Happy Birthday Ianupnorth. Have a great day!
Taking a positive spin on that article.. it has given Goff a wonderful opportunity to promote not selling NZ’s assets and to remind people of Labour having to buy Air New Zealand back and fix it after the last attempt to privatise it! Makes Fyfe’s point a little petty don’t you think/? (no disrepsrect to the koro)
I got a mild case of cognitive whiplash reading Fyfe’s logic. I mean here the guy is running an airline that wouldn’t exist if it were not for the previous Labour govt and then he wants to tell us that politics should keep off his precious grass.
I read the rest of his spam email to his unfortunate staff. Turns out Fyfe has a broken finger. He claims it was a boating accident, but I suspect it was PM’s arse related.
Forget Pete George, he would be to dumb to comment on this.
Tax Justice media release
28 October 2011
“The Occupy Movement is protesting the injustice of the world’s 99% having to bear the costs of a financial crisis caused by an elite few,” says Vaughan Gunson, Tax Justice spokesperson.
“The best mechanism for making the super-rich 1% pay is a financial transaction tax, or Robin Hood Tax,” says Gunson. “It’s very exciting to see that the global movement for this tax which targets banks, big corporates and financial speculators is growing.”
The Robin Hood Tax international day of action on Saturday 29 October is timed to put pressure on the leaders of the G20 before their summit meeting in Cannes on 3 November. In New Zealand, actions are being organised in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch.
“Tax Justice has been campaigning over the last year for financial speculation to be taxed. It’s criminal that the profits of speculators go untaxed, while ordinary New Zealanders are taxed every which way,” says Gunson.
The Tax Justice petition signed by 40,000 New Zealanders was presented to Parliament on 16 August. The petition calls for GST to be removed from food and a tax placed on financial speculation instead.
“Politicians in New Zealand need to respond to the global movement and start looking at how we can introduce a Robin Hood Tax in New Zealand,” says Gunson.
Tax Justice would like to see the parties of the left come together on tax policy. “A broad coalition that brings together left parties inside and outside of Parliament, along with unions and other grassroots organisations, could achieve a decisive shift towards a more just fairer tax system,” says Gunson.
“The beauty of financial transaction taxes is that they can target the super-rich who aren’t paying enough tax; it’s almost impossible to avoid; and modern technology makes it a simple and low cost form of tax collection,” says Gunson.
Tax Justice has produced a Fact Sheet on Financial Transactions Taxes and their feasibility for New Zealand. To download PDF click here.
Sort of. He complained about the waste of taxpayer money. I agree wholeheartedly.
The National party effort was a complete waste of time and money. It was that bad I felt a little bit sorry for the National Party. I expected a razzamatazz Crosby Textor polished juggernaut of an effort that would have had Labour reeling. Instead I got this?
If taxpayer money was used to fund this piece of shyte then I agree there should be an inquiry and at least the complete repayment of any money paid.
That ship’s on fire, she’s sinking fast,
There’s one man standing on the mast,
His arms are spread in the flames around his head
He’d better jump before the blast,
PM John Key is standing on the quay
He’s taking colour photographs.
It’s not ‘Occupy’ that is being deceitful and dishonest.
It is the organisations that have inserted themselves into it and generated a platform themselves and elevated their their agendas and their programmes over any message/ action that might otherwise have emerged from a genuine dialogue between people ‘coming together’ over stuff they are rightfully pissed off about.
Thanks Bill, you are right, I know quite a few people (including myself) that thought Occupy would be a great opportunity to make a difference regardless of affiliations but are quite pissed off about what’s happened in NZ.
I know Green party supporters who are very sympathetic to the theoretical aims of Occupy who deliberately kept their politics out of it, and they amongst many others have been shat on.
Once again in agreement with Bill and suggest we take inspiration from the fact that today Egypt will once again inhabit Tarhir Sq, in solidarity with Occupywallstreet and oocupyoakland. It’s international, so whatever happens in Dunedin, although its a missed opportunity here, it is insignificant in the bigger picture.
This person writes a brilliant first hand account of an awakening in Oakland…
Well that pretty much destroys (yet again) the credibility of those making wild predictions of National’s collapse following the Rena incident. Given the desperately dishonest efforts of Labour & the Greens to somehow blame it on John Key, I had expected the Govt to take a hit. However, it seems that the public has seen through that.
Hopefully, the dirty campaigning has ended, and the campaigns – and the polls – will focus on substantive policy and issues.
“Hopefully, the dirty campaigning has ended, and the campaigns – and the polls – will focus on substantive policy and issues.”
Agree, entirely, Queenie. Do let us know when National make the switch to substantive policy and issues, because on last night’s effort, relying on John Key won’t do it for them this time round.
Well that pretty much destroys (yet again) the credibility of those making wild predictions of National’s collapse following the Rena incident.
No-one here predicted National’s collapse. What we did suggest is that it could well be an ‘inflexion point’. Putting words into other people’s mouths is very bad form.
National have been very, very fortunate that the Rena has held together against expectations , or that there hasn’t been another big storm causing a final break-up. Because that is all that has prevented far more oil landing on the beaches of the BOP.
And if that had happened the focus would have inevitably come back onto that first 100 hours after the grounding when it is now blatantly obvious more could have and should have been done. That and the RWC, which also was a very fortunate distraction for the government.
I suggest you look at the numerous Rena-related posts on this site. Here’s just one example:
My guess is that National will keep losing votes as this crisis drags on, and more and more questions are asked about their credibility.
What we did suggest is that it could well be an ‘inflexion point’. Putting words into other people’s mouths is very bad form.
Well, it seems I am addressed by the official spokesman for this entire site, which makes it ironic that you accuse me of putting words into other people’s mouths. Please tell me, what words did I put into other people’s mouths?
[lprent: RL is both an author and moderator. There are no official spokespeople – just a grumpy sysop who tends to prefer to bite the head off media rather than prancing around being a glory hound.
There were posts and comments that said it was likely that Rena would drop National support (not a collapse). A single small poll (750 wtf?) taken while the issue was still unfolding is hardly likely to show that.
RL is right. You are wrong. Bullshitting about the site as a whole is a Darwin award infraction. Trying to tell authors what they did not say is a dangerous trait. I very nearly gave you an educational ban. But I am feeling lazy this morning. ]
I trust it is not to trifle with the sysop to state that I do not know what I supposedly told an author they didn’t say, and nor do I know what words I supposedly put in anyone’s mouth.
All I did was assert what had been said, and then provide a quote in support when challenged. RL said “No-one here predicted National’s collapse”, and I posted a quote – by an author – to refute that. I don’t see how providing a quote constitutes “bullshitting about the site as a whole”.
On further review, perhaps RL does not consider that the comment “keep losing votes” to fall within the definition of “collapse” – the term I used. If that is the objection, then I would say that on dictionary definitions the term collapse is a perfectly valid term to describe comments such as “losing votes”, especially as a result of losing votes following a sudden, unexpected event. From the definition of “collapse”:
collapse… 3: to cave or fall in or give way… 4: to suddenly lose force, significance, effectiveness, or worth
On further review, perhaps RL does not consider that the comment “keep losing votes” to fall within the definition of “collapse” – the term I used.
Just to be clear… no I do not. A collapse would be something far more dramatic, like plunging within a week or two from 60% ratings to below 40% for instance. None of the authors or commenters who wrote about the Rena were saying anything like that.
What many people did suggest was that it was possibly a turning point, from which the trend for National might start to slowly loose ground.
Was I hearing things – was listening to the news on the radio this morning and heard the latest Horizon poll has Labour up in the polls and the Nats down. Cant find anything about it online,
maybe I was dreaming but it sounded quite impressive.
It came out a week ago, and suggests that the Nat’s can’t make it without Banks coming through in Epsom.
The highlights include a massive 0.4% support for United Follicles and ACT and the Maori party only marginally better off.
National has 36.8% of registered voters (down 2.7% since September 22)
Labour 25.7% (-1.1%)
Green Party 11.6% (up 0.9%)
New Zealand First 6.2% (- 1.1%)
Mana Party 2.3% (+ 0.3%)
Act 3.4% (down 1.4% from September and down from a high of 5.3% in May shortly after Don Brash became leader)
Maori Party 1.7% (+0.7%)
United Future 0.4% ( 0% in September)
Conservative Party of New Zealand 2.2% (new party, first time measured)
New Citizens 0%
Other parties 1.2%
I likewise found the Herald Digi-Poll a little difficult to believe in the face a poor six weeks for National.Although 10.6% of respondants were uncommited or 79.5 people (!). The election will of course be a major proving ground between the methodologies of the regular polls against the newcomer Horizon.
No doubt our neo-liberal cougar has a cushy pension fund stashed away somewhere, where as others, if she had her way would have to sell everything they own in order to get some subsistence in their retirement.
National want to make it hard for the poor to strike for better wages and conditions…..
The National Party wants pay to be cut when workers stage partial strikes or work-to-rules.
In its election policy on industrial relations announced on Friday, National says workers can sometimes do very little work for months under the guise of a partial strike and still be paid.
The party says with approval from the Department of Labour, company executives should be able to cut some of their income.
The proposal would particularly affect groups such as nurses and fire fighters, who stage only partial strikes in order to maintain emergency cover.
Trade unions say National’s proposal would harm low-paid workers who cannot afford full strike action.
Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly says it could increase disruption as workers move faster to all-out strike action fearing loss of money anyway.
“For very low-paid workers, it’s intended to remove a form of industrial action that is often the only one they can afford. For groups like nurses, who are very reluctant to take strike action and often show their objection by doing things like refusing extra shifts, they’ll actually be forced to take strike action.
But Business New Zealand is pleased, saying partial strikes are extremely damaging to industry.
Paul Mackay, of Business Zealand is pleased, saying the greatest industrial damage in New Zealand is caused by partial strikes.
“If we all accept that this country has got an awful lot of work to do on the productivity front, the idea that there’s no penalty for deliberately slowing the boat down so that it won’t arrive on time or won’t deliver the goods has got to have some frustration attached to it.
“So I think what we’re seeing now is the Government being prepared to say, ‘If you want to frustrate productivity, be prepared for it to cost you something.'” – Source : RadioNZ
For “If you want to frustrate productivity, be prepared for it to cost you something.” read…
“In order to conquer, we are dividing the work force into those who can strike and those who can’t!”
Not only did we have to put up with Hekia Parata’s bold faced lies that New Zealand had the resources and manpower to deal with an oil spill the size of Deepwater Horizon… we now have to put up with oil and dead animals washing up all over our beaches precisely because she was lying…
On the news last night she was at the site of the repair of the Maui pipeline.
Reporter was in regular hard hat and high vis vest (as would be expected).
Parata had a helmet with ear protectors and was wearing a pair of safety goggles like she was intimately involves in the repair!
Talk about poser! Do they now have PR wardrobe consultants with them when they fly in for the photo-ops?
She probably learned that from her boss Gerry. The first thing you do when recovering from a fatal, city destroying earthquake – get a new jacket with CERA embroided on it.
Wardrobe first, bulldozers second.
And i read this morning, in stuff or herald both by Parata. I cant find them again.
The problem with the pipe was ground movement NOT maintence
And
The pictures of the leaking gas posted on u tube were a hoax
Agreed. Thankfully we have affordable general hospital healthcare. However you view Roger Kerr he was an effective advocate for his side. The cancer is another thing: It’s more than likely he would have gone through the mill battling the effects of metastatic melanoma… Condolences to his family.
What I said on Armstrong’s National Party political ad today. Doubt if it will be published though.
“Economical with the truth again!
Like DPF you should have a disclaimer, saying rabid National party supporter.
Labour had to spend to repair the damage done to our national infrastructure and public services by decades of Neo-liberal Government.
No Government would have escaped a deficit with the GFC.
Labour left us in a much better position than the present, borrow, hope and give our assets away at fire sale prices to their future employers. National.
I suppose National cannot really campaign on their real policies though.
Stealing our wealth by reducing wages, giving away money earning assets, killing manufacturing, borrowing to give more money to those who spend it on Hawaii holidays and offshore gambling and making sure they have high paying jobs in finance, when they finally get voted out.”
Simon Power couldn’t even wait that long for his earthly reward.
” National would comfortably govern on its own with 53.5 per cent of decided voters, up 1.5 percentage points on the previous poll, in August.”
and
“Labour has 30.3 per cent support (down 1.2), ”
and in case anyone tries to say that the Rena wasn’t really in view when this poll was taken…
“As well as the Rugby World Cup, events leading up to the polling included the Rena oil spill off Tauranga, a downgrade for New Zealand by two credit rating agencies, and accusations that Mr Key misled the House when he claimed Standard & Poor’s had said another credit downgrade would be more likely if Labour became the Government.”
“The poll of 750 respondents was taken between October 20 and 27.”
750 respondants, does this huge number represent the way a majority of New Zealand is thinking or the number of national suporters found during a week of searching for people who will give the approved reply?.
I was disgusted the other day to hear that up himself Paul Henry Drive on radio live gloating (gloating on the unproven basis G was responsible for Lockerbie) about the murderous war crime of Gadaffi’s death He didn’t leave out the horror of the man being sodomized by some sort of object during the process of his dying. He is a total U$$ toady.
Some facts about the good things Gadaffi did for his people in this article:
“He also wanted Libyans to share in the country’s oil wealth, a notion foreign to America and other Western societies.
Under his 1999 Decision No. 111, all Libyans got free healthcare, education, electricity, water, training, rehabilitation, housing assistance, disability and old-age benefits, interest-free state loans, as well as generous subsidies to study abroad, buy a new car, help couples when they marry, practically free gasoline, and more.
Literacy under Gaddafi rose from 20 – 80%. Libya’s hospitals and private clinics were some of the region’s best. Now they’re in shambles. Some, in fact, were bombed or damage
The young people are well dressed, well fed and well educated….Every Libyan gets free, and often excellent, education, medical and health services. New colleges and hospitals are impressive by any international standard.
All Libyans have a house or a flat, a car, and most have televisions” and other conveniences. “Compared with most citizens of Third World countries, and with many (others), Libyans have it very good indeed,” including decent housing or a rent-free apartment.
Green Book ideology rejects Western-style democracy and predatory capitalism, especially neoliberal exploitation. It’s one of many reasons why Gaddafi was ousted.
He had nothing to do with downing Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Neither did Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi. Scottish judges knew he was innocent but were pressured to convict.
Gaddafi never admitted fault. He took responsibility solely to have international sanctions removed. To this day, he and al-Megrahi stand falsely accused. Likely CIA /MI6/and/or Mossad involvement is never mentioned. ”
So is Labour going to announce funding for Len Brown’s train project Monday? Also I am presuming both TV 3 and TV One will release a poll on Sunday and Roy Morgan must be due to drop another poll very soon.
Overthrew a democratically elected Government.
Murdered between 700 thousand and a million of his own citizens to get into power.
Brutally squashed two independence movements. Now engaged in squashing a third.
Keeps about 2/3 of his country in poverty.
Allows foreign companies to repatriate almost 100% of their profits. Especially Western oil companies.
Has the worst environmental record in the Pacific..
Allows abuse of workers in virtual slave labour.
Sends troops in to kill unionists.
Country has unsustainable debt.
Streets of beggars and homeless.
This Dictator of an oil rich country.
Left his country with no external debt.
Gave interest free loans to citizens.
Had Western standards of living.
Increased literacy from 25% to 83%.
Had the Highest Standard of living in Africa.
A proportion of all oil sales was credited to every citizens bank account.
No beggars in the streets and no homeless.
Guess which one was helped into place by the US Government and is supported by other Western Governments, including ours.
Guess which one is considered so bad that we should support his overthrow.
Pity he is not still here to answer for the blighted lives, suicides, poverty, NZ’s heading for the third world, and the other effects, of his and others worship of a mean, spiteful discredited economic religion.
Given that I believe in an afterlife (also in universal salvation), I did a little bit, thinking that he was in for a bit of a shock, as he would have thought himself to have done only good…
This Hobbit themed article has nothing to do with Key other than to say he was given a photo op with his ‘mate’ Jackson. Key isn’t Minister of Arts (why didn’t Finlayson get the photo op?).
I call bs. Also, is that an old photo? Jackson is looking like his old self.
Key and his mates have done nothing for the film industry. Yes, they jumped at the chance to brown-nose Jackson and stick their beaks into an industrial dispute (enjoying your residual checks negotiated for you by fucking unions, Sir Peter?) but they’ve done sweet f-all for the industry.
I still remain completely disgusted with Peter Jackson. It’s really tough on me as I was such a fangirl. On the hobnobbing with celebs theme though, which doesn’t Russel Norman get his sister in law Anna Paquin to do an ad for the Greens? That would be awesome 🙂
Its sad when somebody dies, young or old there are the emotionally attached and the family, so with the death of Roger Kerr whilst I bear his ideology total malice I have sympathy with those who were close to him.
Not so those who carry forward the twisted logic of neo liberalism. In the media there are the likes of Deborah Hill Cone (whose image of too tight jeans in her column frightens the shit out of us)..The late Roger said this of her …“Deborah Hill Cone is one of my favourite journalists. Her cosmopolitan reading habits are unique in the New Zealand media, and she’s generally no slouch in business and economic commentary either”.(aka she read the copy of Atlas by the Sainted Ayn Rand I gave to her)…
Fekk its proof Roger was a lightweight AND its a damnation by faint praise from a suspect source for Debs…..QED
It’s all kicking off in Oz, with Qantas grounding their entire fleet to force the Government’s hand in the industrial dispute. Fairwork Australia meeting in emergency council, Gillard addressing the nation. Thousands of workers locked out, thousands of travellers affected. Amazing!
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Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
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Today is my birthday and to celebrate I am happily first in and in doing so stopping Pete George from his regular first spot! Shame Rod Fyfe spoiled it! http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10762436
Happy birthday Ian!
Happy Birthday Ianupnorth. Have a great day!
Taking a positive spin on that article.. it has given Goff a wonderful opportunity to promote not selling NZ’s assets and to remind people of Labour having to buy Air New Zealand back and fix it after the last attempt to privatise it! Makes Fyfe’s point a little petty don’t you think/? (no disrepsrect to the koro)
My sentiments exactly. Happy birthday.. !
From the article:
Which is to promote an airline, right? Piss off, Fyfe.
Happy Birthday Ian!
I got a mild case of cognitive whiplash reading Fyfe’s logic. I mean here the guy is running an airline that wouldn’t exist if it were not for the previous Labour govt and then he wants to tell us that politics should keep off his precious grass.
Yeah, a perfect illustration of right-wing ideology.
Fyfe is a Paul Henry hiring prick.
I read the rest of his spam email to his unfortunate staff. Turns out Fyfe has a broken finger. He claims it was a boating accident, but I suspect it was PM’s arse related.
LMAO!
Happy Birthday Ianupnorth !
Happy birthday Ian!
Forget Pete George, he would be to dumb to comment on this.
Tax Justice media release
28 October 2011
“The Occupy Movement is protesting the injustice of the world’s 99% having to bear the costs of a financial crisis caused by an elite few,” says Vaughan Gunson, Tax Justice spokesperson.
“The best mechanism for making the super-rich 1% pay is a financial transaction tax, or Robin Hood Tax,” says Gunson. “It’s very exciting to see that the global movement for this tax which targets banks, big corporates and financial speculators is growing.”
The Robin Hood Tax international day of action on Saturday 29 October is timed to put pressure on the leaders of the G20 before their summit meeting in Cannes on 3 November. In New Zealand, actions are being organised in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch.
“Tax Justice has been campaigning over the last year for financial speculation to be taxed. It’s criminal that the profits of speculators go untaxed, while ordinary New Zealanders are taxed every which way,” says Gunson.
The Tax Justice petition signed by 40,000 New Zealanders was presented to Parliament on 16 August. The petition calls for GST to be removed from food and a tax placed on financial speculation instead.
“Politicians in New Zealand need to respond to the global movement and start looking at how we can introduce a Robin Hood Tax in New Zealand,” says Gunson.
Tax Justice would like to see the parties of the left come together on tax policy. “A broad coalition that brings together left parties inside and outside of Parliament, along with unions and other grassroots organisations, could achieve a decisive shift towards a more just fairer tax system,” says Gunson.
“The beauty of financial transaction taxes is that they can target the super-rich who aren’t paying enough tax; it’s almost impossible to avoid; and modern technology makes it a simple and low cost form of tax collection,” says Gunson.
Tax Justice has produced a Fact Sheet on Financial Transactions Taxes and their feasibility for New Zealand. To download PDF click here.
For more information on the Tax Justice campaign go to http://www.nogstonfood.org
For comment, contact:
Vaughan Gunson
Tax Justice spokesperson
021-0415 082
svpl@xtra.co.nz
or
Grant Brookes
Tax Justice spokesperson
021-0532 973
grant_brookes@paradise.net.nz
Grant Brookes will be speaking to the Wellington Occupy movement on the subject of a Robin Hood Tax at 1pm, Saturday 29 October, Civic Square.
It is interesting that neither the slithery one nor Farrar have commented on the respective TV launches last night.
I wonder why?
To be fair, Farrar has posted crossword answers this morning.
Whaleoil has now.
Sort of. He complained about the waste of taxpayer money. I agree wholeheartedly.
The National party effort was a complete waste of time and money. It was that bad I felt a little bit sorry for the National Party. I expected a razzamatazz Crosby Textor polished juggernaut of an effort that would have had Labour reeling. Instead I got this?
If taxpayer money was used to fund this piece of shyte then I agree there should be an inquiry and at least the complete repayment of any money paid.
Third container ship aground off Tauranga. It’s the MV National Party
Pretty damn good…
Occupy Octagon/Dunedin have claimed the council hasn’t been honest with the public or the occupiers.
Council dishonest over Armistice Day – who’s really being dishonest?
It’s not ‘Occupy’ that is being deceitful and dishonest.
It is the organisations that have inserted themselves into it and generated a platform themselves and elevated their their agendas and their programmes over any message/ action that might otherwise have emerged from a genuine dialogue between people ‘coming together’ over stuff they are rightfully pissed off about.
I wrote about all of ths here. http://thestandard.org.nz/over-or-into-the-wall/
Thanks Bill, you are right, I know quite a few people (including myself) that thought Occupy would be a great opportunity to make a difference regardless of affiliations but are quite pissed off about what’s happened in NZ.
I know Green party supporters who are very sympathetic to the theoretical aims of Occupy who deliberately kept their politics out of it, and they amongst many others have been shat on.
Once again in agreement with Bill and suggest we take inspiration from the fact that today Egypt will once again inhabit Tarhir Sq, in solidarity with Occupywallstreet and oocupyoakland. It’s international, so whatever happens in Dunedin, although its a missed opportunity here, it is insignificant in the bigger picture.
This person writes a brilliant first hand account of an awakening in Oakland…
http://www.theawl.com/2011/10/the-livestream-ended-how-i-got-off-my-computer-and-into-the-streets-at-occupy-oakland
This may happen here yet, depending on how it grows and articulates itself abroad.
Ali Mustafa will be live tweeting from Egypt. Follow him for real news.
twitter:@_fbtm
I can’t post the results of the latest herald digi-poll in OPEN MIKE???
Poor handling of Oil Spill what?
As the article notes, there was a spike in support from rugger loving Aucklanders in the days before the final. I’d have never predicted that … sigh.
Well that pretty much destroys (yet again) the credibility of those making wild predictions of National’s collapse following the Rena incident. Given the desperately dishonest efforts of Labour & the Greens to somehow blame it on John Key, I had expected the Govt to take a hit. However, it seems that the public has seen through that.
Hopefully, the dirty campaigning has ended, and the campaigns – and the polls – will focus on substantive policy and issues.
“Hopefully, the dirty campaigning has ended, and the campaigns – and the polls – will focus on substantive policy and issues.”
Agree, entirely, Queenie. Do let us know when National make the switch to substantive policy and issues, because on last night’s effort, relying on John Key won’t do it for them this time round.
Well that pretty much destroys (yet again) the credibility of those making wild predictions of National’s collapse following the Rena incident.
No-one here predicted National’s collapse. What we did suggest is that it could well be an ‘inflexion point’. Putting words into other people’s mouths is very bad form.
National have been very, very fortunate that the Rena has held together against expectations , or that there hasn’t been another big storm causing a final break-up. Because that is all that has prevented far more oil landing on the beaches of the BOP.
And if that had happened the focus would have inevitably come back onto that first 100 hours after the grounding when it is now blatantly obvious more could have and should have been done. That and the RWC, which also was a very fortunate distraction for the government.
No-one here predicted National’s collapse.
I suggest you look at the numerous Rena-related posts on this site. Here’s just one example:
What we did suggest is that it could well be an ‘inflexion point’. Putting words into other people’s mouths is very bad form.
Well, it seems I am addressed by the official spokesman for this entire site, which makes it ironic that you accuse me of putting words into other people’s mouths. Please tell me, what words did I put into other people’s mouths?
[lprent: RL is both an author and moderator. There are no official spokespeople – just a grumpy sysop who tends to prefer to bite the head off media rather than prancing around being a glory hound.
There were posts and comments that said it was likely that Rena would drop National support (not a collapse). A single small poll (750 wtf?) taken while the issue was still unfolding is hardly likely to show that.
RL is right. You are wrong. Bullshitting about the site as a whole is a Darwin award infraction. Trying to tell authors what they did not say is a dangerous trait. I very nearly gave you an educational ban. But I am feeling lazy this morning. ]
Qsf dictionary
Loose is to collapse
I trust it is not to trifle with the sysop to state that I do not know what I supposedly told an author they didn’t say, and nor do I know what words I supposedly put in anyone’s mouth.
All I did was assert what had been said, and then provide a quote in support when challenged. RL said “No-one here predicted National’s collapse”, and I posted a quote – by an author – to refute that. I don’t see how providing a quote constitutes “bullshitting about the site as a whole”.
On further review, perhaps RL does not consider that the comment “keep losing votes” to fall within the definition of “collapse” – the term I used. If that is the objection, then I would say that on dictionary definitions the term collapse is a perfectly valid term to describe comments such as “losing votes”, especially as a result of losing votes following a sudden, unexpected event. From the definition of “collapse”:
On further review, perhaps RL does not consider that the comment “keep losing votes” to fall within the definition of “collapse” – the term I used.
Just to be clear… no I do not. A collapse would be something far more dramatic, like plunging within a week or two from 60% ratings to below 40% for instance. None of the authors or commenters who wrote about the Rena were saying anything like that.
What many people did suggest was that it was possibly a turning point, from which the trend for National might start to slowly loose ground.
Rather large difference.
“I didn’t ram that ship into the reef!!!” 😛
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19473099@N05/6238850035/in/photostream
Good example of what I am talking about.
You’re a rat mate, so you better start swimming.
Swimming from what? What ship do you think I am aboard?
Was I hearing things – was listening to the news on the radio this morning and heard the latest Horizon poll has Labour up in the polls and the Nats down. Cant find anything about it online,
maybe I was dreaming but it sounded quite impressive.
It came out a week ago, and suggests that the Nat’s can’t make it without Banks coming through in Epsom.
The highlights include a massive 0.4% support for United Follicles and ACT and the Maori party only marginally better off.
National has 36.8% of registered voters (down 2.7% since September 22)
Labour 25.7% (-1.1%)
Green Party 11.6% (up 0.9%)
New Zealand First 6.2% (- 1.1%)
Mana Party 2.3% (+ 0.3%)
Act 3.4% (down 1.4% from September and down from a high of 5.3% in May shortly after Don Brash became leader)
Maori Party 1.7% (+0.7%)
United Future 0.4% ( 0% in September)
Conservative Party of New Zealand 2.2% (new party, first time measured)
New Citizens 0%
Other parties 1.2%
I likewise found the Herald Digi-Poll a little difficult to believe in the face a poor six weeks for National.Although 10.6% of respondants were uncommited or 79.5 people (!). The election will of course be a major proving ground between the methodologies of the regular polls against the newcomer Horizon.
Someone else who thinks that the fact that we have the lowest rate of senior poverty in the OECD is unacceptable
No doubt our neo-liberal cougar has a cushy pension fund stashed away somewhere, where as others, if she had her way would have to sell everything they own in order to get some subsistence in their retirement.
More good news for Labour, compulsory Kiwisaver is a winner.
And it looks like we like MMP.
rod fyfe thinks because he once flew a fighter jet then ipso facto he knows everything.
National want to make it hard for the poor to strike for better wages and conditions…..
For “If you want to frustrate productivity, be prepared for it to cost you something.” read…
“In order to conquer, we are dividing the work force into those who can strike and those who can’t!”
A whole new class of worker!
Hekia Parata – Asshole of the Week Award
Not only did we have to put up with Hekia Parata’s bold faced lies that New Zealand had the resources and manpower to deal with an oil spill the size of Deepwater Horizon… we now have to put up with oil and dead animals washing up all over our beaches precisely because she was lying…
On the news last night she was at the site of the repair of the Maui pipeline.
Reporter was in regular hard hat and high vis vest (as would be expected).
Parata had a helmet with ear protectors and was wearing a pair of safety goggles like she was intimately involves in the repair!
Talk about poser! Do they now have PR wardrobe consultants with them when they fly in for the photo-ops?
She probably learned that from her boss Gerry. The first thing you do when recovering from a fatal, city destroying earthquake – get a new jacket with CERA embroided on it.
Wardrobe first, bulldozers second.
And i read this morning, in stuff or herald both by Parata. I cant find them again.
The problem with the pipe was ground movement NOT maintence
And
The pictures of the leaking gas posted on u tube were a hoax
Roger Kerr has just died.
Edit: I have removed some of the nasty stuff out because regardless of his political beliefs, he was still a human being.
Sympathies to his family.
I wonder if he learnt in time that you can’t take material wealth with you and that dollars will not help smooth your way into the after life.
Agreed. Thankfully we have affordable general hospital healthcare. However you view Roger Kerr he was an effective advocate for his side. The cancer is another thing: It’s more than likely he would have gone through the mill battling the effects of metastatic melanoma… Condolences to his family.
What I said on Armstrong’s National Party political ad today. Doubt if it will be published though.
“Economical with the truth again!
Like DPF you should have a disclaimer, saying rabid National party supporter.
Labour had to spend to repair the damage done to our national infrastructure and public services by decades of Neo-liberal Government.
No Government would have escaped a deficit with the GFC.
Labour left us in a much better position than the present, borrow, hope and give our assets away at fire sale prices to their future employers. National.
I suppose National cannot really campaign on their real policies though.
Stealing our wealth by reducing wages, giving away money earning assets, killing manufacturing, borrowing to give more money to those who spend it on Hawaii holidays and offshore gambling and making sure they have high paying jobs in finance, when they finally get voted out.”
Simon Power couldn’t even wait that long for his earthly reward.
The Rena disaster will cause National to drop in the polls……NEK MINNIT….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10762430
” National would comfortably govern on its own with 53.5 per cent of decided voters, up 1.5 percentage points on the previous poll, in August.”
and
“Labour has 30.3 per cent support (down 1.2), ”
and in case anyone tries to say that the Rena wasn’t really in view when this poll was taken…
“As well as the Rugby World Cup, events leading up to the polling included the Rena oil spill off Tauranga, a downgrade for New Zealand by two credit rating agencies, and accusations that Mr Key misled the House when he claimed Standard & Poor’s had said another credit downgrade would be more likely if Labour became the Government.”
“The poll of 750 respondents was taken between October 20 and 27.”
Winning the RWC does not seemed to have helped Key’s polling much. Imagine if Donald’s kick had missed?
750 respondants, does this huge number represent the way a majority of New Zealand is thinking or the number of national suporters found during a week of searching for people who will give the approved reply?.
Typical reply when your team is losing is to blame it on who does the polling, who was polled, or the sample size.
I gaurantee that if the result had showed a gain for labour you wouldn’t even be questioning the sample size.
Remember….many on the left were saying that the Rena was “Key’s, ‘Katrina'” and that the Nat’s would suffer in the polls.
That they have gone up shows the most people realise that this was just left wing spin.
Interesting, Nothing matters until four weeks from now.
I was disgusted the other day to hear that up himself Paul Henry Drive on radio live gloating (gloating on the unproven basis G was responsible for Lockerbie) about the murderous war crime of Gadaffi’s death He didn’t leave out the horror of the man being sodomized by some sort of object during the process of his dying. He is a total U$$ toady.
Some facts about the good things Gadaffi did for his people in this article:
“He also wanted Libyans to share in the country’s oil wealth, a notion foreign to America and other Western societies.
Under his 1999 Decision No. 111, all Libyans got free healthcare, education, electricity, water, training, rehabilitation, housing assistance, disability and old-age benefits, interest-free state loans, as well as generous subsidies to study abroad, buy a new car, help couples when they marry, practically free gasoline, and more.
Literacy under Gaddafi rose from 20 – 80%. Libya’s hospitals and private clinics were some of the region’s best. Now they’re in shambles. Some, in fact, were bombed or damage
The young people are well dressed, well fed and well educated….Every Libyan gets free, and often excellent, education, medical and health services. New colleges and hospitals are impressive by any international standard.
All Libyans have a house or a flat, a car, and most have televisions” and other conveniences. “Compared with most citizens of Third World countries, and with many (others), Libyans have it very good indeed,” including decent housing or a rent-free apartment.
Green Book ideology rejects Western-style democracy and predatory capitalism, especially neoliberal exploitation. It’s one of many reasons why Gaddafi was ousted.
He had nothing to do with downing Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Neither did Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi. Scottish judges knew he was innocent but were pressured to convict.
Gaddafi never admitted fault. He took responsibility solely to have international sanctions removed. To this day, he and al-Megrahi stand falsely accused. Likely CIA /MI6/and/or Mossad involvement is never mentioned. ”
refer link: http://www.rense.com/general95/hyd.htm
So is Labour going to announce funding for Len Brown’s train project Monday? Also I am presuming both TV 3 and TV One will release a poll on Sunday and Roy Morgan must be due to drop another poll very soon.
I can confidently predict gc that labour will make no such announcement on Monday.
This Dictator of an oil rich country.
Overthrew a democratically elected Government.
Murdered between 700 thousand and a million of his own citizens to get into power.
Brutally squashed two independence movements. Now engaged in squashing a third.
Keeps about 2/3 of his country in poverty.
Allows foreign companies to repatriate almost 100% of their profits. Especially Western oil companies.
Has the worst environmental record in the Pacific..
Allows abuse of workers in virtual slave labour.
Sends troops in to kill unionists.
Country has unsustainable debt.
Streets of beggars and homeless.
This Dictator of an oil rich country.
Left his country with no external debt.
Gave interest free loans to citizens.
Had Western standards of living.
Increased literacy from 25% to 83%.
Had the Highest Standard of living in Africa.
A proportion of all oil sales was credited to every citizens bank account.
No beggars in the streets and no homeless.
Guess which one was helped into place by the US Government and is supported by other Western Governments, including ours.
Guess which one is considered so bad that we should support his overthrow.
RIP Roger Kerr
I cannot bring myself to feel sorry for him.
Pity he is not still here to answer for the blighted lives, suicides, poverty, NZ’s heading for the third world, and the other effects, of his and others worship of a mean, spiteful discredited economic religion.
Wasn’t he one of the insider traders in SCF also?
Nobody said you had to feel sorry for him.
I felt the same way when Ed Hillary passed, I just did not care given his long support of the Labour government.
Given that I believe in an afterlife (also in universal salvation), I did a little bit, thinking that he was in for a bit of a shock, as he would have thought himself to have done only good…
WTF is Key doing in this photo?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10762437
This Hobbit themed article has nothing to do with Key other than to say he was given a photo op with his ‘mate’ Jackson. Key isn’t Minister of Arts (why didn’t Finlayson get the photo op?).
I call bs. Also, is that an old photo? Jackson is looking like his old self.
Oh I see Stuff covered it also. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5871787/Key-adds-stardust-to-campaign-trail
Key and his mates have done nothing for the film industry. Yes, they jumped at the chance to brown-nose Jackson and stick their beaks into an industrial dispute (enjoying your residual checks negotiated for you by fucking unions, Sir Peter?) but they’ve done sweet f-all for the industry.
I still remain completely disgusted with Peter Jackson. It’s really tough on me as I was such a fangirl. On the hobnobbing with celebs theme though, which doesn’t Russel Norman get his sister in law Anna Paquin to do an ad for the Greens? That would be awesome 🙂
Jackson and key sold out the film workers for the love of money.
Key and national are traitors, they have made that plain with their plans for this country if we are stupid enough to vote them back in.
Vote for Change has confirmed that it wants to go back to an unrepresentative model for elections.
JK with Sir Peter, Knighted for services to Warner Brothers
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/full-coverage/chogm-2011/a/-/article/10950129/new-zealand-pm-snubs-queen-for-hobbits/
never seena wingnut flic in my life.
they dont do it for me.
I like stuff with balls.
Its sad when somebody dies, young or old there are the emotionally attached and the family, so with the death of Roger Kerr whilst I bear his ideology total malice I have sympathy with those who were close to him.
Not so those who carry forward the twisted logic of neo liberalism. In the media there are the likes of Deborah Hill Cone (whose image of too tight jeans in her column frightens the shit out of us)..The late Roger said this of her …“Deborah Hill Cone is one of my favourite journalists. Her cosmopolitan reading habits are unique in the New Zealand media, and she’s generally no slouch in business and economic commentary either”.(aka she read the copy of Atlas by the Sainted Ayn Rand I gave to her)…
Fekk its proof Roger was a lightweight AND its a damnation by faint praise from a suspect source for Debs…..QED
It’s all kicking off in Oz, with Qantas grounding their entire fleet to force the Government’s hand in the industrial dispute. Fairwork Australia meeting in emergency council, Gillard addressing the nation. Thousands of workers locked out, thousands of travellers affected. Amazing!
Radio NZ finally decided to mention that this morning… I had already read about it in the Italian press first.. 🙁
Appalling!