
- Green Party: 'Fruitful discussions … further discussions to have'The Green Party says there is a negotiation going on with the Labour Party, but there are more discussions to be had. ...1 day ago
- The online support club that helps the newly redundant through a scary timeCovid-19 has shoved New Zealand’s economy into recession, prompting a whole lot of businesses to downsize and slash their workforce. That’s why a support club has been formed to help the newly unemployed to get back on their feet.Redundancy can hit like a ton of bricks. The shock, uncertainty, the ...1 day ago
- Police Continue To Ignore Their Own Pursuits PolicyA police crash during a pursuit in Masterton in the early hours of Wednesday morning suggests the police are simply ignoring their own pursuits policy, says the car review website dogandlemon.com . Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety ...1 day ago
- Green Party provide update after election resultsThe Green Party is speaking to media amid speculation over possible negotiations about a coalition deal. ...1 day ago
- Houses (and their prohibitive prices) will be high in Ardern’s considerations as she appoints her ...
One of the strange outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the surge in house prices, not just in Auckland but through the rest of the country. It’s a phenomenon that runs contrary to past experience when the economy has slipped into recession. Many authorities say booming house prices are ...1 day ago - Calls for Labour to fast-track child poverty mandateAnti-poverty campaigners are urging Labour to move fast and use its massive electoral support to forcefully tackle inequality. ...1 day ago
- Indigenous leadership presents a new way of looking at the changed worldDon Rowe meets the post-graduate students putting tikanga and kaupapa Māori at the centre of learning how to lead. The planet is in trouble. Since the time of the industrial revolution, the Western world has become increasingly enthralled and enchanted by the pursuit of economic and individualistic success. Power, prestige, and ...1 day ago
- The tale of ‘habitual criminal’ William King: a Black life in Victoria’s white justice systemSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alana Piper, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney The Black Lives Matters movement in the United States and Australia has drawn welcome attention to Black deaths in the criminal justice system. Such fatalities are extreme manifestations of a long history of ...1 day ago
- Review: The Vow takes a deep dive into the cesspit of the NXIVM cultJust a few years ago, few people had heard of the self-help group/cult of personality known as NXIVM. Now the dark story has gone global, thanks to an eight-part docuseries that debuts on Neon today. This review contains mild spoilers for The Vow.What is it that white people love so ...1 day ago
- Video: Death of a toddler – Mel Reid investigates
How did 3-year-old Lachie Jones really meet his death? Mysterious circumstances, improbable theories and a once-over-lightly police investigation spark calls for a new inquiry into how little Lachie Jones died in Gore last year. Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner report. *Watch the full story in the video player below* ...1 day ago - Whakatōhea Settlement Another Step CloserThe Waitangi Tribunal decision to decline an urgent hearing into the Crown's decision to continue treaty negotiations with the Whakatōhea Pre Settlement Claims Trust is another step forward for the Whakatōhea Settlement. "We are pleased with ...1 day ago
- Calls for an ABC-run social network to replace Facebook and Google are misguided. With what money?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona R Martin, Associate Professor in Convergent and Online Media, University of Sydney If Facebook prevented Australian news from being shared on its platform, could the ABC start its own social media service to compensate? While this proposal from the Australia Institute ...1 day ago
- A loss of ‘Fijian’ identity – or no identity at all – in AotearoaBy Sri Krishnamurthi “No matter how we come to be in Fiji, or how long we have been here …we all part of the land. It is the land of our birth or land of our adoption, the land to which we belong” – The late archbishop Petero Mataca. When ...1 day ago
- Decisive Victory of MAS in Bolivia: A Blow to Anti-Indigenous and Anti-Socialist Coups in the Americ...Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By William CamacaroFrom Caracas The decisive electoral victory of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) in Bolivia may be a point of inflection on the continent that advances the construction of a new South American socialist bloc. After having been removed from ...1 day ago
- Podcast documents first-hand witness of the Senkata Massacre in BoliviaSource: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage Francesca Emanuele is a Peruvian journalist and a Ph.D. student of Anthropology at American University in Washington, DC. She interviewed a first-hand witness of the Senkata Massacre, that took place on November 19th, 2020, days after the overthrow of Evo Morales, ...1 day ago
- With a mandate to govern NZ alone, Labour must now decide what it really stands forANALYSIS: By David Hall, Auckland University of Technology A pandemic can change the foundations of a society. But if this happens in New Zealand over the next three years, it will be for reasons beyond the control of the sixth Labour government. When it comes to the fundamental structure of ...1 day ago
- Jornal Independente wins annual ‘best media’ award in Timor-LesteBy Jose Sarito Amaral in Balibo The Jornal Independente newspaper has been awarded Timor-Leste’s mediaoutlet of the year prize in the National Press Council’s 2019 awards. Rigoberto Monteiro, executive director of Timor-Leste’s Press Council, said the Independente took out the award because of the quality of its stories and “strict ...1 day ago
- Sediment, jobs and mauri – Minister responds to questions about measuring progress on Kaipara clea...We found nothing new, in our daily check of the Beehive website. But we can report the reply to questions that were raised in an announcement from Environment Minister David Parker (which we noted at the time) earlier this month. The announcement was headed Kaipara Moana restoration takes next step. ...1 day ago
- New Zealand’s gluten-free bread, reviewed and rankedA definitive answer to a burning question: what is the best gluten-free bread of them all?Outside of coeliac circles, not many people know that gluten-free bread is actually better than regular bread. It’s true.* After years of fastidious experimentation and perfecting, gluten-free bakers have now produced a product vastly superior ...1 day ago
- Voting patterns are more volatile than ever and will bring a stark test for LabourWhat is vote volatility and how will it affect the Labour Party over the next three years? Jack Vowles, professor of political science, explains.As the dust begins to settle after the 2020 election, a new electoral landscape becomes visible. It is remarkably different from the one before. One way to ...1 day ago
- Agreement Better Than DivisionA prominent Northland principal is raising concerns with the New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF), suggesting its proposal to establish a breakaway principals’ union is misleading, divisive and would likely worsen outcomes for principals. Pat ...1 day ago
MEDIA ADVISORY: Annette Sykes to launch campaign for Waiariki
Annette Sykes, MANA candidate for Waiariki
Monday 28 July 2014
At midday tomorrow, Annette Sykes will officially launch her campaign to win the Waiariki electorate seat for MANA in the upcoming general election.
“A key goal for MANA this election is to mobilise our people to vote, especially rangatahi, and win Waiariki. To help with this we’ve got Maisey Rika, Cliff Curtis, and our MANA Youth Ambassador, Wairangi Koopu, all lending their support for the launch and the wider campaign” said Ms Sykes.
“MANA is committed to changing the government and here in Waiariki we’re fully geared up for the task. We’ve already got our billboards up and from next week we’ll be knocking on every voter’s door in the electorate asking them for their support” said Ms Sykes.
“Creating new jobs, and ensuring existing jobs – including those in forestry – are safe and paid at least a living wage are a top priority for MANA, and I’ll be talking more about this at the launch” concluded Ms Sykes.
When: 12 noon, Tuesday 29 July (POHIRI)
Where: Apumoana Marae, Tarawera Road, Rotorua
When: 6:00-8:00pm, Tuesday 29 July (PUBLIC MEETING)
Where: Distinction Hotel, Rotorua
House DJ: Hone Djporoufessor Ngata
Guest performance by Maisey Rika and appearances by Cliff Curtis and MANA Youth Ambassador, Wairangi Koopu.
All media welcome.
ENDS
For further information please contact Te Ringahuia Hata, (021) 236-0931.
Oops the above just arrived in my inbox now. Just noticed the date. Can anyone give a report of this event?
Don’t you actually read before you post, Jenny?
The media advisory is dated Mon, 28 July BUT the actual events are today, Tues, 29 July.
Espiner’s interviews Cunliffe on Morning Report
Another miserable effort by the state broadcaster.
Not one question about policy, just polls.
I had to laugh at Cunliffe’s comment that he preferred Rush Limbaugh to Mike Hosking to run the leader’s debate but Limbaugh was unavailable!
that is exactly how labour should play this – make the point, but have a laugh
+100 Framu
😀
Seemed like a perfectly fine interview to me.
Politics is about more than just policy.
About more than just polls as well.
it depends on how the follow up is framed for me
much like “cunliffe only aims to get 40%” thing where rnz claimed they were paraphrasing even though cunliffe pointed out that guyon was attempting to put words in his mouth
this interview had the same hallmarks
But he wouldn’t answer the question about tactical voting of Labour supporters in Epsom. Dodge, dodge and dodge.
Lanthanide is right, politics is more than just policy.
The Herald have announced two new columnists for the election period Cactus Kate on the right and Josie Pagani on the supposed left. The trouble with this choice is that if you averaged out where they are on the political spectrum you would get someone in the same space as John Key.
What a surprise …
The one thing Josie is excellent at is managing her media career.
whacka thump whacka thump … sound of flat tyre approaching
many regular Standard posters and commenters could do a way more useful job
I see she’s already beginning to construct a post-Election narrative that blames Labour’s putative “swing to the Left” under Cunliffe for what she obviously presumes will be a substantial Electoral Defeat and calls for the Restoration of the Party’s ABC Grandees to their rightful place on the Labour throne.
“The party made David Cunliffe leader for his strategy of shoring up the base with a more militant tone. He’s delivered on that strategy but it hasn’t worked……It’s too late to ditch some of the rhetoric that made people doubt whether you would put them ahead of sectarian interests……”
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/what-does-labour-do-now
Conveniently overlooking, of course, the fact that back in the days when Cunliffe really was pushing core Labour values, the Party’s support conspicuously soared to 37% (reaching a monthly average of 35% for 3 of the last 4 months of 2013, something Shearer managed to do in just one of the 20 months in which he was leader).****
What’s more, it’s clear that for Josie, “people” = equal those employed who are currently supporting National. In contrast, Benies, the Undecided and the Missing Million presumably = equal “non-people” who deserve little if any electoral consideration.
****(Important to remember this, incidently, whenever Jane Clifton, Matthew Hooton or various Tory Tr*lls turn up to tell us Labour were on the way up under Shearer and if only the Party had stuck with him…I’ll be posting about this on sub-zero in the very near future)
“..I see she’s already beginning to construct a post-Election narrative that blames Labour’s putative “swing to the Left”..”
pagani did that last time..
..she blamed labours’ defeat on that ‘radical’-policy..of including the families of the poor in working for families..
..and to fast-track that change into place…by 2021….(only ten yrs/3 elections after that election..)
..if ya didn’t laff..you’d fucken weep….
“..she blamed labours’ defeat on that ‘radical’-policy..of including the families of the poor in working for families..”
It was radical in the context of the electorate. It was also completely tone-deaf to the messaging of what extending “Working for Families” to families who don’t work would sound like to the electorate at large.
Politics is the art of the possible, not the art of the good or just.
isn’t labour just a ‘scared’ party..?
..and you..lanth…u agree with pagani..?
..that the undoing of the demonising of the poorest by clark etc. was too hard a task…?
..that ‘the electorate’ wd rather our shameful levels of poverty/inequality should continue..?
..as i said..herein/therein labours’ problems are crystalised..
..and lest i be accused of more ‘hate-campaigns’..i will note that it benefits internet/mana for labour to not have any real poverty-busting policies..
..when they do…
..so..strategically..i shd support labour not having poverty-busting policies..(yet again..)..
..but i don’t..
..to me it just symbolises how lost in neo-lib-land labour still are…
“the demonising of the poorest by clark ”
Citation needed.
“it benefits internet/mana for labour to not have any real poverty-busting policies..”
And your 1% party is booming because of it, neck and neck with the credible parties of the left they are.
… you scoff at 1%, sneer at the support to date for a new grouping and a new vision for the future and then have the puffery to go all ‘credible parties of the left’ onit. Vote for whoever you want but why not let the rest of us do that too eh? Don’t be a spiteful arsehole. As for what phil is saying – it is his view and that is that – there is an argument that he is putting forward – I’m not sure I 100% agree with it but it is a valid line imo.
Get to 10 or 15% and I’ll believe you’re on to something.
Until then you’re just a party with a voter base less than the conservatives, using PU as an example, telling everyone else what to do and think, without any public backing or support.
I don’t care if you or phil don’t agree or like it, but it’s still good to talk.
Kia ora. 😉
Good to know you’re a follower not a trailblazer – we’ll welcome you onboard once the hard work has been done.
Voter base less than the conservatives ? Not any more.
2014 – Average Support
First Quarter
IMP 0.6% Cons 1.9%
Second Quarter
IMP 1.6% Cons 1.4%
Most Recent Polls (June/July)
IMP 2.0% Cons 1.5%
Best called a 2% party these days.
I won’t ever vote for HH or have anything to do with kdc, so doubt very much you’ll be piping this admiral onto your battleship, but if you ‘trailblazers’ are still a nothing party like craigs in years to come, I’ll give a sympathetic awww bless just for you. 🙂
“Voter base less than the conservatives ? Not any more.”
It was more figuratively speaking based on both being nothing much to see here parties in the big scheme of things, but thanks for that anyway.
Election night will tell all for real.
Good you are finally being truthful allen when you say, “I won’t ever vote for HH or have anything to do with kdc” so basically, out of spite, you’ll just try to disrupt those that do want to vote for them – sad bastard that you are – but truthful at last, you at least have that lol
“Good you are finally being truthful allen”
With respect, I always am.
“when you say I won’t ever vote for HH or have anything to do with kdc” so basically you’ll just try to disrupt those that do want to vote for them”
I’ve never stopped anyone wanting to vote for HH or kdc doing so, but I do feel obliged, especially in election year, to tell them there are better, less criminal, less self serving, less misogynistic, less divisive politicians and parties on the left who offer much better homes for potential votes.
“sad bastard that you are”
What’s the matter? Don’t you mip blokes like choice?
“but truthful at last, you at least have that lol”
And always have and always will be, unlike your party benefactor. :halo:
Without who, and let’s be realistic and honest, hone and mana would be just a winston with a much smaller voter base and much less charisma and pull.
Yay – another trailblazer
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10320814/Cliff-Curtis-supports-Mana
“Yay – another trailblazer”
lulz
wiki definition of sad bastard – “but I do feel obliged, especially in election year, to tell them there are better, less criminal, less self serving, less misogynistic, less divisive politicians and parties on the left who offer much better homes for potential votes.”
Fuck no one would have known if it wasn’t for you (and all the right-wing spinners) telling us – thanks and praise be to you, rejoice, rejoice, allen has given his wisdom and his utter truthfulnessness – we are saved at last!!!
“wiki definition of sad bastard”
Are you sure it’s not just politics in election time? Or are you projecting for a reason?
“Fuck no one would have known if it wasn’t for you (and all the right-wing spinners) telling us”
Ah, to counter, there’s the link to the right wing. Come on Marty, you know better than that by now 🙄 But just in case, more working class/left wing than your multi millionaire man, or I’d bet your very own HH.
Just because a right winger comes up with the correct answer once in a while, doesn’t mean all those who hold the same view are of a similar political ilk.
Like I wrote, disingenuous.
“thanks and praise be to you, rejoice, rejoice, allen has given his wisdom and his utter truthfulnessness
You’re most welcome, even if not a little insincere and begrudging.
“we are saved at last!!!”
Can’t do much about that one yet, but watch this space, man. 🙂
Last one for a while – got to do some homeschooling with my son…
“Just because a right winger comes up with the correct answer once in a while, doesn’t mean all those who hold the same view are of a similar political ilk.”
Are you sure about that? If the reason for the view is based upon the same rationale, and the purpose of espousing that view is the same, then we are in the, looks like, sounds like, situation methinks – no matter how much it hurts your ‘right-on’ ego to admit.
But I’m really glad you’re a Green voter – good for you! See that is being nice by offering praise rather than just moaning and shitting on anothers view and opinion – see the difference to “And your 1% party is booming because of it, neck and neck with the credible parties of the left they are.”
A very good interview on National Radio now,after ten slot.
“It was also completely tone-deaf to the messaging of what extending “Working for Families” to families who don’t work would sound like to the electorate at large.”
Quite right, it was never going to bring the voting masses flocking, it didn’t even bring out the 100,000 disaffected voters who stayed at home in 2011, so dead dodo of a turd policy.
That doesn’t mean the poorest and most vulnerable couldn’t and shouldn’t have been given an economic boost to raise them out of poverty, but to frame a workers package over non workers was just silliness. Thank fuck those days are over.
Very sweet of you to acknowledge non-working (because they don’t have job-holding, wage earning Mum and Dad)……’give them a boost by all means’ sort of shit.
You remind me of the lounge-fucks whose morals get a twinge the occasional night at 6.00 pm over Gaza.
Live with your bitterness over Hone Harawira, punkarse. Who cares ?
So agreeing that non workers should get the same economic boost as wff recipients I’m a lounge-fuck moralist?
As a non working family man, I say shove it up your arse you misunderstanding, misreading, misrepresenting numb nut.
“Live with your bitterness over Hone Harawira, punkarse. Who cares ?”
Ahh, a mip fuckwit 🙄 Explains it all.
“Both yourself Al1en and Lanth are spot on. “Working for Families for non-workers” was always going to be an obvious piss take from the Right Wing.”
You going to share that criticism with others with a similar view? Or just take out your mip loaded vendetta on me?
Shit, some of you people are touched in the head with your gang mentality. 🙄
I wish it was possible for people to get over the word “working” in WFF. I know it was implemented to boost the income of people with children who have a paying job but there’s a serious need for extra resources for single parents who are unable to work. Would be great to see something that has the aim of Working For ALL Families..
“there’s a serious need for extra resources for single parents who are unable to work.”
I agree, but I wish people would stop linking it to the working for families policy which is intended to boost the income of working families, as any connection with non workers sends the same dodo policy message of 2011.
I recommend assistance called working for children.
“I recommend assistance called working for children.”
+1
I’d support scrapping WFF and implementing WFC.
Quickly thinking about it, under present benefits, I’d have the dole paid as is, with a tax free working for children payment kicking in to increase the family take home to the same minimum take home level used in wff, which I believe is around $26k pa.
I’d keep wff as it’s a help to low income earners under the median wage, but I would heavily reduce the eligibility of wff above a lower income cutoff threshold to help pay for some of wfc.
Edit:
I’d also have a package for invalid beneficiaries too. Wfi
But if those low income earners with children received WFC instead of WFF there would be no need for the discriminatory WFF.
“But if those low income earners with children received WFC instead of WFF there would be no need for the discriminatory WFF.”
If you are having a ubi like some here want, I don’t think it matters what name it’s called.
In context of selling a working family tax credit for the unemployed or sick to the populace, wff isn’t the vehicle.
End result is the children and reduction of poverty, so if the final dollar level is the same, the name change negates any discrimination yet becomes instantly more palatable to ma and pa voter.
and of course..the adult non-childbearing poor are invisible..
..just don’t exist…
..no need to even mention them..
That’s a separate issue that needs addressing for sure but a policy that claims to work for families but only applies to people with both children and a job, is discriminatory.
What’s with you wanting something you’re not eligible for. Are you jealous?
Adult non child bearers or parents of children over 18 don’t get wff or wfc.
They can of course supplement their benefit with work or special assistance based on need.
Which is the utter crazyiness of it – Labour was proposing extending the scheme, but not changing the name in any way shape or form. Stupid.
Which is why it’s a crack arse crack head policy that won’t ever fly with mum and dad voters.
Frame it for the children and invalids and it’s caring, considered policy.
Both yourself Al1en and Lanth are spot on. “Working for Families for non-workers” was always going to be an obvious piss take from the Right Wing.
Hey mate, if you know anyone still alive from the neck up in the org, pass it on with my compliments.
They would have been more honest to calling it “Subsidising Employers so Their Families Have More.” I shake my head when I see Labour bringing in yet another subsidy for employers or landlords.
Lanth, semantics semantics semantics, the Working for Families package was designed with the ‘deliberate’ view that benefit reliant children would be shut out,
The policy did not ‘have to’ be designed in such a fashion, it could have been designed for all children who’s parent(s) earned up to X amount of dollars,
Labour had that choice, it chose in my opinion the wrong options, including those with incomes far up into the comfortable middle class in the WFF policy while at the same time cutting the rate of tax for business simply told me, and, 1000s of others like me, that Labour no longer valued or wanted my vote,
That said, in the year 2014, they wont be getting either of them…
“including those with incomes far up into the comfortable middle class in the WFF policy”
A major flaw in my opinion. The cutoff threshold should have been/should be much lower.
Phillip, your contributions are getting easier to read. Thank you.
Hi swordfish,
We must be dopplegangers.
I made almost an identical point over at The Daily Blog.
Ha ! – SNAP !
Believe me, Puddleglum, I honestly hadn’t seen your TDB comment or, indeed, Michael Woods’ guest post until I clicked on your link just now. I only read TDB on an occasional basis, averaging about once every fortnight or so and, even then, I usually only have time to quickly skim a handful of posts. So I probably miss close to three-quarters of the various posts and associated comment threads.
We obviously had precisely the same visceral reaction to Pagani’s Pundit post. I certainly muttered a few sarcastic words (and, just possibly, the odd four-letter expletive) when I read the sheer audacity of her argument.(mind you, one of those four-letter expletives was: Spin, Spin, Spin !!!).
As I said we not only have the same interests but think along very similar lines (not only on Left politics, Opinion Poll analysis, but even extending to a fondness for Chomsky and Finkelstein on Israel/Palestine).
I should also add that we’ve even been carrying out similar/parallel research on political opinion in Christchurch. Last year, anticipating a close Chch East By-Election, I went through all the Candidate-Vote and Party-Vote results for all of the Christchurch seats for the last 3 Elections, compared them with the swing in the Country as a whole and then did something similar for both Enrollment and Turnout.
In the process, discovering (as I’d suspected) that both Farrar, John Armstrong and one or two others in the MSM had got things hopelessly wrong. I also managed to get my hands on some of that polling data carried out specifically in Christchurch earlier last year, as well as the census figures detailing the massive population movements in both Chch East and Central (and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Port Hills, if I remember rightly). Indeed, the original motivation for setting up a blog was to use all of this research on Chch to counter any Farrar/Slater/MSM spin on what I anticipated would be this knife-edge By-Election result. And, of course, Labour won handsomely – and so the Blog’s inauguration got postponed until this year. So, the thing is, the parallels go way beyond the Undecideds.
Start of third para should read: As I said in response to your latest impressive post on The Political Scientist…
And that self-interest would be the only thing she’s “excellent” at – she is NOT Labour!
cactus kate and pagani..?
..the media just took yet another further lurch towards the right…
..so we have the far-right musings of ck..(pasteurise/export orphans/the poor..?..sell nz to china..?..)
..and the hard-arse neo-lib from pagani…(‘we have no real poverty..!..let’s just do nothing about that..’)
..joy..!..joy..!..
..in fact..you could narrow labours’ current problems/policy-deficits down to the fact..
..that so many in the labour caucus..are side-by-side with pagani..in their (still!) neo-lib pimping..
..labour won’t really change until they are all fucked off…
That’s great news. Those two love bashing the Labour party but they’re both hopeless at it. Who are they going to get from the left for balance?
oh wait, what?
It will be goldilocks approach for anything Key does, one will say he is doing too much, the other will say not enough and the conclusion readers will expect to each is that Key is being just right.
That’s very optimistic of you, expecting Pagani to criticise anything Key does.
Usually she criticises Labour for not being more like him.
“Usually she criticises Labour for not being more like him.”
What, criticising Labour for consistently fucking up election campaigns?
Sometimes, yep. Among many other things.
Even partisan Nat voters I chat to are appalled at the bias being shown by granny rnz and tv.
TVNZ are so far up themselves they dont see the danger in appointing a moderator who happily admits his bias.
A public broadcaster is sadly needed to be built by dismantling TVNZ which is simply a joke now.
Anyone catch that “hilarious” new show called the late breakfast with wells, hart etc…..I rest my case.
i blame hart…the other two have been funny..in the past..
..hart never has..
..he seems to have built a career from walking around in his underpants..
..nothing more..
(and the show itself feels (surprisingly!) like that show havoc/wells did on mtv..way back in the mid-nineties..
..except that one was funny..had its’ moments…)
It looks as if they are preparing for a gloat-fest, doesn’t it. “Ah well, if only they had stayed with Shearer…” “But look at Key, his uncanny political instincts, etc, etc…” “The people have spoken, and sadly for Cunliffe…” It is up to us to get our vote out and deprive them of their fun.
That would be Cactus Kate on the right and Josie Pagani on the other right.
The only dubious connection she has for Labour is that some years ago she stood as a candidate for Labour! Her so called ‘expert’ analysis and comments are so superficial, weak and actually biased and unsympathetic towards Labour and Cunliffe! The political bosses NZH seem too thick and perhaps too biased themselves not to to see this! If they have a genuinely right wing commentator, Cactus Kate, there, surely, they should get a genuinely left wing commentator for balance.
One thing is clear to me. Going into this election, Cunliffe and Labour are stacked against a pretty hostile and unfair media in front of them.
All the more reason to stop deliberately fucking up, then. Perhaps they are aware of some economic hot potato Labour don’t want to be left holding.
Seriously, how difficult is it? National’s pants are showing. Why frighten the voters? Get in power first and then bring about change. Where are the billboards?
Two more useless, thickhead columnists for the Herald. Be still my beating heart.
truth is I have never rated anything that pagani banana has uttered… at all….. dim …. 2c
This is happening now
My contacts in Gaza tell me that everyone who has a phone has just been phoned with a message from the IDF for everyone to leave their houses and to congregate in the city centre.
This can only mean that the Israeli army and airforce are planing to demolish large areas of the city.
This is already happening
PHOTOS
Before: https://www.facebook.com/JamalDajani2/photos/a.10150141015580444.403579.166587400443/10154432358055444/?type=1&theater
After:
This has happened before:
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/warsaw_ghetto_testimonies/liquidation.asp
“And then you were transferred to the assembly square” 5:05 minutes
“My contacts in Gaza tell me that everyone who has a phone has just been phoned with a message from the IDF for everyone to leave their houses and to congregate in the city centre.”
Yeah, right.
Yip, her “contacts in Gaza” just got a phone call telling them to evacuate, so during the rush to get out of their house, they thought “we should call up our good mate Jenny in NZ, the one with the persuasive media profile who will best be able to spread the message of what is happening right at the minute to the world at large”.
‘
Shoot the messenger
Ignore the message.
Both Mana and the Greens have sent official representatives to speak at the rallies against the modern holocaust being carried out in Gaza.
I would like to ask you, Lanthanide and Te Reo Putake where was Labour?
Yep, and rumours from the jewish sector here are that this current stoush is intended to go far and long and deal with “the problem” for good.
not said lightly
“Never again” is what the Israelis once said, from the bottom of their hearts.
What fucking hearts ? Nazis.
“[multilevel headdesk]”: Dildo Dagguns Snr.
Benjamin Franklin
Queen Victoria
“I would like to ask you, Lanthanide and Te Reo Putake where was Labour?”
I’m more interested in knowing wher the National government is. Key is uniquely qualified as a world leader to call on Netanyahu to end the imprisonment and massacre of Palestinians but I’ve yet to read anything that says he has used any influence he may have. This contrasts strongly with his censure of Putin over the Ukraine conflict.
@ Te Reeo Putake and Lanthanide
What’s your point in sniggering at Jenny’s comment? Anger distress anxiety – that sort of response is understandable to the Israeli-Palestine conflict. But sniggering no.
So what do your responses register from your standpoint that has meaning?
It looks like they prefer having a go at Jenny to contributing anything substantial.
the ghost of Edward Said speaks…and watches over the Palestinians and the Israelis
Edward Said in search of his homeland of birth, Palestine
More on the Palestinian, Edward Said, friend of Daniel Barenboin the great Israeli musician, and their message for PEACE
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/24/israelis-palestinians-losers-conflict-suffering-rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Said
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism_(book)
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/sep/26/guardianobituaries.highereducation
Those of us who can remember the ghettoising of the Jews in WWII would think that this smacks of the same process. Herd all the civilians into certain districts and demolish or confiscate their property. Dark irony indeed!
So whilst nick smith bullies fish and game about being political I noticed a Nat election billboard on DHB property, bet thats not considered political in the eyes of certain senior hospital officials recently appointed against official advice.
Where abouts TC?
Sh1 mickey, I maybe wrong but I thought the waikato hospital owned all the way down to sh1 from their recently added A&E and other developments. Looked odd in passing.
Take a photo of it!
Usually there’s a bit of council land on the edge of every SH iirc
oh great not thinking of joining the fool of a Labour campaign person who took a photo of bent Bankie chatting on his mobile phone while driving a car. But wait there is more, that clown apparently went to the cop shop to file a complaint in person.
That just smacks of pity little drama’s, I mean Banks has been dealt to and is history. Who gives a fuck about Banks anymore?
Come on mate let’s just work at lifting the vote and forget about the small stuff.
banks has not been sentenced yet..
..it ain’t over ’till that’s over…(this friday..)
Slippery the Prime Minister is quoted in Grannies online version this morning as describing Smith’s threats against Fish and Game as ”silly” and ”unproductive”,
In other words the PM gives Smith a ”pull your head in notice”…
That hindsight thing.
Quite some time ago there was a discussion on TS about the idea of Kelvin Davies standing aside in Te Tai Tokerau to allow Hone Harawira to win the seat. It was an idea I was cheer leading for.
Some time later LPrent cited an author (sorry can’t remember who, it was ages ago)who looked at how successful democracies function. Among three key points was a country’s ability to run a fair and honest contest between candidates. Contest being the key word.
Transferring that concept of contest into the NZ MMP environment puts a bit of stain on the idea of doing deals – and some may go so far as to say it undermines the voters right to make an educated choice as the sense of contest has diminished, ie they don’t get the full picture, rather their preferred party tells them who to vote for.
Labour haven’t done any deals.
National have. The bag o’ flour in Epsom and the hairdo in Ohariu. (Got to come up with another name for Dunne as that lush mane is no longer)
So, now, who looks desperate and manipulative?
that will be scant consolation if that is the fulcrum around which a centre-left defeat swings..eh..?
..that refusal by labour to accomodate..where it is called for..
..(i don’t think it will be..as i see internet/mana doing much better than the experts/pundits are predicting..)
..but it does show up the logic-shortfalls currently bedeviling labour..
(and their ridiculous claims to win all the maori seats..makes them look as deluded/’barking’ as does flavell..when he makes that same farcical-claim for his sunset-party..)
..where really it is in their hands to both guarantee a stronger centre-left bloc..
..and to see off act/dunne..
..but because of their deeply-flawed first past the post thinking..
..they seemingly wd rather purposefully enhance their chances of defeat…
..beyond fucken stoopid..to my mind…
I also see IMP doing surprisingly well. They can stand on their own feet and contest their seats far and square, without any help from Labour – stepping aside. Good luck to them too. I want to see a healthy amount of IMP MP’s IN Government
Rather than hindering their chances phil, I think they come out looking better off. I heard some where on TS, feedback from the Epsom electorate suggesting the voters were tiring of being told what to do and treated like puppets.
Having another deal pushed on them might be too much. Might there might be a backlash and former ACT voters all vote Goldsmith in protest?
I don’t think the deal is going to go down well here in Ohariu. I will have me ear to the ground in coming weeks……………
Off out now. Back in a few hours.
Want to get rid of Key? The left’s simple guide to tactical voting:
Green Party Supporters-Party Vote Green
Labour Party Supporters-Party Vote Labour
Internet-Mana Supporters-Party Vote Internet-Mana
Te Tai Tokerau Constituency
Green, Labour and Internet-Mana supporters Candidate Vote Mana-Hone Harawira
Epsom Constituency
Green, Labour and Internet-Mana supporters Candidate Vote National-Paul Goldsmith
East Coast Bays Constituency
Green, Labour and Internet-Mana supporters Candidate Vote National-Murray McCully
Ohariu Constituency
Green, Labour and Internet-Mana supporters Candidate Vote Labour-Virginia Andersen
You missed a bit:
All other electorate seats, Vote Labour.
TPR, Why???…
TRP: Labour’s proposed policy, similar to ACT’s, to push up the retirement age is the elephant between the ballot box and me.
It is going to happen sooner or later. Better for it to be done sooner, with plenty of notice and a very gradual increase, rather than later in a hurry.
Labour is proposing lifting the age by 2 years between 2020 and 2033. National, in 1992, increased the age by 1 year immediately and 4 years between 1993 and 2001.
If Labour’s proposal doesn’t get adopted soon, we’ll be looking at a similar rerun of National’s.
Why does it make sense to force worker to stay in an excess labour pool even longer, when there aren’t enough jobs to go around?
Why not just fund the future shortfall by putting more into the Cullen fund now?
TRP – lol – onya mate – tenacious, dedicated, focused – the qualities of all good supporters – good luck for labour – the left need them there – “get your motor(s) running, head out on the highway…Fire all of your guns at once, And explode into space…”
Yep, I’m a true nature’s child, Marty! Thanks for the comment, made my morning.
And, to the others, the short version is that Labour electorate MP’s work hard to help their constituents, Nat MP’s don’t. As we know from the Cunliffe letter issue, electorate MP’s deal with thousands of requests. Labour MP’s actually give a shit about the battlers in their area and can and do make a difference. It’s not glamourous, it’s not often newsworthy, but it does give the poor and downtrodden some hope.
To give an example, if you were a Waitakere beneficiary needing help, do ya reckon Paula Benefit would lift a finger to assist you? The answer’s obvious, and the fact that she is an electorate MP is entirely down to left voters not using their electorate vote effectively.
Pretty good there BG – I agree that the Party vote is where it is at – please correct me if I’m wrong but unless you are on the Māori Roll you can’t ‘candidate vote’ Hone in Te Tai Tokerau. But you can give the Party Vote where ever you wish, I think. I wonder if someone can confirm – if a Party doesn’t have a candidate in a Māori Electorate, you can still give them a Party vote? Does every Party standing in the election give access to their Party vote or do they have to have a candidate? Probably only applicable to Māori seats but would be good to know – for academic purposes only of course 🙂
Hell yeah ! All parties standing at this Election are listed under the Party Vote section of the ballot paper in each and every seat.
Thanks for that confirmation, much appreciated.
I thought the party listed for the party vote will be IMP, and not Mana separately.
Yes it will be for IMP. Or at least it better be, because if its not, they’re screwed.
Correct, except if by some remote chance that in Epsom and ECB it is the Labour candidate that is actually leading (and not the Nat or ACT or the Cons candidate)! Not impossible, Huh?
Keep an eye out at Clutha Southland, ex English’s very occasional stomping ground.
I suspect National-ACT are playing a cunning and tricky game here,
National has put up a young unknown, an ex tobacco business peddler, Todd Barclay 23 as their lack lustre candidate, while ACT has put a well known Southland farmer and former Federated Farmers president Don Nicolson as their candidate!
I think they are playing the Epsom game here quietly under the radar hoping that not many will notice! What do you think?
I’m a little bit frowny brow about the Don Nicholson scenario.
Folks from the Southland area, give us your thoughts and the word on the street or paddock gate. Better the devil you know? A well known Fed Farmer ex Prez Vs. the corporate fag trade kid. Would they not be inclined towards Nicholson as a known and one of their own?
Won’t the ACT line of Grr grumble, scrap the RMA, burn the rule book, freedom to pollute the waterways! go down well with the farming set?
(No disrespect intended to the farmers that are working very hard to take care of the environment and their animals. You are a growing number but it needs to be each and every farmer that takes this approach)
as the former Labour candidate, I can assure all that Don Nicholson will get no more votes this time around than last time around i.e. fuck all.
Also, the National Party could instruct their blue supporters in the electorate to vote ACT, but they’ll all still vote blue. Just the way it is. Southern principles vs Epsom expediency, you see.
Thanks for the insiders view CV – thats very good to know. Very helpful.
By all accounts Kelvin davis is a good, intelligent man who’ll do a good job representing his electorate, he knows Labours numbers are in the toilet and that theres a good chance he might not get in on the list if he loses so whats in it for him to stand aside?
If Labour wanted him to stand aside they should have given him a more certain place on the list, like National did with Goldsmith
From memory I worked out Davis gets in on the list if Labour gets about 28.5%. IMO Labour voters are safe voting for Hone in the knowledge that they will probably get Davis too.
It does depend to a certain extent on electorate results.
Its quite a bet to make really: Labour gets at least 28.5% (depending on electorate votes) or campaign for the seat yourself
Especiallyly when its your (potential) job on the line
“The bag o’ flour in Epsom and the hairdo in Ohariu. (Got to come up with another name for Dunne as that lush mane is no longer)’
How about the ‘Ohariu Dunny’?
He does get “the dunney” a bit around here. I tend to think of him as ol dunney boy, or The Dunner – roo.
Hopefully it will all be over for him after 20th September and he can further known as “Dunne and Dusted”.
Reminds me of Kunstler on John Kerry..”a haircut looking for a brain”.
What about the name “Hair-Don’t” for the Ohairyooh seat?
Lolz @ ”Flyover finally over, sky about to fall in” the headline accompanying an opinion piece looking at the decision by the independent commissioners to can the proposed ‘white elephant’ the Basin Reserve flyover in today’s DomPost,
The evil little child in me was hoping that this piece of roading insanity would get the nod as from my look at the proposal it would have created gridlock for all of the traffic in the lower eastern sector of actual city traffic,
Only the supremely stupid would attempt to design a roading network by speeding traffic flows toward a major choke point,(the Mt Vic Tunnel), a) with the now defunct proposal of the Basin flyover, and b), with work about to begin on drilling the second Terrace Tunnel,
Perhaps such design is deliberate where the inevitable clusterf**k results in an enraged public demanding yet another ‘fix’ thus keeping the planners on the gravy train,
The only logical means of increasing the flow of traffic across the network is to in fact double lane the piece of road on the eastern side of the Mt Vic tunnel and then drill another tunnel through Mt Vic itself,
Of course, all that being said, the ‘planners’ could probably achieve most of their aims at far less cost by building a system where Park’n’Ride from public transport hubs becomes a viable option for all the outlying Wellington City suburbs…
I always wondered why the bus tunnel wasn’t widened to divert Hataitai/Evans Bay traffic away from the main flow. Ok, there’d be an increase in traffic up one street in Mt Vic, but surely it would help?
Yeah true TRP, i doubt the bus tunnel needs have anything ‘done to it, at rush hour, the only time the network becomes ‘stuck’, the bus tunnel could be simply utilized by having an unimpeded flow of traffic through it Eastward in the afternoon and Westward in the morning,
(as kids we used to risk life and limb by roaring through that particular tunnel in our Mk1 Zephyrs and PA Vauxhaulls as our personal shortcut),
i can tho see any attempt to convince people on both sides of that particular structure,(the bus tunnel), that their quiet streets should suddenly become a major part of the roading network getting petty ‘hot’,
A budget option for the removal of a significant part of the traffic flow that now passes the Basin Reserve it would surely be tho…
You went through in a car? What a softy! I used to wait for a bus to enter then cycle frantically behind it hoping to get out the other side before the next bus turned up. Good times!
Riii-iight, you must have been out to really impress the opposite with your choice of ride TRP, if you will excuse any unintended sexism, a real ‘babe magnet’ your bike must have been,
Soft i doubt, on occasion our ride through that tunnel was more to do with desperate needs, one particular jaunt being one of my many convictions, i can tell you that the bus tunnel was favored as the means of transport/distribution for the contents of a Toops truck in the early hours of one Wellington morning…
lolz no need to rush.
On foot through the tunnel one only needs to duck into any of the alcoves built into the walls as the bus flies past.
Riii-iiight Felix, try telling that to these two,
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0902/S00237.htm
Notice the Ad, InternetMana by the way, the aim world domination, the plan unfolds,
This one was too busy looking good to see either the bus or ‘an alcove’ coming,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/article-cfm?c_d&objectid
Kids definitely shouldn’t try this at home…
Meant to be a reply to TRP.
Don’t know why you doubt me about the alcoves though, they’re spaced along the walls at even intervals. The trick is to count your paces. You start counting again every time you pass one so you always know how many steps forward to the next one or back to the last one.
They’re only about a foot deep and be a bit tricky to see when you’re running toward the lights of an oncoming bus.
Felix, personal replies to specific commenters are better denoted with the use of the commenters username to avoid confusion,
Secondly, point to where in my comment ”i doubt you about the alcoves”…
Not in the mood for your bullshit tonight. Suck it.
Felix, it is glaringly obvious is it not that i made no reference to any ”doubt about alcoves”
Your latest little spurt of invective is simply Pointless Abuse, brainless at that, to be expected of course considering your commenting history,
You lack style, grace, and intelligence, you should find a child’s website to practice your commentary within,
Here at the Standard you are way way out of your depth…
One stick short of a faggot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(unit)
Alien’s knitting needle strikes wickedly and i laughs, its too late in the piece for me to inquire at whom such wickedness is directed, as i do not plan on spending the next 3 hours trading handy hints on how best to darn socks at this particular time of night…
Not you me old mucker, not you. 😉
And I even included a wiki link to head off any crack head crack pot theories I was being homophobic.
Late, yes it is, but 108 for 3 is keeping me awake until luncheon.
“..You went through in a car? What a softy!..”
you should try it on a skateboard…
Heh! I feel a four Yorkshiremen sketch coming on …
Well, of course, we had it tough. We used to have to get up at 3 in the morning, half an hour before we went to bed, get down on hands and knees at city end of Mt Vic Road Tunnel, lick pavement clean with our tongues, then crawl bare-kneed all way through to t’other side of tunnel while singing hallelujah chorus. And if we beat all odds and made it to t’other side before being slammed by two Big Reds coming from opposite directions then Our father would belt hell out of us wi’ shovel and dance on our graves whilst whistling old Tex Morton ballads, if we were lucky!!!
u think u had it tuff..?..
.whoar..!
swordfish and phillip u
Good action and a great finish. Where’s your next gig?
Me too, I think that the good burghers of Hataitai might not like the extra traffic. I often thought that the basin problem would go away if the two tunnels were made part of a one way system each way.
That’s the way I feel about the Waterview Connection in west Auckland. The hold up is getting onto the motorway in peak times. Improving the connection to the motorway, will just rearrange the way motorists queue to get onto the motorway.
And the all too predictable partisanship from the Dom Post. Front Page headlines shouting DISASTER !!! for two consecutive days. With former Labour MP/Mayor-turned-ACT-zealot, (Wellington Regional Council Chairwoman) Fran Wilde, given enormous space by the editor to bullshit away……
The sky is falling, the sky is falling, Laughable, the frigging Wellington Regional Council is growing proof to that old adage about Lefties jerking to the Right as they grow older…
Norman Finkelstein on the Method in Israel’s Madness…see both videos (Gaza: Is there method in the Madness July 28 and Gaza: Ceasefire or Surrender ? July 27) here… http://normanfinkelstein.com/
To bring some balance to the issue:
“In Berlin, police had to step in to protect an Israeli tourist couple at the weekend after protestors turned on them when they spotted the man’s yarmulke. Demonstrators reportedly charged towards the couple shouting “Jew! We’ll get you!..
…In Paris, hundreds of protestors have attacked synagogues, smashed the windows of Jewish shops and cafes, and set several alight, including a kosher grocery store which reportedly burned to the ground…
…There have been reports of protestors in Germany chanting “Jews to the gas chambers”, and police in Berlin have banned protestors from using another popular slogan: “Jew, Jew, cowardly pig, come out and fight alone..
Police have opened an investigation into the imam of a Berlin mosque after he allegedly called on Muslims to murder Jews in a sermon. “.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10983472/EU-politicians-speak-out-after-wave-of-anti-Semitic-attacks.html
Also there is a hashtag #HitlerDidNothingWrong trending big time in the Middle East
.
Some of these will likely be false flag JDL ops.
Not defensible – but understandable.
Don’t know what you do about human desperation and anger when it is en masse….
Perhaps, if more synagogues and Jewish congregations were seen to be publicly against what is going on, the focus would remain where it belongs – with the Israeli government and the IDF.
@ Molly and Tom Jackson…Spot on !!!
Meanwhile, here’s a good rebuttal of current Israeli apologetics on Gaza (often using Israeli and US sources to make the point)…http://normanfinkelstein.com/2014/fact-v-fiction-on-the-gaza-massacre/
More interesting Finkelstein has approvingly posted an article that basiclly sums up what I think needs to happen:
“The only durable solution requires dismantling Gaza, humanitarian relocation of the non-belligerent Arab population, and extension of Israeli sovereignty over the region.
That is the only approach that can solve the problem of Gaza.
That is the only approach that will eliminate the threat to Israel continually issuing from Gaza.
That is the only approach that will extricate the non-belligerent Palestinians from the clutches of the cruel, corrupt cliques who led them astray for decades.
That is the only approach that will preclude a need for Israel to “rule over another people.””
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2014/the-only-durable-solution-requires-dismantling-gaza-humanitarian-relocation-of-the-non-belligerent-arab-population-and-extension-of-israeli-sovereignty-over-the-region-while-were-on-the-sub/
Ah yes, the solution you endorse is 100% ethnic cleansing by the colonisers, why am I not surprised.
Finkelstein seems to approve and he isnt exactly a rabid right wing supporter of Israel is he?
I was talking about you – not about Finkelstein.
Actually my bad, I missed Finkelstein’s sarcasm in the title – it was kind of obscure and the article posted without comment.
You may call it “ethnic cleansing” but neither of these two groups want to live with each other – way to much blood under the bridge, way to much fear about what they might try to do to each other in the future.
It’s not about Finkelstein; it’s about your support for the most right wing of Israeli ethnic cleansing positions, saying that it sums up “what you think”.
To Colonial Viper above ( the reply link is missing in your post again ) –
The Jews need their own country after what happened to them, you can not deny that.
Unfortunately it ended up on the Palestinians when probably it should have been part of Germany that got handed over. Definitely not going to happen now.
So better to bite the bullet than continue this never ending conflict.
Your Muslim mates burning Israeli flags on NZ streets or attacking Jews on European streets is no answer.
Oh I don’t care about any of your cover up after-story.
I just noted that complete destruction of the Palestinian state, transportation of all indigenous people away from their homes en masse (protip: you should do it by rail cars, they’re very efficient), and a complete takeover of all Palestinian lands by Israel “basiclly sums up what [you] think needs to happen”
You said it yourself at 8.1.2.1.1
“…Finkelstein has approvingly…”
Hilarious stuff !!! You don’t understand Finkelstein’s sense of humour too well, do you ?
Now let’s see, an internationally respected scholar and human rights activist who has given most of his adult life to fighting for the basic rights guaranteed to Palestinians by International Law (first and foremost by brilliantly demolishing the on-going stream of Israeli propaganda through systematic forensic analysis of the factual/diplomatic record) “APPROVINGLY” posts a rant by a deeply racist Far Right Israeli Zionist, IDF Officer and one-time ministerial advisor to the right-wing former terrorist and Israeli PM Yitzhak Shamir, does he ?????
I think not, me old luv. Norman Finkelstein regularly posts some of the loonier Israeli propaganda so readers can see the nutters they’re dealing with. Why do you think he added the sarcastic “(While we’re on the subject of dismantling)” to Sherman’s rant ? I would suggest it was a reference to dismantling Sherman’s Right-Wing Zionist Think-Tank (with the amusingly ‘academic’ and bona fide-sounding name) – The Israel Institute for Strategic Studies
You are right, my mistake, however Finkelstein does make some of his titles obscure and posts the article without comment in this case.
Why should the Palestinians be driven out of their land for a bunch of greedy, authoritarian psychopaths?
What Israel is doing is not entirely defensible, but it is understandable.
Perhaps if they hadn’t been on the receiving end of endless vicious beatings culminating in the attempt to exterminate them entirely in Europe, the Jews wouldn’t have needed their own country.
No. It’s not interchangeable.
What Israel is doing is understandable, but indefensible.
They might have an excuse, but it is not a good one.
The reasoning is pretty simple – the ultra right wing militarist/ultra religious settler 10% of the population is dictating the direction of the entire nation. Wag the dog. It is leading to insanity amongst the Israeli power elite and it is undermining Israel as a free and democratic Jewish state.
You logic is exactly the same, you have interchanged it.
I see the British government is going to make those on the unemployment benefit prove they have applied for 40 jobs every month and work around 25 hours a week. A totally impractical rule that is going to make the unemployed ‘s lives even more hellish.
Mind you, I believe there’s more than a touch of that here in NZ. Those applying for the unemployment benefit, for instance, are required to prove conclusively to WINZ that they have been steadily applying for jobs over previous weeks. And then, it seems, they have to jump through a whole series of other hoops before they get even a sniff of the benefit.
WINZ pretty much demands that you apply for 5 jobs a day. They don’t seem to realise that if there were 5 jobs a day for everyone to apply for there wouldn’t be any unemployment. And then they’ll kick you off the benefit if you upset them even when you have been applying for 5 jobs a day.
Last week, the number of jobs available in Hamilton via the winz site was 9, this week it’s 12
That will give cause for Bennett to wax lyrical about a big % increase in vacancies 🙂
9 of the 12 were the same as the previous week, but no doubt she would try.
I’ll wax her lyrical! 😉
I’ll bet you’ll need plenty of wax and a strong constitution.
Awww yeah, now you’re talking!!
You’d be better off with an orbital sander.
You poor deprived thing, choose personality over buxom superficialities..
john oliver ‘does’ nukes…
http://www.alternet.org/video/video-john-olivers-hilarious-and-terrifying-rant-about-americas-inept-nuclear-arms-policy
The Labour Party has a new blogsite for the campaign.
http://campaign.labour.org.nz/blog
(perhaps others have already shared a link?)
New to me. Thanks blue.
I spit on these two
“A former principal and her husband who scammed $30,000 from a decile one school have abandoned their appeal after a judge told them they may be jailed.
Colleen Margaret Gray, 66, and Bruce Kenneth Gray, 65, siphoned the money from Mayfield Primary School in Otara, using it on overseas trips and lavish meals between 2005 and 2007.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11300755
The herald calls them ‘scammers’ – to me that term does not convey how low they are with what they did.
“The increased funding given to lower decile schools is to provide additional resources to support their students’ learning needs.”
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/Parents/AllAges/EducationInNZ/SchoolsInNewZealand/SchoolDecileRatings.aspx
They took the money/resources from the children that need it the most and spent it on themselves.
Why aren’t they in jail? A beneficiary who defrauded the government of that amount would be.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28522450
So now we can definitively say the racist Clarkson.
Will TV3 commit to having him as an election night pundit to join the racist Paul Henry?
Clarkson racist….duh!
Any idea what are these “dark rumours that Pablo is talking about?
“One thing is certain. If dark rumours are correct, the government has some unpleasant surprises for the IP in the weeks leading to the election. If that happens, it may take more than Glenn Greenwald and his revelations about John Key and the GCSB to redeem the IP in the eyes of the voting public. I would hope that both Dotcom and his IP candidates are acutely aware of what could be in store for them should the rumours prove true, and plan accordingly.”
Full post here, http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2014/07/eye-candy-window-dressing-and-deep-pockets/
Not sure what his point is there but he appears to be qualifying certainty, which isn’t the way to do it. Just sloppy.
Blubber Boy Whalespew reckons he has something to release that will destroy both Dotcom and Hone. I doubt if there’s anything to it. His Whalespew army will probably get all overexcited and double their masturbatory frequency, but that’ll be it. The fool thought he was going to get rid of Len Brown, and as far as I can see, he’s lucky he didn’t end up sharing a cell with Wewege. Then the morans who read his crap could make their sick Bubba jokes about him.
Beard:
Nothing sloppy in my writing. I simply stated the fact that there are well-known rumours about some damning unpleasantness the government may or may not have on Dotcom, and that whatever it is will be revealed in the lead up to election day. Others have already alluded to this, to the point of speculating that it could be part of a disinformation or smear campaign against Dotcom. Whatever the case, such revelations could serve as a trump on anything Dotcom plans to reveal about Key, the GCSB etc., and could terminally hurt by association the image of the IP and its candidates.
did he ‘do’ 9/11…?
It’s odd that National are going to that amount of trouble if they think Dotcom has absolutely nothing on Key and that the IP will be an irrelevance in the election being so ‘far left’ and ‘radical’ that New Zealanders will pay no notice.
I thought Key’s strategy was to ignore Dotcom?
It’s either petty personal vengeance on Key’s part or an attempt to spike guns (which suggests they think the guns need to be spiked).
Interesting that rumours are being seeded at this stage – by whom? Has anyone asked Key directly about what he knows and why it’s not being released now?
And isn’t it vital that ‘we’ know now if it’s vital ‘we’ know just before the election? (I think that was the argument used against the 15 September timing for Dotcom’s ‘bomb’, wasn’t it?)
Sorry, Pablo. Didn’t know you posted here.
Are you saying you’re certain the government may or may not have damning unpleasantness on Dotcom?
Good to know.
Matters of democratic process, misuse of intelligence capabilities, and gaming of nationwide elections are big fucking deals. I don’t think Pablo’s style is that of yanking our chain just for the hell of it.
KDC’s given Key plenty of warning. And Key is head of the SIS and well connected with a whole lot of machinery beyond the SIS. Do you really think he’s sailing into Dotcom’s trap without a plan of his own.
No, I don’t. What is very concerning to me is what you pointed out. John Key is not above using the SIS, GCSB, the Police and the judicial system to gather information against his political opponents. He has referred to the GCSB as “my agency” previously, and I suspect he considers it his own Private Eye firm to use for whatever he sees fit in his own view of New Zealand’s security.
Beard:
I have heard the rumours but am loathe to repeat them because I have no first hand way of ascertaining their veracity. The rumours have two parts: 1) the unpleasantness; 2) the government’s knowledge and intention to use it should it be deemed necessary. CV’s second paragraph pretty much captures the gist.
TBH my concern in this regard is not so much Dotcom but IP candidates, a couple of who I know personally, being tarred by association. The idea, if I read the rumour mill correctly, is also twofold: first, to discredit the IP by revealing the unpleasantness, thereby demonstrating that those who jumped on the Dotcom bandwagon were venal opportunists or naive fools who either did not check or choose to ignore Dotcom’s purportedly darker baggage (and are thereby unfit to hold political office); and second, to neutralise any Snowden furnished revelations about the GCSB’s role in Echelon and/or John Ky’s prior knowledge of the US plan to capture Dotcom. Since some of the IP candidates are people of integrity who would be valuable contributors to NZ’s political life now or in the future, I would hate to see them be destroyed by National’s hard nosed machinations (in the event the scenario plays out as described).
However, the way things are shaping up National should not have to use this trump card, so if it does it will be done out of spite rather than as a political manoeuvre.
I have heard the content of the rumours but prefer not to repeat them since I am unable to independently ascertain their veracity. But the thrust is twofold: 1) the unpleasantness involving Dotcom; 2) the government’s knowledge of and intent to use it if deemed necessary. CV basically has the gist down in his second paragraph.
National’s intent is also twofold. The first is to discredit by association the IP and its candidates. They will be shown to be venal opportunists or naive fools who choose to jump on the Dotcom bandwagon ignorant or in spite of his darker baggage, thereby making them collectively unsuitable for public office. Secondly, revelations of an unpleasant sort regarding Dotcom will counter any Snowden derived exposure of GCSB activities in Echelon or Key’s knowledge of the US intent to capture Dotcom in NZ. The reasoning is that the Dotcom revelations will have a more visceral impact on the public, which is already pretty much “over” the spying controversies. It remains to be seen if any of these assumptions prove true in the event the scenario plays out as described.
However, because I know two IP candidates personally and find them to be people of integrity who can contribute positively to NZ political life now and in the future, I do not want to see their reputations besmirched by National’s hard ball machinations. The irony is that as things are presently shaping up, National’s resort to this tactic will be done out of mean spirited spite rather than perceived political necessity.
How is National and its bloggers gathering this information? Do you believe, as I do, that government spy agencies are being used to unearth this darker baggage, as you call it? If so, it could bring spying controversies back on the table for the New Zealand public.
Kiwis generally like fair play – or at least we used to.
Some of the supposedly dark information may have come from US authorities, not necessarily from the NSA or one of the local spy agencies. Think of who pushed for the raid. Wherever it may have come from, there is no doubt that, at least up until the Kitteridge report on the GCSB and her subsequent appointment as director of the SIS, NZ spy agencies did traffic in personal information for political purposes, and that under Key this information was passed to National-linked hatchet bloggers. You can make your own conclusions about such practices and how they impact on organisational professionalism within the intelligence community.
The question remains as to whether they continue to do so in spite of the pledges of reform (something called for in a recent State Services Commission report in the wake of the GCSB scandal). Absent effective independent oversight authority, we may never know the answer.
PS: Sorry for the double post above. The first one disappeared after posting so I re-wrote it more or less along the same lines. The wording is a bit different but the thrust is the same. No sooner had I written the second version than the first one popped up on the thread, and I have no means of deleting it. Oh well.
No worries. Sometimes I need to be told things twice 🙂
Oh dear Pablo. Slater has quoted you, and not in a good way. It’s an endorsement.
That sucks.
Check out the fake Colin Craig website before he gets it taken down.
http://www.colincraig.co.nz/
lol cheers Karen good for a laugh 🙂
lol – “A rep for Colin Craig tells NBR ONLINE the Conservative Party leader has no association with new website ColinCraig.co.nz.”
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/colin-craig-disavows-colincraigconz-ck-159947
that big head coming up from the bottom is very funny
One Direction star gets death threats for pro-Palestinian tweet
http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/one-direction-star-gets-death-threats-pro-palestinian-tweet-6040596
Get out and vote, Lorde urges youth
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10322334/Get-out-and-vote-Lorde-urges-youth
Come on Yella, tell the kids who to vote for.
Lorde can’t even vote herself, time to drop the voting age to 16.
But able to promote voting, and herself, for being involved in the campaign.
I know she was at a rich kid school, spotted by a fellow rich kids record company dad, so what’s the real deal Yella? Pro royal or pro pauper?
I have to say I admire that 1d lad for not removing his pro Palestinian tweet.
my god you are disgusting allen – why don’t you just leave her alone you bully
Bully? Oh ffs Mars, that’s lame, it’s a perfectly valid comment to ask of the decile 10 school kid who got famous when her royal song was co-written, bearing in mind the lyrics to that tune and the gist of the song.
I half expect a photo with JK, but she can always come out and say how she really relates to the meaning behind her breakthrough hit and show support for the underdogs in society, just like the 1D kid has.
Billy Bragg she aint, but who knows.
You accused me the other night of being a one trick pony. Now just because you got upset about what I wrote about kdc and hh you’re on one. 🙄
For the record (no pun), when I’m famous I’m giving all my money away… And you already know who I’m voting for – The depressed and hungry people of NZ.
You are full of shit allen – just a nobody with envy of others because imo you don’t really like yourself very much – it’s okay I can understand why you’d feel that way 🙂
And the last time you tried to ‘bully’ lorde I said the same thing so your anti IMP opinions today are no big thing other than I can’t really let your ‘views’ stand without some corrections – hope you don’t mind 🙂
Totally unnecessary first paragraph.
I’ve established it isn’t bullying by clearly laying out the points.
And a bit of a wah wah second effort verse to finish.
Yep, you got some up you alright, but no fear, it’s all fair in love and war.
You’ve no right to the high ground, so get down from your perch 😉
But if you want to side with a rich kid and go gaga, I wouldn’t be surprised, I mean look how hone ran and dribbled after kim’s moolah 😆
You try and besmirch a seventeen year old young woman when she is trying to get young people to vote and think you have the moral high ground – lol you are a dim fellow indeed.
Besmirch, hark at you. And moral ground, no, not mine to hold, just like you.
If the consensus is widespread that I’m a bully for asking the Royals hitmaker to come forward and reveal who she’d vote for while promoting herself and the youth vote, given her wedge and various commercial contracts, and is followed by bold text of doom, I’ll walk away and never return.
If it isn’t, you pledge to do the same. 😉
You try and besmirch a seventeen year old young woman when she is trying to get young people to vote and think you have the moral high ground – lol you are a very, very, very dim fellow indeed.
You already said that, to which I countered.
To be clear, if you have the numbers, get the big boss to bold type me for it and I’ll walk.
Otherwise cork your faux outrage and agree to clear off yourself for pulling the bullying attack line.
What you got Mars?
lol guess what spot – you can’t bully me like you try to bully others – try to keep up sunshine
So you’ve nothing, including no balls. 😀
No worries, you just keep sniding your bully insults from the sidelines.
You can’t say I didn’t give you a fair crack at a full frontal shot. I suppose you can always wait until I’ve got my back turned if you think it will improve your chances, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Anyway, big ups to that 1 direction dude. Kudos bruv for not letting your handlers or your bank balance or your projected earnings get in the way of doing the right thing.
signs of a thicko – insulting someone with the same insults recently used against them by the same person, and pretending they are original – lol – “say hello to my little friend…”
“signs of a thicko – insulting someone with the same insults recently used against them by the same person, and pretending they are original”
Erm, you are the snide, calling me a bully, hence “No worries, you just keep sniding your bully insults from the sidelines”.
Obviously I can’t call you a thicko now, not that I would, but chuckling an irony laugh for posterity. 😆
Anyhow, off to download lorde’s co-written album now :snort:
You know I’m feeling generous especially after standing room only in Rotorua for the roadshow so I’m not going to reply to you again (after this one). Stop picking on Lorde, especially when she is trying to get young people to vote – it shows your petty, foolish side and is most unbecoming.
I love how you use “co-written” as a term of disparagement, as if working with others is a sign of weakness.
“You know I’m feeling generous”
Translated that means I got fuck all and everyone knows it, except pu and felix, who also bear long time grudges, making you the limping three legged lame attack donkey from hell. 😆
Goneski, comrades.
I don’t begrudge you a damn thing. I just find it amusing to watch you tie yourself in knots over things and people you know nothing about.
Oh allen what a weak little man you are – you have shown your true colours – picking on a seventeen year old because you are jealous of their success and then prattling on making demands, confirming your dimness – lol – stick to trying to bully and besmirch a successful young women who is getting young people to vote but even then I’m sure Lorde would dispatch you like mowing a weed if she could be bothered with a envious thicko like you.
You have nothing but the backing of a couple of village idiots.
You don’t have to agree with me about Yella, hell, she might even surprise and vote mip, but it still doesn’t mean the question is bullying or besmirching.
You’re just tossing off slinging shit in the hope it sticks.
I thank the 1d guy for having the nads to be political and stick to the correct side of right. I wish you had the fortitude to do the same.
Lorde was working to get young people to vote even though she can’t – you are a sad dim thicko if you can’t see the value in that – but oh know it’s all about how she is successful and how you’ll donate 100% of your money when you are – lol do you realise what a loser argument you have there?
I pledge to donate ALL of my giraffes to a zoo of Lorde’s choosing.
Let’s see her match that.
I’ve never said there isn’t value in her getting first timers out to vote, so strike one for the sad thicko barb.
I would like to know who she’d vote for this election, if she could, as I wonder if the money and fame had eroded the (false?) image of urban battler from Royals, or if she’d stay true to the message she sold the kids. No biggie, but a valid question nonetheless. I like credible heroes and heroines.
The rest is just you getting arsey over mip, like you get arsey over race, like you get arsey when disagreed with, like you get arsey when confronted with differing opinion. I don’t need to flag you for it, it’s historically obvious.
I’d still donate any money I made from my music, as I have publicly stated before. Loser argument or not, I’m guessing it’s an eye of the beholder thing, or most likely for you, a green eyed beholder thing, which is all good, I’m arrogant enough to take it as a compliment 😉
You’re chucking my insults at you back at me again fool.
btw – it’s a fucken song mate and the lyrics are words for the song not a manifesto for a life – bloody hell are you completely clueless and up yourself?
You know what marty, I suspect a few expected more from you, but your line and angle of attack have been pretty shonky all through this exchange.
As for fucken song and not a manifesto etc… She made a mint, well half a mint, off it, and kids bought into it big time apparently, so again, the interest in whether she’d be a sell out and vote nat or be with the poor kids and be a lefty remains valid, especially in context of the 1 direction tweet from a young man willing to do/say the right thing.
Everything else is your sideshow and distraction because you got your arse in your hands over me. You know it’s true ’cause you got the form.
pathetic allen – bully tactics never work laddie especially when tinged with envy and spite – the exchange is here for people to read I have no worries at all about that but I wouldn’t say the same if I was you…
You’re out to ‘win’ and fair play to you, but it shouldn’t be at whatever cost. Slinging around terms like bully and bullying young women, just to get that net ‘victory’ is still lame as that three legged donkey, especially when it’s clear it’s not about the girl at all, but your vanity and agenda.
I too am content with the dialogue, and as always, rest easy on my laurels.
“..when I’m famous I’m giving all my money away..”
..that’s really funny…!
..and if we all had fucken horses..nobody’d be walking…..
..got any more like that..?
..definitely ‘dim’..and deluded…
..heh..!
Talking of no balls snidey back door merchants 😆
I’ve nothing now, but if I had, I’m on record and I’m a man of my word. The end.
Nah, that’s not the end. I haven’t even called you a twattish hack with no heart yet.
Female parts, how very misogynist of you.
But seeing I couldn’t give a crap, go for it puddycat. It’s still the end as far as that particular statement goes.
Evidently not.
And men have hearts too you dullard.
“I’ve nothing now, but if I had, I’m on record and I’m a man of my word. The end.”
Yep, it really is the last word on it.
“And men have hearts too you dullard.”
You lucky QOT aint here to slap you down, you sly old misogynist, you.
The end of any statement is the end of that particular statement.
Yours though is open ended. You’ve used a faceless pseudonym to made an unverifiable pledge to give away some undefined thing at some unspecified time.
ps QoT and I are the same person. Everyone knows that.
“ps QoT and I are the same person. Everyone knows that.”
Clearly not, because she has class and can elucidate.
“You’ve used a faceless pseudonym to made an unverifiable pledge to give away some undefined thing at some unspecified time.”
Nobody is faceless with their own web page.
It’s not unverifiable pledge because it’s in the public domain and has been since my first post here.
It’s not undefined, because I’ve stated it’s money.
It’s an unspecified time until that time arrives.
I am a man of my word. The End.
But feel free to try and prove me wrong by getting me signed, buy my songs and see if I stay true to my pledge or not. 😉
Hilarious.
I answered every point you made and it’s hilarious. How so?
I made that same pledge to the site admin here, in an email before I even started posting, in the hope someone would help me set up a trust to do just that.
My fault a lack of talent got in the way of a good idea, but if that email was on record and presented, you’d look like a sack of shite.
Like I said, I’m a man of my word. Any money I make from music would be given away, 100% or I’d be damned.
Now get to fu8k, unless you go to LP and ask if the email still exists.
Hilarious that you think you answered anything.
Hilarious that you think it would matter if you had.
Hilarious that you’re still going on about it.
Hilarious that you ever started.
Hilarious that you’re so upset over others’ successes.
Hilarious that you pretend you’re above such silliness.
Hilarious the chasm between what you say
and what you present.
“Yours though is open ended. You’ve used a faceless pseudonym to made an unverifiable pledge to give away some undefined thing at some unspecified time.”
I’ve answered and you’re circle jerking your way around it.
If you believe I’m not a man of my word, like I claim, and it’s all rather hilarious, go hunt for my first post, try around December 2012 just before xmas. I made a request for help in setting up a charitable trust.
Better still, seek confirmation of the email I sent via this sites contact button. If it exists, I don’t mind it’s publication, bad English and all.
Nothing open ended about my word.
Faceless pseudonym makes same unverifiable pledge twice.
Must be true then 🙄
It’s only unverifiable if you don’t go and seek out the information I’ve presented you with.
It’s only faceless pseudonym if you don’t know how to use a whois site.
“Must be true then”
Of course, just like I’ve been saying, I’m a man of my word.
I’ve even had a phone conversation with a trusted contributor from this very place about my plans.
You have all the info you need to verify, but I’m picking, by form, you’d rather wank yourself stupid in denial rather than get proved wrong, which is of course fine by me.
It’s unverifiable because you haven’t specified anything. You’ll donate all your money when you’re famous? Is that what you said? ffs man how the hell is that ever going to be measured, quantified, qualified or verified?
Meanwhile, a 17 year old girl stands up and does some good in the world and you try to knock her down.
What a sad little man you are.
See, you’re circle jerking marty’s bit now and getting away from finding those posts and getting hold of that email.
True to forum type form, which is a bit sad.
Everything can be verified, even if it’s just an ‘if I ever’.
That you won’t is all good.
Oh ffs, you said “when I’m famous I’m giving all my money away”
What does that mean? You haven’t defined or specified anything that would let anyone know whether you’ve become “famous” or not.
It’s utterly meaningless.
Meanwhile, the young girl you heap scorn on is trying to make positive change in her society.
“Oh ffs, you said “when I’m famous I’m giving all my money away”
What does that mean? You haven’t defined or specified anything that would let anyone know whether you’ve become “famous” or not.”
How many The Al1ens do you think there are? I think a best seller would be a bit of a clue, a sort of give away don’t you think? True in all likelihood to not happen, but ‘if’ it did, I’d would be true to my public stated pledges.
“Meanwhile, the young girl you heap scorn on is trying to make positive change in her society.”
I’ve not scorned her. I have questioned who the decile 10 schooled kid with wedge would vote for, which isn’t really the same thing at all.
But getting first time voters in the polling booths is admirable and I’ve no issue with that, why would I? It is commendable aim on behalf of all those involved.
So define it then.
If it’s so obvious and so easy then go ahead and define precisely what constitutes you being “famous” so we know when to check up on you and your charitable status.
If you can’t define it, then you haven’t pledged anything.
Are you for real, catflap? I wrote hours ago if I make any money from my music. If you see The Al1en cds in the shops, or on itunes or even on my own site, then I reckon that’s somewhat conclusive as ‘famous’ or making money.
I wouldn’t ever sign a deal unless all my share of the royalties were paid in (or for) perpetuity into a charitable trust, because, fucking funny enough, I’m a man of my word.
Could you imagine the scandal if some fuckwit from a blog, with a grudge, out to settle scores exposed me as a fraud 🙄 😆
It’s difficult to take anything you say seriously when according to your last comment, releasing music on your own website means you’re famous.
So I won’t.
checklist:..
..likes winston peters..
..is jealous of lordes’ success…
..is homophobic..
..’back door merchant’ a favourite ‘insult’ of yrs..?
don’t forget the “crotchless panties” line – so classy that one
And I bet they’re still twisted right up your moral outrage 😀
“checklist:….likes winston peters….is jealous of lordes’ success…..is homophobic….’back door merchant’ a favourite ‘insult’ of yrs..?”
0/4 And I have to say, with the permission of the guvnor, you’re half as dim as I thought you were.
“no balls snidey back door merchants”
“You can’t say I didn’t give you a fair crack at a full frontal shot. I suppose you can always wait until I’ve got my back turned”
Go on, try really hard and make that link 🙄 😆
(A clue, it’s not about where your brainbox is).
“In the 2011 election 42 per cent of 18-24 year-olds did not vote – compared with just 5.2 per cent of those over 65.”
Good on Lorde for helping to get the youth out voting – who they vote for is irrelevant imo.
Hmmm why did he mention The Māori Party? Peters fires first overture to the gnats? I hope winstonfirst fails miserably.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10324092/Peters-No-deal-with-Maori-Mana
Trust winston? I don’t think so and I hope labour aren’t thick enough to.
If he’s in government with the greens and labour he’ll do a good job as foreign minister, just like last time.
Winston ruling out mip takes some pressure of DC. Maybe they’ve been chatting, which like the decision to exclude kdc and his puppets, is a good thing with a view of forming a stable government post election.
I’m not discouraged.
problem is that IMP is going to bolt home with a solid handful of MPs.
Well if that’s the case, there isn’t a problem and mars is getting his crotchless panties in a twist for nothing.
I wonder if Labours loss in support because they won’t rule out working with IMP is greater than the 3 seats IMP ‘may’ bring in??
And Mana isn’t a race based party.
Exactly correct!!!
harre is standing in keys’ seat..
..cool..!
Is it legal for people that are not in Key’s electorate to register there to cast a vote there?
no..it’s not ‘legal’..
Laila Harre could be the glorious Giant killer! Could very well be the Boudicia and Joan of Arc of NZ politics. She could make unforgettable history and a long lasting legend! Never say never. Nothing is impossible!
See in advance the modern Boudicea’s triumphant victory against Key and the Nats here:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Queen_Boudica_by_John_Opie.jpg
I am interested to hear your thoughts on Winston’s stand today when he said that he will not work with either of the what he termed, ‘racist’ parties, Mana and Maori Parties.
What do you think is his strategy here?
I am thinking that there may actually be not a single Maori Party MP after this election anyway, while there will most certainly be Internet-Mana MPs! So, Winston is probably more likely to marry Key/National rather than support Labour and the progressives. Isn’t that the more likely scenario, unless he stays outside with C and S which is not his style though!
i think peters will go with national..
..(key will offer him whatever it takes..)
..and it amazes me how many on the left have the short-term memories of fucken goldfish..
..and are somehow confident peters will go with labour…(!)
..trust peters..?..yeah right..!
..a vote for peters..is likely a vote for key…
..lab/grns/int-mana are the only safe votes for the left…
+1
A neolib cadre in the 90s who as a senior government member pushed for the break up of ECNZ, removed tariffs destroying car assembly, and helped punish the poor.
He now profits from bemoaning the state of the world, and no-one hardly questions it!
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.” Marcus Tullius Cicero.
that is quite a tidy summary of peters/his career…
I most certainly do not agree with your assessment of Winston. He is NOT that sort of a person at all. You can not demean him so unfairly for some of the policies you oppose that he has supported in his career. He has shown he is a very concerned caring patriot in many ways, including walking out of the National party for their Neo liberal capitalist policies/support of big business/corrupt practices/asset sales etc. While in coalition with Labour, he supported ALL the revolutionary social and economic policies and programmes of Helen and Cullen.
It is true that now no one knows for sure if he will support Nats or Labour after the election. But that is his prerogative and political strategy. That does not make him evil. People are free to decide and vote accordingly.
The quote you wrote is of course such a great quote and so true. Does not apply to Winston though.
i laughed and then i laughed a lot more @ ”revolutionary social and economic programs of Helen and Cullen”
( i can hear a violin concerto in the background as a voice-over explains how child poverty and homelessness was non-existent during this golden era)…
Nothing that the 5th Labour government did was revolutionary. Most of it didn’t go against the ingrained neo-liberal paradigm that’s tearing our country apart.
The WFF, Kiwi Bank, Kiwi Saver, Paid parental leave, Rise in minimum wage, Early childhood funding, Increases in health care, Free doc visits for kids, Dental clinics in schools, Employment relations act etc etc were Neo-liberal and not social/economic revolutionary bold programmes?
They were reasonable initiatives to take the edge off of Ruth Richardson neoliberalism.
WFF – a tax cut for the working class and comfortable middle class. (Not revolutionary or bold).
Kiwi Bank – which Anderton made Labour do. NZ has had a Post Office bank for decades. (Nor revolutionary or bold).
Rise in minimum wage. Standard social democratic thing to do. (Not revolutionary or bold).
ERA. Rolled back some of the capitalist excesses of the ECA. But gave workers next to no assistance in organising or striking. No mention of penal rates for overtime. (Not revolutionary or bold).
etc
clem said..
..”..It is true that now no one knows for sure if he will support Nats or Labour after the election…”
..and therein lies the reason why a vote for peters is not a safe vote for any left/progressive/anyone wanting key gone….
..why their only choices can be lab/grn/int-mana..
..(and boredom-alert!..i intend to hammer this message right up to election day…)
..imagine how sick in yr guts you wd feel..
..if you voted for peters..
..and then he decided that key was offering him the best deal…
..so you had essentially voted key back into office..
..think about it..!
Yes, it would be sickening if Winston went to kiss Key’s asp.
Good description of Key and National.
Yep, for once i can agree with you Phillip, my longer comment on this hit moderation, but, Labour 33%, Green 12%, Internet Mana 5% isn’t to hard to imagine, and if either Annette or Hone win their seats,(i expect both to), then it can be done with InternetMana accruing 4%,
Labour/Green doing any % higher than attributed above simply makes it that much easier…
Labour 33%, Green 12%, Internet Mana 5% would make Winston and NZFirst null and void, while Winston is ‘talkin tough’ about both the Maori Party,(which i do not expect to gain any seats anyway), and, InternetMana i think that NZFirst may be in a far weaker position than Winstons ravings would indicate,
Obviously the latest from Winston is a nod toward Slippery the Prime Minister for kicking the electoral legs out from under Colon and the Conservatives and will be seen by many as an indication of an inclination toward National, (myself included in the latter group),
Winston’s problem here is that with some Big Bucks Colon the Conservative is likely to attract an even bigger buzzy bee into His bonnet fighting all that much harder for the loose frilly bits of lace hanging from the pretty coat of National and thus may send both down in a ball of electoral fire with neither party quite being able to attain the magic 5%,
Winston’s other problem, there were at the 2011 contest one hell of a lot of people that had one thought in mind as Phill Goff first fumbled and then stumbled during that campaign, that thought?, ”no way were National getting to Govern alone”, and despite having to hold firmly their nasal protuberances For NZFirst they voted,
That vote, who can ever really know its size, simply will not be ticking the NZFirst box on the ballot papers in 2014,
Labour 33%, Greens 12%, InternetMana 5%, its doable and it might be time to retire Winston from the game…
Lolz, i was wondering why this particular comment hit ‘moderation’, its the ‘A’ in gmail i got my fat little fingers to mangle into the wrong position…
Just off facebook – “Hundreds in Rotorua listening to the Internet Mana Roadshow!! Wow HUNDREDS!”
These meetings are awesome!!!!!
the rise of internet-mana is the story of this election…
Yes, it sure will be! No doubt.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/20143331/the-limitations-of-technology-in-the-classroom-digital-devices-and-deeper-learning
Yesterday Nine to Noon covered the digital devices in classrooms issue with American computer scientist Kentaro Toyama.
Key point is that digital devices amplify the school environment’s existing culture: high functioning schools do even better; in schools with behavioural/learning issues the devices are a distraction.
The assumption that tech devices will somehow close the gaps between high and low decile schools is wrong.
‘NICK SMITH’S crude intimidation of the Fish and Game Council points to the bleakest of environmental futures should National be re-elected on 20 September.’–Chris Trotter.
Read that again. What a great quote!
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/07/28/something-fishy-about-nick-smiths-game/?fb_action_ids=4383100032844&fb_action_types=og.likes#sthash.gX0dgAc3.dpuf
Fuck.
BEIT HANOUN, Gaza — This narrow strip of land that used to be called “the Gaza Strip,” already one of the more densely populated places on earth, is growing dramatically smaller. The Israeli military, relentlessly and methodically, is driving people out of the three-kilometer (1.8 mile) buffer zone it says it needs to protect against Hamas rockets and tunnels. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the buffer zone eats up about 44 percent of Gaza’s territory.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/28/as-israel-enforces-its-buffer-zone-gaza-shrinks-by-40-per-cent.html
Well it does accord with the rumours been heard around these parts.
No joke. This is a big thing. Must be money in it.
Disgusting that the jews have to kill children and imprison them and their parents though. I guess maybe, , , is it revenge? Is that what Israel is doing? Is it simple revenge?
From places frequented the Israelis have a pretty poor reputation so perhaps this is just their natural setting.
Where is god in all of this?
nowhere
godless
Inspirational program from Nigel Latta. No doubt Key will condemn it which would indicate that it is powerful and refutes the Government position.
The Unequal Society. With facts and figures.
The Rich get Richer while the Poor get beaten.
Must watch before Key conspires to have it banned!
TV1 9:30pm.
@ ianmac 10.22
Naturally the much touted freedom for the public to watch tv on demand has to have a catch, a barrier which I have to climb over. A block sign comes up and when I click on it I have a window with brightcove.com and various settings. It is harder to get government to give you anything in a straightforward and simple way than it is for a rich man to ride a camel through the eye of a needle and get to heaven. Or something. I probably am confused.
Will flag down my computer-literate white knight. (Not being racist – it’s just a saying! I would find a brown black red or yellow one just as useful as a spotty pink one. Though perhaps I would not welcome a blue-green one.)
nigel latta has earned some brownie-points..
.,his doco on inequality is worth a look…
a few ppl on facebook are saying they just turned 18 & then received a letter from national pimping for their vote. they are curious as to how they would have gotten that information, because both ppl didnt think they put it anywhere (knowingly) public. weird?
“Our recents studies show you have just turned 18 which means you can vote.
Here are 3 Reasons why we reckon we are better than the rest,
1. We spend our money wisley in your community.
2. We believe Christchurch depends on us.
3. Most of all, as a whole New Zealand are going to need National in the next three years to boost the income and just become a better place to live.
WE BELEIVE YOU SHOULD VOTE NATIONAL
#ForABetterNZ.
Sounds like bullshit to me. National might be dodgy but they’re not illiterate.
5 film companies want to sequester (I think that’s the word) all of Dotcom’s assets to hold for three years. Usually can be done in a criminal prosecution but this is at a civil
stage. The guns are out.