So National are now into teacher bashing mode. Apparently the recently appointed Secretary for Education who is from the UK thinks that our education system is not world class, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
She says that the tail is performing too poorly. She ignores the high rankings that our system achieves in world tables.
She does not say what the solution is, but obviously the only proposal the Government has are charter schools.
If they were interested they would be decreasing class sizes, increasing professional training for teachers and doing something about child poverty.
But I guess then they would be losing the opportunity to bash two of the few remaining viable trade unions.
NACTs attack dog barks as she’s paid to do. wow Maori and PI don’t do as well shock horror could it be a poverty issue, you know the one this govt is turning a blind eye to.
I think that one important point to note about the employment of Lesley Longstone is that she has a great interest in technology used in her area. She is the second new overseas appointment that has had this focus, but the last one returned suddenly to Brit, I’ve forgotten her name.
This means that those making the appointment do not look at how knowledgable and experienced the appointee is in his/her field, knowledge of technology substitution for people pushes this to the background.
And listen to Steven Joyce who is defending private providers in education and the fact that Maori wananga are doing well is an excuse to open up education to all private interests and so undermining government insitutions, with a question hanging in the air about our schools. This is a cheap shot at hard working educationalists.
There was an interesting aspect on education and alternative approaches in the interview on
Radionz NinetoNoon this morning on the Uncollege idea – finding your own education and goals rather than being rote learned in the traditional way.
Given the need for profits that has transform education into an industry, and its inevitable extra gradient added to the learning process,. That it pays successful teaching establishments to water down and so take profit from time to time, at the top end and the also ran universities to broaden their catchment and capacity. The way we think is still the same, the need to be understood by others hasn’t changed, so technology will inevitable make it easier to educate and transfer both knowledge and skill quicker. The crisis in education is however the huge number of differing and contradictory ways of see differing subsets of the same information surely?
The Secretary for Education was the one to introduce the Charter School Scam into the UK. Parata and the vile Rodger Douglas were working on the scam in the first term of John Key’s Administration. Wealthy American in NZ owns Charter Schools in USA, how much did he put into the Nat’s election kitty?
The argument will become, “see how the Public Education has failed? So the answer is to privatise. As will Social Welfare, Prisons, Rail Transport and so on.”
NZ schools not world class – ministry chief
The head of the Ministry of Education says New Zealand’s education system is not world class because Maori and Pasifika children and children from poor communities are under-performing.
Oh really madam? Fancy that. We never knew. Cos we’re just a bunch of ignorant colonialists?
So, we have to import a right-wing neo-con failure from Britain to tell us things we know more about than she ever will in years of Sundays?
Got news for you madam. It’s your demonstrably corrupt right wing neo-con claptrap that is responsible for so many of our children “under-performing”. Why don’t you pack your bags and head off back to Britain. We have educational experts in this country who are streets ahead of you!
Helen Clark made it clear our home-grown ‘neo-con failure’ Christine Rankin would be sent packing if they won the 1999 election. They did and she was gone in weeks. I expect Labour to do the same to this woman – and announce in advance of the next election.
So you are okay if the other side of the political spectrum also follows this view and if someone expresses views deemed left wing then any Right wing led government can justifiable dismiss them?
I prefer that the public service remains non-partisan, however that is not to state that there aren’t viable alternatives. I’m asking if leftists who wish to sack people because of their political leanings would be happy if the opposite happened.
When will the corporate media ask these simple questions?
1. “Why are you not looking at international research that connects the tail in NZ’s education results to our growing inequality as a society?”
2. ” Why have we got an English ‘expert’ on education when a Finnish one might be more useful?”
This country so desperately needs an independent media.
Paul 1.5.3.
Because the government doesn’t want to ‘finish’ the controversy. It enjoys rattling the cage to make us all jump and there would be no satisfaction in solving the problem in a thoughtful and supportive way.
Also one feature of our society is the mixture of cultures. What does France do with its Algerians etc. The Hispanics in the USA too? Are they all counted in one national database melting pot?
When I am at work I have the National program playing.
I only heard one very brief radio news bulletin about this.
In one brief sound bite I heard that after 30 days Sam Kuha had announced the end of his hunger strike.
Kuha said he had won his struggle with WINZ.
WINZ were now paying him an extra $100 a week extra on top of his benefit and Paula Bennet had agreed to meet him personally to discuss his concerns. Though Bennett had not honoured her commitment to meet with him, he was satisfied.
The promised extra money had been coming through and he was pleased at his victory, which he said was for all beneficiaries.
Sam said that with the extra money he had food in his kitchen cupboard for the first time in ages and he could now even afford a luxury like an occasional coffee.
Getting home from work I did a google search to confirm the facts of this singular RNZ news bulletin.
The following are quotes and links from the story as it developed.
….budgeters had told Sam to go to Winz as he didn’t have enough to live on. So he was forced into setting out on a 4km journey in his electric wheelchair.
He took his bank account details and his budget to request an emergency food voucher. When he got there the first staffer wouldn’t even look at the figures and flatly turned him down. Another staffer agreed that no one could live on Sam’s budget but, as they had given him help twice before, and he wasn’t any different from anybody else, they weren’t allowed to help him.
A ministry spokesman told the Advocate that emergency budgeting advice was available for people in Mr Kuha’s situation, so if they had run out of food but were required to see a budgeter before getting a special needs grant they did not have to wait.
Mentally pretty good my body is starting to break down a little, I keep getting a shake now and then….
In my mind they were going to make me starve because of a process, and I decided to take that in my own hands, if I was going to starve I was going to starve myself……
I just couldn’t see any other way. I decided on the hunger strike first, and then wondered what good it was if nobody knew I was doing it….
I would just like to say to her she is being ill advised by staff who have no perception of this end of the scale. And I would like to give her the grass roots truth if she will come and listen.
A national disability group has credited Kaikohe hunger-striker Sam Kuha with ‘shining a light’ on the daily struggle many disabled people face to survive.
Mr Kuha says he has not eaten since September 14, when he was refused a $40 food grant at Work and Income in Kaikohe because he would not see a budgeter.
Mr Kuha said he had lost at least 13 kilograms but his financial situation had improved dramatically. Last week, after he saw a budget advisor, had his allowances re-evaluated by Work and Income and a debt forgiven, he had $140 left to spend after he had paid his mortgage, power, rates and other bills. Previously he had $18 left a week for food and other expenses.
Sam Kuha ended his protest last week after Social Development Minister Paula Bennett agreed to meet him.
He says that hasn’t happened yet – but WINZ has re-assessed his invalid’s benefit and he’s now getting $100 more each week.
Mr Kuha says he now has enough to buy food and a few things he thinks of as luxuries, like shampoo or a cup of coffee.
What you failed to say about Sam’s situation is that MSD should have checked he was receiving his FULL AND CORRECT ENTITLEMENT anytime he applied for a Special Needs Grant (a food grant is a SNG).
Not only did they not do this prior to him getting widespread media attention, it is a regular cause of hardship for beneficiaries. It is the responsibility of MSD to inform beneficiaries of something they need to apply for, not the beneficiaries job to figure it out.
You also failed to mention that if MSD were aware of Sam’s situation prior to the date they FINALLY decided to give him more money, Sam could lodge a Review of Decision (just ask for the form as they are big on forms, low on providing quality service…or any service actually).
In the Review of Decision form Sam needs to say he disagrees with the decision and identify the date it was made (usually they send a letter, so use this date). Then he needs to state that Work and Income were made aware of his circumstances earlier. Therefore he would like the payment made BACK TO THE DATE HE FIRST BECAME ELIGIBLE. It is in caps because the wording is important.
Then, once he receives a large lump sum he can go in the paper again and highlight just how significant failing to advise beneficiaries of their right of application can be. Is it a few hundred? Or is it a few thousand that Sam is legally owed? The entitlement may actually go back a few years. I want Sam to get everything he is owed – standing up to these pricks in such a public and vulnerable manner takes real balls.
If you know Sam, please let him know of this post. We have an excellent Benefit Rights Service here in Wellington who can confirm what I just posted. (04) 2102012
They also accept donations btw and are a cause I’m really happy to support since they have supported me when Work and Income left me and my children to suffer in poverty.
Hi AWW, thanks for that. As for the inaccuracies in the reports and links I have only having followed this story remotely and have never met Sam.
I am well aware that there have been many reported occasions where WINZ have deliberately withheld information about benefits, knowing full well what hardship this will.
I hope the information that you have posted will get to Sam and other beneficiaries.
I am well aware that there have been many reported occasions where WINZ have deliberately withheld information about benefits, knowing full well what hardship this will.
Depends upon the office and the person. Some of them actually seem to think that people in the welfare system need to be punished and that’s what they do with the power over people that they have. It gets worse when a National government is in power because they’re usually the source of the idea that people on benefits need to be punished.
Also worth noting is that if Kuha does get a lump sum back payment, he needs to spend it as soon as possible, because the lump sum will be treated as a cash asset and be counted against him in any further applications for hardship grants. Although in his case, because WINZ have been so remiss, he could most likely get an agreement from WINZ to not count the lump sum for a period of time.
Thanks for the update Jenny. A lot but not all of that has been covered in Open Mikes, and it would make a good post of its own.
He says that hasn’t happened yet – but WINZ has re-assessed his invalid’s benefit and he’s now getting $100 more each week.
Mr Kuha says he now has enough to buy food and a few things he thinks of as luxuries, like shampoo or a cup of coffee.
For the richly deserved defenestration of WINZ, Sam Kuha is due in Kaikohe district court today.
Charged with the political crime of refusing to starve in silence.
For breaking WINZ’s windows to bring attention to his cause, Sam Kuha will face his persecutors in court.
But who is the real criminal here?
Why is it not a crime to make a beneficiary go without food for two weeks, until they can get an appointment with a budgeter, when they had already previously seen a budgeter and proven that they don’t have enough to live on?
Correction: Sam Kuha is due in court tomorrow. (my apologies). It will be interesting to see what censure he receives, if any. Considering the minor nature of the charges, and the element of provocation from WINZ, and the good character of Sam Kuha, I imagine that at most he could expect to receive diversion.
How much poverty in this country is directly related to Work and Income failing to advise people of their entitlement?
There have been cases in Wellington where people are paid tens of thousands. Imagine what living on $100 a week less for so many years that you are owed thousands does to your body and your family!
It has been known to interested public for some time that WINZ or its predecessor often will not advise on entitlements.
If a person adopts the method of saying “Is there anything else that I should know of – that I am entitled to – could help me? Is there something I can apply for, some place that can give me the help I need?”, those are very useful, wise questions that have good application in many situations not just WINZ. Because it puts the onus on the informed advisor to reply and it can only be Yes, No, or Don’t know and each position is definite and quotable, even don’t know, which indicates lack of training or interest in doing the job of providing service properly.
It should be a sackable offence for any WINZ employee who knowingly, either through malice or incompetence, deprives a beneficiary of an entitlement they’re owed knowing that it will cause them unnecessary hardship.
A treat from Puddleglum who analyses how we came to choose Key as our Prime Minister at this point in history, a man whose life and popularity mirrors and epitomises the neoliberal changes in the very character of the nation, first inflicted on us just as Key entered the workforce. The mirror that shows us how we like to see our new selves – made up, dressed in our most expensive new clothes, placed where there is not enough light to see our flaws.
But, as anyone who has stragically placed their mirror in a dark spot knows… the illusion only works in the short term…
….The only chance any of us have to ‘survive’ in our social world is to hold to some values, some principles that will constrain our moment-by-moment options. Being honest, for example, is a constraint – but it’s also recognised as being ‘the best policy’ and the wisest long-term strategy.
The same applies for New Zealand as a whole. There’s no such thing as a strategy of brute survival in the modern, global world. We have to hitch our wagon to some clear values that, in some circumstances, will constrain us (we might, for example, miss out on that film production because we value the rights of workers, on that trade treaty because we value human rights or the environment).
John Key’s political and verbal strategy, by contrast, is constantly to edit and re-edit his accounts of his own behaviour and beliefs in an attempt to secure short-term advantage (and acceptance). As I’ve argued, such a ‘pragmatic’ approach lacks – almost by definition – integrity (and I mean this in a technical as much as a moral sense).
Key’s approach has also been called ‘non-ideological’ and ‘pragmatic’ but it simply amounts to self-interest with its ultimate valuing of self-preservation.
The answer to Auckland housing issue is to privatise state houses, build a few new state houses on existing sites and then sell the residual land. It’s a win win? How about fully develop the area in tamaki increasing the quantity of state houses available, this reduces the pressure on rents from private landlords and also saves in housing allowances paid to these private landlords http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10843563
Under its Tamaki Transformation project Housing NZ is removing or renovating 156 of its houses in Glen Innes to make way for new or renovated state units and houses and about 140 privately-owned homes. Another privatisation with good intentions/ stealth ?
A top man in the comedy world. Meet the very funny John Key!
“One-liners from Prime Minister John Key at the opening of jeweller Sir Michael Hill’s sculpture park near Queenstown.
On Kim Dotcom: “That bloke might have megaupload.com but I’ve got megaballsup.com. Anyway, it’s great to be here at The Hills. Frankly, after the week I’ve had, it’s great to be anywhere other than Wellington.”
On the Labour Party: “We’re here to do the opening of the sculpture The Wolves are Coming. It sounds like the Labour Party.”
On Sir Michael: “I didn’t give [you] a knighthood to be voting Labour, Michael.”
On local MP Bill English: “He is the shareholding minister of Air New Zealand, which is the airline that failed to get me here.” The PM’s plane had been diverted to Dunedin. (Source: Mountain Scene)”
I akshully typed megaballsup.com into my header column. Guess where it took me.
I had to try it, and wow, that’s unbelievable!
I can’t believe that he would have done that, or even that he would actually know about it – maybe someone had just told him about it?
Curtis said the commissioners were “very focused on achieving the targets” within the strategy. “Having the commissioners in place for a further three years means in the first instance we can get on with setting limits. This will sort the environmental issues over time.”
Considering that this is all about business I would assume that that means ignoring the environment altogether.
Trucking Draco:
-the computer technology on-board lessening “the feel of the load”
-snowblindness
-“hours” ( hidden; double book-keeping for example)
– word on the “shop floor”; we receive the poorest quality diesel in NZ
-decreasing experience in the driving workforce
-transport operators are renown for de-prioritising maintenance expenditure
-finance for a shiny “New” lorry comparitively easy, yet, easy come, easy go…
“Don’t take my word for it: here are the government’s exact words:”
‘Larger trucking businesses may be well placed to self-certify compliance with certificate of fitness requirements because they carry suitably qualified maintenance staff.’
Matthew-Wilson adds:
“In English, this means that, in the near future, the trucking companies will be allowed to mark their own exam papers.”
“It is reasonable to assume that if the trucking industry is allowed to self-regulate, then the car fleet operators will also be allowed to self-regulate in the near future. That means hundreds of thousands of vehicles driving millions of miles without any independent safety inspection.”
“That’s why the government has announced that it intends to hire a large private police force to do random safety checks on vehicles1: instead of the commercial operators paying for independent safety inspections, as they do at present, the commercial operators will simply let the taxpayer foot the bill for roadside inspections.”
We’ve had experience of self-regulation and privatisation of the inspectors before and we’ve got the bill to show it. These ones will be worse as the bill will be counted in blood.
.
Self-regulation and privatisation in the housing sector led directly to the $50 billion leaky home problem.
Self-regulation and privatisation in the mining inspection sector led directly to 29 dead men at Pike River.
Self-regulation and privatisation in the heavy trucking sector will, on the evidence, lead directly to people dying in road crashes.
What on earth is it about these people? They seem to be blind or blinkered. They are in fact the most dangerous group of people in NZ this National lot. Deadly dangerous
I was wondering how in NZ they might be able to bring something in which will begin the process of “training people”, getting them used to “boots on the ground”, so to speak.
Being pulled over, harrassed, and having your private property, and your person, inspected by what will be private mercs, probably paid for by us!
Should this all come to pass, the changes to WOF, from the details available so far, this would certainly look like some very evil planning!
” large private police force” working on contract to government.
This will end up like the hated tow trucks and wheel clampers.
This is government wanting to run everything to their own rules, leaving the hard work to others while they remain at a distance taking no responsibility and staying well away from fronting the consequences. Next inevitable step is that they don’t care about the consequences and the public are just to be herded around and taxed to provide the democratic system that continues mechanically but not serving the people but just the pollies income and perks so they can live their comfortable separate lives.
Next inevitable step is that they don’t care about the consequences and the public are just to be herded around and taxed to provide the democratic system that continues mechanically but not serving the people but just the pollies income and perks so they can live their comfortable separate lives
Prism, one could argue that “next step” is already in play!
How much government can be outsourced, before its “illegal” to make changes to industry, because of “treaties/obligations’?
The talk of private companies handling this work, paid for by taxpayers is disturbing!
muzza
Good point. Make a change, once embedded it’s hard to get rid of it. All levers and handles will be twisted and pulled to leave things as they are. Probably with curse words like bureaucratic, over-regulation and the dreaded ‘nannnny state’. Bah!
Here we go again – the usual ‘spin-doctor’ campaign try to pick and snipe and undermine Labour Party leadership?
Saw it all before with Phil Goff in 2011.
yawn……………….
The question I want answered is:
What role did John Key play in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in November 1999, when he was a foreign exchange advisor to the New York Federal Reserve, and Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch?
Given that the effect of the repeal of the Glass Steagall Act was to leave the derivatives market unregulated?
Given that the global financial meltdown has been largely caused by the collapse of the derivatives market?
Why would John Key give advice on Mortgage based derivatives when his area of expertise was in the Foreign exchange markets as you rightly pointed out?
I’m curious why you think it was the collapse of the derivatives market, (by the way where do I find this particular ‘market’), that caused the GFC. Where is your evidence that it was such a collapse that led to the problems?
Why did Fannie/Freddie and AIG collapse, as a start!
The LIFFE is one place you will find that “market”, and yes of course Key knows exactly whats going on, and why his bank (ML), was swallowed up
While not right at the top of the list of names in the banking world, he was high enough to be parachuted into his current job as PM, which means he was on the radar of some very powerful people!
LIFFE doesn’t exist and hasn’t done for a number of years. It also didn’t concern itself massively with the nmortgage based derivatives that were impacted by the GFC.
Sure it doesn’t, but you understand what was meant when I said “Market”, and used LIFFE as an example, as it s now EURONEXT.LIFFE, also merging with CME!
The takeovers, and mergers that LIFFE was hoovered into, speak for themselves!
The trouble for you Muzza is that I worked at Liffe for a few years so I know what they did. I suspect you have little clue and simply did a Google search on ‘Derivatives Exchanges’ and came up with the name of a now defunct entity.
The products that the Exchanges that Liffe was involved with were realitively straight forward derivatives such as bog standard Futures and Options contracts. These products are completely standardised like a mass produced mass market pair of shoes you might puchase in a shop. They had little direct connection with the mortgage market in the US.
The derivatives that led to problems for companies like AIG were complex Over The Counter (OTC) products like CD Swaps CDO’s and CFO’s specifically related to Mortgages. These are manufactured by the banks and sold direct to investors much like a custom car or tailored suit might be sold.
I’m curious why you think it was the collapse of the derivatives market, (by the way where do I find this particular ‘market’), that caused the GFC.
You asked where you can find the market, and got an answer, which you know is technically correct. Another answer could have been – “in the completely unregulated “city of london”, is where one will find the derivatives market, but thats only part of it eh!
It doesnt matter what was traded, if it was OTC or exotics, thats not a link I was trying to make.
You understand (I think), why Fannie/Freddie/AIG went down, thats the housing market and insurance market right there, which was, and still is a major trigger/catalyst for the on-going problems.The fallout continues, because you can only screw a physical market once, but the levereged instruments, ensure that failure it will continue much , much longer!
Your belief that the City of London is completely unregulated is completely wrong. The major investment banks have a huge amount of regulation they need to comply with.
Ok Gosman, I’m not going into it with you, suffice to say that some time with the FSA, and working with regulatory & compliance at various banks, told me otherwise!
Its a joke, smoke , mirrors, a few fines here and there, while the big boys smash their way through and around entities like the FSA, while stealing their staff, along with “other experts”, to ensure that the minimum of lip service is paid to , regulations!
You worked with the FSA and in regulatory & compliance at various banks and yet you don’t understand the nature of derivatives. I find that very difficult to reconcile. What banks did you work with?
Their collapses all initiated from their City of London operations because of their lax rules eg. on rehypothecation limits and reporting, compared to the US.
The point I am making is that it wasn’t anything to do with a collapse of a derivatives market (there are in fact hundreds of these), that caused the GFC. It was more to do with the unravelling of the positions that some companies held in relation to certain Derivates products which caused them harm.
To explain using simpler terms, imagine you have bet heavily that the ALL Blacks will win the Rugby Union world cup, Unfortunately for you it is 2007 and not 2011 and you lose out. It would be incorrect to state that it was the collapse of the Rugby Union betting market that caused your financial predicament. It was the outcome of the bets you made.
When people say “the stock market collapsed” they don’t actually mean the building the stock market is in collapsed
FFS Gosman
The derivatives market grew into a weapon of mass financial destruction. You didn’t even touch on the issues of counterparty risks, collateral chains, dark pool exchanges, and insanely miscalculated financial modelling which all helped set the bomb off.
“Financial engineering” has been one of the most dangerous, wealth destroying activities of modern western civilisation.
No, a market collapses when demand for the good or services drops to virtually zero. Even if that happened in the derivatives markets, (and it didn’t for the majority of the products offered), this still wouldn’t have caused a massive problem. The problem occured due to the triggering of the contracts i.e. it was the underlying market that lead to liquidity problems. The derivative positions of some of those companies that went bust simply magnified the losses.
DUH
(by the way where do I find this particular ‘market’), that caused the GFC. Where is your evidence that it was such a collapse that led to the problems?
Well liar loans, Northern Rock, as well
And Gos I was starting to think that you had a good understanding on thing financial.
It is incorrect to state the Derivatives market collapsed. First off which Derivatives market are you meaning and second the products that did the damage did exactly what they were supposed to do i.e. kick in when other products dropped in price. The problem was the resulting position was not a favourable one for companies like AIG. However if you have an alternative view on the subject perhaps you would share it with the rest of us.
Did they replace the last Gosman? – Because who ever is writing using the handle now is actually lesser on understanding and intellect than Gosman used to be. I use the words understanding and intellect losely!
Gosman – If the FED/ECB/BoE etc have all had to prop up the global banking system (banks) because the CDO/CDS trigger exposed all derivative markets as vaccuous/fraudulant, and now something like $16 trillion or more has been pumped into the global banking system using various QE techniques, what would you call that, successful!
Let me put it simply for you – Without the QE the derivatives markets would have totally collapsed, and taken the the banks with it, but that was not allowed to happen, yet!
No because as stated there are hundreds and possibly thousands of derivatives markets. There is not a single ‘Derivatives market’ as suggested.
It is highly improbable that all Derivatives markets would collapse at the same time, although it is a remote possibility. Of course this would mean the entire financial system would also have collapsed first.
You are the first person I have seen argue that the Quantitive Easing carried out has been used to prop up the Derivatives markets. You have some evidence for this view do you?
Quantitive easing isn’t designed to prop up the banking system. It has been designed to create additional credit in the market to stimulate demand. The fact that many banks are using it to bolster their balance sheets due to increased regulatory requirements is kind of irrelevant.
No it’s not. The Banks never stated to governments’ Give us cheap credit and we will pass it on to the wider economy’. The governments in question merely made an assumption that this would happen. What they seemingly forgot is at the same time the central banking authorities in those countries are requiring stricter capital requirements to try and avoid another banking crisis. This has meant that the Banks are being told to bolster their reserves at the same time they are being provided with a lot of cheap capital to do so. Hardly fraudalent following orders and taking advantage of government policies.
BUT you said stimulate demand and they used it to prop up the balance sheets.
Isnt demand part of the wider ecconmy?
Or am i mistaken that a balance sheet for a bank is part of stimulating demand?
This an important statement
In August 2007 he told the New Zealand Herald he had left Elders Merchant Finance in 1987. The following year documentation from a 1990s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into a failed group of companies revealed he had told investigators in 1991 that he had left Elders 1988.
He was soon telling media he simply had his dates wrong in the 2007
This Wednesday 31 October the annual Bruce Jesson lecture is being given by Nicky Hager in Auckland. Details below. Nicky’s comment –
“I will then look at the role and potential of investigative journalism, in the context of considering what is needed to improve politics in this country.”
The annual Bruce Jesson Lecture is organised by the Bruce Jesson Foundation in memory of Bruce Jesson (1944-99), another great investigative journalist who, like Hager, worked mainly as an independent writer without any regular wage or salary for most of his life.
The lecture will be at Auckland University’s Maidment Theatre at 6.30pm on Wednesday 31 October. Admission by donation, bar open from 5.30pm. More details: http://www.brucejesson.com
DO YOU WANT AN 8 STORY APARTMENT BUILDING AS YOUR NEIGHBOR?
It is disappointing but quite predictable that the Finance Minister is using the affordable housing crisis to panda to a property developer fuel land acquisition. Previously the red tape cutting deregulation saw the Auckland region crammed full with shoddy, leaky houses, which will cost ratepayer billions of dollars into the foreseeable future.
It is disgraceful, Finance Minister Bill English is blundering full steam ahead into localbody affairs with ideological view that will displace families on between $15,000 and$25,000 per annum, and destroy capital values for home owners particularly thosesaddled with mortgages when high rise apartment building spring up on their fence lines. (non-notified)
The last thing Aucklander’s need is the unelected “Productivity Commission” and Minister of Finance socially engineering our city.
Wow! You’re a little off message with the other leftists on this issue. The problem is with sprawl not intensification according to them. Talk about mixed messages from the left on this issue.
Nah, it’s when a politician promises to do something everyone would like, or fix something everyone agrees is a problem, and presents as a plan:
“We really would like this to happen. Very much. It is serious. (Furrows brow, stares down barrell of camera) Now let us wait two years and see if it does”
A story about self-regulation and the un/examined life.
John Clark became Prime minister of New Zealand. He had governed for a single term and enjoyed popular support. Good people obeyed the law and bad people feared it. New Zealand was governed in this manner and other people who wanted the power of government were afraid of the Prime Minister’s political skill. John Clark had an elder brother, Bill, and a sister, called Jane. The brother loved to eat, he called himself an unrepentant foodie. The sister was, well, she enjoyed the company of others – many and varied, all of them pleased her.
At Bills house there was a cellar of beverages, some still in the barrel, and on his lavish property there was also a winery. His parties were so enthusiastic that when he vented his villa, the smell of alcohol and weed often caught the wind and disturbed the people of the township across the bay. Bill was so often stoned out of his tree that he had no feelings of regret or sorrow. He had no idea of what was safe or dangerous in life. Most of the time he didn’t even know what was going on in his own house and was unaware if something was present or missing. He’d pretty much forgotten anything about the lives of his close or distant relatives and didn’t even know that his grandfather had recently died and his niece had a new baby. He was so oblivious to his surroundings that even one of his drunken guests swinging a golf club near his face failed to register a response of any kind. He once fell in the BBQ pit, coming away unburned, and while sitting by the pool during a sudden downpour, he was confused as to why his guests ran inside.
At Jane’s multi-level house there were a number of guest rooms, about thirty-eight apartment sized suites, to house her lovers. She was so captivated by her visitors that she neglected relatives and friends and paid no attention to family. She spent all her time around her inner courtyard, turning night into day. Over the course of three months, if she left her place once, she felt unsatisfied and cheated by life. If there was a visitor in town that caught her eye, she’d do anything to win their heart. She’d use expensive gifts, trips and flattery; stopping only if it were impossible to get what she wanted.
John Clark thought these things over and secretly went to consult with the a senior advisor to his Party.
“I’ve heard that how a person cares for themselves influences their family,” said John, “and that how a person cares for their family influences the State. In other words, in paying attention to the things closest to home, we can affect things in society. I’ve taken care of the State, it’s in good shape all things considered, but my family, it’s in total disorder. Perhaps this isn’t he way to go about things? How can I help my family clean themselves up? What should I do?”
His advisor said, “I’ve thought about this for a while, but didn’t want to raise the subject. You know how it makes the Party politically vulnerable. Why don’t you use your influence to control them? Encourage them by outlining the importance of a healthy life. Correct them gently by telling them about the benefits of virtuous and appropriate behaviour.”
John Followed his advisor’s advice and the next time he saw his siblings, he said to them:
“The ability to think is what makes man more than just an animal. By using our minds, we can understand virtue and morality, modesty and restraint. This is the kind of behaviour that helps a person achieve glory and success. You guys, however, you’re only interesting in things that excite your passions. You indulge your selfish and immoral desires and endanger your lives and your minds. Listen up, it has to stop. Fix yourself right now, commit to making a change for the better, set some goals and by tonight, you’ll already have improved your lives.”
Bill stubbed out his cigarette, took out another, and offered the plain package to Jane.
“We knew all this a long time ago and made our decision from choice,” said Jane. “We didn’t need your advice to enlighten us. It’s difficult to extend life, but easy to die. No one would think of sitting around waiting for death just because it’s difficult to extend your own life. You value good behaviour and virtuous ideals in order to stand out from the crowd. It’s your pompous tendency in action. You hide your feelings and true nature by striving for this kind of false purity. To us, it seems worse than death.”
“The only thing we’re worried about is satisfying our desires too soon,” said Bill. “We worry about having so many attractive visitors, or eating so much fine food, that we blunt our sense of appreciation and can’t pursue what we love anymore. We’ve got no time to waste worrying about reputations or the state of our minds. For you to come and judge us simply because you are good at ruling people, to try to charm us with promises of fame and achievement, it’s just sad and pathetic.”
“I have an answer for you,” Jane said. “Look, just because someone knows how to regulate external things, it doesn’t mean those things will become regulated. No matter what we do, a person’s body will still age and one day we’ll all die. But if someone knows how to regulate what goes on inside themselves, they might actually succeed in regulating those things. That person’s mind will be calm and they’ll be at peace with the way life is and they won’t be thrashing around, blaming other people for whatever they see and feel. Your method of regulating external things works on a temporary basis and only for a small specific area. It doesn’t encourage harmony between all things or individual calm. They way we live, me and Bill, our method can be applied throughout the whole universe, it’s natural. We adhere to our real natures. What’s more, it would eliminate the need for rulers and governments.”
“That pretty much sums it up,” said Bill. We should have had this talk sooner, John. But do us a favour, explain to us your own perspective of virtue.” John was taken aback, somewhat bewildered, and had no ready answer. Later he met with his senior advisor again and told him what had happened.
“You were living alongside real people,” his advisor said, “and we never knew it. Who says you are a skilled politician? The country’s been governed all this time and, it seems, not due to any skill of yours.”
Adapted from, Yang Chu’s Garden of Pleasure: The philosophy of Individuality, Edited by Rosemary Brant; Chapter 9: “The Happy Hedonists”.
Glad I didn’t tune in to radio this morning. Saw her on Campbell Live the other day and that was enough. Hate to think what damage Longstone and her neo-con B & B (bastards and bitches) mates are doing to my blood pressure.
Financial crisis: 25 people at the heart of the meltdown – where are they now?
In 2009 the Guardian identified 25 people – bankers, economists, central bankers and politicians – whose actions had led the world into the worst economic turmoil since the Great Depression.
On the fifth anniversary of the credit crunch, what are they doing?
Rupert Neate
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 August 2012 20.49 BST
Alan Greenspan, chairman US Federal Reserve 1987-2000
A disciple of libertarian icon Ayn Rand, Greenspan became chairman of the Fed just in time to save the global economy from the 1987 stock market crash from becoming a full-blown disaster.
He went on preside over the boom years of the 90s and lead the US economy through the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and was widely referred to as an “oracle” and “the maestro”.
But Greenspan’s super-low interest rates and consistent opposition to regulation of the multitrillion-dollar derivatives market are now widely blamed for causing the credit crisis. Under Greenspan’s tenure the derivatives market went from barely registering to a $500 trillion industry, despite billionaire investor Warren Buffett warning that they were “financial weapons of mass destruction”.
His rock-bottom rates encouraged Americans to load up on debt to buy homes, even when they had no savings, no income and no job prospects.
These so-called sub-prime borrowers were the cannon fodder for the biggest boom-bust in US history. The housing collapse brought the global economy to its knees.
He was given an honorary knighthood in 2002 for his “contribution to global economic stability”, but in 2008, at a Congressional hearing investigating the causes of the financial crisis, Greenspan finally admitted he “made a mistake in presuming” that financial firms could regulate themselves.
“You found that your view of the world, your ideology was not right, it was not working?” Henry Waxman, the committee chairman, said.
“Absolutely, precisely,” Greenspan replied. “You know, that’s precisely the reason I was shocked, because I have been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.” …………………..
_________________________________________
Politicians
Bill Clinton, former US president
Politicians’ current plan to help prevent another financial crisis is to ringfence banks’ risky “casino banking” divisions from the more pedestrian high street banking departments. 13 years ago Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, which had done just that. Clinton’s move, which came after fierce lobbying from bankers, heralded the birth of superbanks and primed the sub-prime pump. …
_____________________________________________
Senator Phil Gramm
“Some people look at sub-prime lending and see evil. I look at sub-prime lending and see the American dream in action,” Gramm told a Senate debate in 2001.
Another dynamite quote. “When I am on Wall Street and I realise that that’s the very nerve centre of American capitalism and I realise what capitalism has done for the working people of America, to me that’s a holy place.”
It was Gramm that had fought hardest for deregulation and helped write the law that enabled the creation of financial giants such as Citigroup and Bank of America. ……….
What role did John Key play in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in November 1999, when he was a foreign exchange advisor to the New York Federal Reserve, and Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch?
Given that the effect of the repeal of the Glass Steagall Act was to leave the derivatives market unregulated?
Given that the global financial meltdown has been largely caused by the collapse of the derivatives market?
I take it you’ll be doorknocking for Mana in 2014? To continue your analogy, it’d be a shame if you just decided to fold your arms and sink out of spite.
Oh I was, I was. It was just that you seemed to be spending more time impersonating Chicken Little rather than, you know, actually cheerleading the party you actually do support.
It’s pretty clear you think Shearer is a lousy leader. What’s unclear is what party you want to win the election, in an ideal world. You’re about as useful to Labour as BM – always sniping, never contributing.
Why would I want (or need) to be put in the category “USEFUL to Labour” by YOU (or anyone else), Mr McFlock?
Let me ask you another question mate, how many THOUSAND dollars have you given to Labour over the last ten years? How many HUNDREDS of hours have you volunteered for Labour over the last 3 election campaigns?
I’ve done a lot less than some on The Std, but I sure have done more than 99.75% of the population out there for Labour. Still not good enough for you? Then go screw yourself.
spending more time impersonating Chicken Little rather than, you know, actually cheerleading the party you actually do support.
Emphasis mine.
Read what you wrote again and figure out why I can’t be fucked with your expectations of Labour supporters, past and present. Maybe it will give you a clue as to why some of the best Labour activists up and down the country not stuck in Beltway Think have picked up sticks and walked from Labour; some to other parties, some out of politics altogether.
And then have a think to yourself why in the most incompetent, clearly smarmy and untrustworthy electorally suicidal year the NATs have managed to concoct in terms of what should be a dream run for the Opposition, Labour sits on…29% to 32%. Same as 9-18-36 months ago.
Guess what: to be a “supporter” you need to “support”. That doesn’t mean “never criticise”, it means at least give credit where it’s due.
Labour no longer espouse the principles you support? Boo-fucking-hoo. Support someone else. You know why? Because while it might be emotionally fulfilling for you to piss on Labour all the time, you only have one urethra: every litre you dump on labour means that National stays that bit more dry. Why do you think BM & hoots etc are jerking off on the Shearer/Cunliffe thing?
You might not think there’s much difference between labour and national atm, but there’s enough of a difference that it will still mean a lot to a lot of people who are struggling right now. It might not reach your standards of socialist heaven, but it’s better than national.
So as someone who wants to see at least a vaguely left wing government in 2014, kindly piss on national and actually support somebody, because at the moment you just sound like a whiney little bitch who needs to get the fuck over the fact that he didn’t get what he wanted.
I just did a series of updates to the site that should improve the speed and reduce the downloads, especially for those readers still on dialup. As far as I can tell they shouldn’t cause any problems although I did have differences between the test environment and the live system because of cloudflare (which is why there were a few glitches on display this late afternoon).
Tested on the live system with current versions of chrome, firefox, and safari. I don’t have any windows boxes available right now so I haven’t tried it on IE.
If anyone has issues with them, then leave a comment here – make sure there is a “lprent” (first letter is a lowercase L) in the comment so I see it faster than my usual moderation sweeps.
lprent
Ubuntu 12.04/Firefox 16.01 combination works ++good
since you mentioned mobile fixes are imminent, i would like to bring to your attention a couple of ongoing events within the mobile site that you may or may not know of: re. samsung S2
; initial text entry seems stable but the text box repeatedly runs away to hide whenever any attempt is made to edit the text before publication,
: the site is often saying ‘publication failed’ when publication was fine.
Thankyou
p.s. conversation tracker id’s, as used on the main site, would be extremely helpful.
Ok I’ll have a look at those, but I suspect I’ll be shifting that back to BraveNewCode unless they show up on my android 4.0 HTC or old apple 3G (because I can’t remember seeing either).
The main one that I’ve been fixing has to do with the number of comments blowing the RAM constraints on phones. For some reason when there are more than about 40-50 comments on a post, many phones just crash their browsers. It appears to be purely memory related and usually happens on posts with those larger comments. These days we routinely get a post of two with more than 100 large comments. So I’ve been cutting the size down by looking at the text sizes. Trick is to make sure that looking at the text sizes doesn’t slow everyone else down by making the server run like a dog.
But one thing I will be looking at doing next weekend is writing or adapting a barebones mobile version as an alternative. Seems ridiculous that a few thousand lines of a mostly text should blow out a browser. I suspect a lot of it is also the numbers of different identicons and other graphics..
Mostly in QEMU. But they usually fail to fail on memory allocation emulation because they aren’t using the same underlying heap/stack. You really need actual hardware for some kinds of bugs.
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
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So National are now into teacher bashing mode. Apparently the recently appointed Secretary for Education who is from the UK thinks that our education system is not world class, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
She says that the tail is performing too poorly. She ignores the high rankings that our system achieves in world tables.
She does not say what the solution is, but obviously the only proposal the Government has are charter schools.
If they were interested they would be decreasing class sizes, increasing professional training for teachers and doing something about child poverty.
But I guess then they would be losing the opportunity to bash two of the few remaining viable trade unions.
I’m no fan of the MoE, however it is fair comment that in many cases the education system is failing Maori and PI pupils.
Some schools are doing very well in this area but many are not.
NACTs attack dog barks as she’s paid to do. wow Maori and PI don’t do as well shock horror could it be a poverty issue, you know the one this govt is turning a blind eye to.
I think that one important point to note about the employment of Lesley Longstone is that she has a great interest in technology used in her area. She is the second new overseas appointment that has had this focus, but the last one returned suddenly to Brit, I’ve forgotten her name.
This means that those making the appointment do not look at how knowledgable and experienced the appointee is in his/her field, knowledge of technology substitution for people pushes this to the background.
And listen to Steven Joyce who is defending private providers in education and the fact that Maori wananga are doing well is an excuse to open up education to all private interests and so undermining government insitutions, with a question hanging in the air about our schools. This is a cheap shot at hard working educationalists.
There was an interesting aspect on education and alternative approaches in the interview on
Radionz NinetoNoon this morning on the Uncollege idea – finding your own education and goals rather than being rote learned in the traditional way.
That would be something I want to see more of. Just not done through the profit motive but rather through cooperation and community.
Given the need for profits that has transform education into an industry, and its inevitable extra gradient added to the learning process,. That it pays successful teaching establishments to water down and so take profit from time to time, at the top end and the also ran universities to broaden their catchment and capacity. The way we think is still the same, the need to be understood by others hasn’t changed, so technology will inevitable make it easier to educate and transfer both knowledge and skill quicker. The crisis in education is however the huge number of differing and contradictory ways of see differing subsets of the same information surely?
It’s all about poverty and inequality. The sooner NACT and their cronies are strung up along with the rest of the greedy n this country the better.
The Secretary for Education was the one to introduce the Charter School Scam into the UK. Parata and the vile Rodger Douglas were working on the scam in the first term of John Key’s Administration. Wealthy American in NZ owns Charter Schools in USA, how much did he put into the Nat’s election kitty?
The argument will become, “see how the Public Education has failed? So the answer is to privatise. As will Social Welfare, Prisons, Rail Transport and so on.”
Well spoken mickeysavage!
Oh really madam? Fancy that. We never knew. Cos we’re just a bunch of ignorant colonialists?
So, we have to import a right-wing neo-con failure from Britain to tell us things we know more about than she ever will in years of Sundays?
Got news for you madam. It’s your demonstrably corrupt right wing neo-con claptrap that is responsible for so many of our children “under-performing”. Why don’t you pack your bags and head off back to Britain. We have educational experts in this country who are streets ahead of you!
Helen Clark made it clear our home-grown ‘neo-con failure’ Christine Rankin would be sent packing if they won the 1999 election. They did and she was gone in weeks. I expect Labour to do the same to this woman – and announce in advance of the next election.
So you are okay if the other side of the political spectrum also follows this view and if someone expresses views deemed left wing then any Right wing led government can justifiable dismiss them?
A slippery slope there I would suggest.
So to put the boot back on your own foot, what do you have to say about the post-election situation of partisan ministerial secretaries then?
BTW, it’s time you yourself attempted to answer your many questions about other peoples’ comments ie put-up & rebut, or shut up.
I prefer that the public service remains non-partisan, however that is not to state that there aren’t viable alternatives. I’m asking if leftists who wish to sack people because of their political leanings would be happy if the opposite happened.
>>Oh really madam? Fancy that. We never knew. Cos we’re just a bunch of ignorant colonialists?
Same thought, along the lines of no shit sherlock.
I didn’t hear her. Did she have any solutions?? (Build up to charter schools?)
Oh but National standards sorting that the tail out? HA
She has certainly shown her leadership ability so far.
Class sizes
Christchurch schools
Nova pay
Closing special schools
And that is so far this year
Worth repeating Dave Kennedy’s blog site link:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/each-morning-i-turn-on-radio-to-listen.html
Take a good look at her ‘portrait’. What words spring to mind? In my case, two words – spiteful bully girl.
Teachers would like a world class Ministry of Education, not the fuck ups we have now. Who did sign off Novopay exactly?
When will the corporate media ask these simple questions?
1. “Why are you not looking at international research that connects the tail in NZ’s education results to our growing inequality as a society?”
2. ” Why have we got an English ‘expert’ on education when a Finnish one might be more useful?”
This country so desperately needs an independent media.
+100
Paul 1.5.3.
Because the government doesn’t want to ‘finish’ the controversy. It enjoys rattling the cage to make us all jump and there would be no satisfaction in solving the problem in a thoughtful and supportive way.
Also one feature of our society is the mixture of cultures. What does France do with its Algerians etc. The Hispanics in the USA too? Are they all counted in one national database melting pot?
Intersting use of language – The transformation of Auckland Council, is to make it’s departments world class.
Nothing in it, I’m sure its all just co-incidental!
name a world class system m langstone?
Sam Kuha Wins against WINZ
One person can make a difference.
When I am at work I have the National program playing.
I only heard one very brief radio news bulletin about this.
In one brief sound bite I heard that after 30 days Sam Kuha had announced the end of his hunger strike.
Kuha said he had won his struggle with WINZ.
WINZ were now paying him an extra $100 a week extra on top of his benefit and Paula Bennet had agreed to meet him personally to discuss his concerns. Though Bennett had not honoured her commitment to meet with him, he was satisfied.
The promised extra money had been coming through and he was pleased at his victory, which he said was for all beneficiaries.
Sam said that with the extra money he had food in his kitchen cupboard for the first time in ages and he could now even afford a luxury like an occasional coffee.
Getting home from work I did a google search to confirm the facts of this singular RNZ news bulletin.
The following are quotes and links from the story as it developed.
September 23:
Sam goes on talk back, Matt McCarten hears it. Writes it up.
October 2
Paula Bennett “unsympathetic to Sam Kuha’s plight”.
Says food rule is “about right”
October 5:
Radio live picks up the story. Sam says he wants to meet with Paula Bennet. Tells how he is doing
October 11:
“Sam Kuha shines a light”
October 11:
The government starts to crack
October 16:
The state capitulates, after initially refusing to give him a $40 food grant. WINZ surrenders.
October 19:
Radio NZ bulletin reports the news
What you failed to say about Sam’s situation is that MSD should have checked he was receiving his FULL AND CORRECT ENTITLEMENT anytime he applied for a Special Needs Grant (a food grant is a SNG).
Not only did they not do this prior to him getting widespread media attention, it is a regular cause of hardship for beneficiaries. It is the responsibility of MSD to inform beneficiaries of something they need to apply for, not the beneficiaries job to figure it out.
You also failed to mention that if MSD were aware of Sam’s situation prior to the date they FINALLY decided to give him more money, Sam could lodge a Review of Decision (just ask for the form as they are big on forms, low on providing quality service…or any service actually).
In the Review of Decision form Sam needs to say he disagrees with the decision and identify the date it was made (usually they send a letter, so use this date). Then he needs to state that Work and Income were made aware of his circumstances earlier. Therefore he would like the payment made BACK TO THE DATE HE FIRST BECAME ELIGIBLE. It is in caps because the wording is important.
Then, once he receives a large lump sum he can go in the paper again and highlight just how significant failing to advise beneficiaries of their right of application can be. Is it a few hundred? Or is it a few thousand that Sam is legally owed? The entitlement may actually go back a few years. I want Sam to get everything he is owed – standing up to these pricks in such a public and vulnerable manner takes real balls.
If you know Sam, please let him know of this post. We have an excellent Benefit Rights Service here in Wellington who can confirm what I just posted. (04) 2102012
They also accept donations btw and are a cause I’m really happy to support since they have supported me when Work and Income left me and my children to suffer in poverty.
Hi AWW, thanks for that. As for the inaccuracies in the reports and links I have only having followed this story remotely and have never met Sam.
I am well aware that there have been many reported occasions where WINZ have deliberately withheld information about benefits, knowing full well what hardship this will.
I hope the information that you have posted will get to Sam and other beneficiaries.
Depends upon the office and the person. Some of them actually seem to think that people in the welfare system need to be punished and that’s what they do with the power over people that they have. It gets worse when a National government is in power because they’re usually the source of the idea that people on benefits need to be punished.
Also worth noting is that if Kuha does get a lump sum back payment, he needs to spend it as soon as possible, because the lump sum will be treated as a cash asset and be counted against him in any further applications for hardship grants. Although in his case, because WINZ have been so remiss, he could most likely get an agreement from WINZ to not count the lump sum for a period of time.
Thanks for the update Jenny. A lot but not all of that has been covered in Open Mikes, and it would make a good post of its own.
He says that hasn’t happened yet – but WINZ has re-assessed his invalid’s benefit and he’s now getting $100 more each week.
Mr Kuha says he now has enough to buy food and a few things he thinks of as luxuries, like shampoo or a cup of coffee.
Good on him, I am so glad he won!
For the richly deserved defenestration of WINZ, Sam Kuha is due in Kaikohe district court today.
Charged with the political crime of refusing to starve in silence.
For breaking WINZ’s windows to bring attention to his cause, Sam Kuha will face his persecutors in court.
But who is the real criminal here?
Why is it not a crime to make a beneficiary go without food for two weeks, until they can get an appointment with a budgeter, when they had already previously seen a budgeter and proven that they don’t have enough to live on?
It should be WINZ who are in the dock.
Bais.org.nz can also support him by providing someone closer. The Wellington BRS kicks ass though.
Correction: Sam Kuha is due in court tomorrow. (my apologies). It will be interesting to see what censure he receives, if any. Considering the minor nature of the charges, and the element of provocation from WINZ, and the good character of Sam Kuha, I imagine that at most he could expect to receive diversion.
How much poverty in this country is directly related to Work and Income failing to advise people of their entitlement?
There have been cases in Wellington where people are paid tens of thousands. Imagine what living on $100 a week less for so many years that you are owed thousands does to your body and your family!
It has been known to interested public for some time that WINZ or its predecessor often will not advise on entitlements.
If a person adopts the method of saying “Is there anything else that I should know of – that I am entitled to – could help me? Is there something I can apply for, some place that can give me the help I need?”, those are very useful, wise questions that have good application in many situations not just WINZ. Because it puts the onus on the informed advisor to reply and it can only be Yes, No, or Don’t know and each position is definite and quotable, even don’t know, which indicates lack of training or interest in doing the job of providing service properly.
It should be a sackable offence for any WINZ employee who knowingly, either through malice or incompetence, deprives a beneficiary of an entitlement they’re owed knowing that it will cause them unnecessary hardship.
http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/?p=1084#more-1084
A treat from Puddleglum who analyses how we came to choose Key as our Prime Minister at this point in history, a man whose life and popularity mirrors and epitomises the neoliberal changes in the very character of the nation, first inflicted on us just as Key entered the workforce. The mirror that shows us how we like to see our new selves – made up, dressed in our most expensive new clothes, placed where there is not enough light to see our flaws.
But, as anyone who has stragically placed their mirror in a dark spot knows… the illusion only works in the short term…
I’ll be your mirror – Nico and the Velvet Underground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_l5byiVnMQ
He concludes:
It won’t work for John Key.
It won’t work for the mythical ‘Waitakere Man’.
And it won’t work for New Zealand.
+1 Puddleglum is always worth reading and this article is one of his/her best.
The answer to Auckland housing issue is to privatise state houses, build a few new state houses on existing sites and then sell the residual land. It’s a win win? How about fully develop the area in tamaki increasing the quantity of state houses available, this reduces the pressure on rents from private landlords and also saves in housing allowances paid to these private landlords
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10843563
Under its Tamaki Transformation project Housing NZ is removing or renovating 156 of its houses in Glen Innes to make way for new or renovated state units and houses and about 140 privately-owned homes. Another privatisation with good intentions/ stealth ?
A top man in the comedy world. Meet the very funny John Key!
“One-liners from Prime Minister John Key at the opening of jeweller Sir Michael Hill’s sculpture park near Queenstown.
On Kim Dotcom: “That bloke might have megaupload.com but I’ve got megaballsup.com. Anyway, it’s great to be here at The Hills. Frankly, after the week I’ve had, it’s great to be anywhere other than Wellington.”
On the Labour Party: “We’re here to do the opening of the sculpture The Wolves are Coming. It sounds like the Labour Party.”
On Sir Michael: “I didn’t give [you] a knighthood to be voting Labour, Michael.”
On local MP Bill English: “He is the shareholding minister of Air New Zealand, which is the airline that failed to get me here.” The PM’s plane had been diverted to Dunedin. (Source: Mountain Scene)”
Will yo pay for his performance?
I akshully typed megaballsup.com into my header column. Guess where it took me.
My question is, is our standup PM in on the joke?
Did he know about this before he made his comment that, “I’ve got megaballsup.com”?
Will he be leaving this joke in place?
Like the infamous comedy link to George Bush’s website, will John Key’s aides be desperately scrambling around trying to take it down?
Or does he genuinely not care if he looks a fool?
I suppose time will tell.
Jenny off the top of my head, the cat walk mincing, and the Letterman show…
I would say the answer to your question is a resounding no!
I had to try it, and wow, that’s unbelievable!
I can’t believe that he would have done that, or even that he would actually know about it – maybe someone had just told him about it?
Thats easy. Simple redirection.
Not sure there’s much he can do to stop other people redirecting to him except keep writing new rules in his htaccess file.
The unexamined life is not worth living 🙁
-Socrates
I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live
– Socrates
Wicked! 🙂
And now for the biggst non-surprise of this government’s term……
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7874996/Race-to-irrigate-behind-ECan-move
Fucking dirty lying bastards.
Considering that this is all about business I would assume that that means ignoring the environment altogether.
There should be widespread outrage over this as your area will be next. A sort of bully getting away with bullying.
Trucking Draco:
-the computer technology on-board lessening “the feel of the load”
-snowblindness
-“hours” ( hidden; double book-keeping for example)
– word on the “shop floor”; we receive the poorest quality diesel in NZ
-decreasing experience in the driving workforce
-transport operators are renown for de-prioritising maintenance expenditure
-finance for a shiny “New” lorry comparitively easy, yet, easy come, easy go…
ahhh, the cost of fuel!
A couple of my trucking mates also harp on about the private roading firms using thinner tar etc on the roads so they have continuing need for repair.
They get pissed off with it cause they get blamed by all and sundry for stuffing up the roads.
MOW apparently used a much stronger mix/ blend and roads needed repairing less.
I’m not a tar-seal expert but it would not surprise me if there is some truth to this.
NZTA and local authorities have stringent specifications as to the characteristics of the aggregate (hardness , ability to maintain it shape), bitumen additives used etc perhaps these truckies are using diversion to take any potential finger pointing away from them.
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/quality-std-tqs2/docs/info.pdf
And remember that the trucking industry is in full swing to enable larger trucking units to be permitted on the road.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/heavier-trucks-coming-nz-roads-120883
And tar seal is sourced from coal bitumen is sourced from oil. Tar is also has carcinogenic properties.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314124209.htm
Dont believe the hype !!!PE
+1
This government is contemplating changes to WOF. It seems that those changes are to be centered around self-regulation and more privatisation:
We’ve had experience of self-regulation and privatisation of the inspectors before and we’ve got the bill to show it. These ones will be worse as the bill will be counted in blood.
.
Self-regulation and privatisation in the housing sector led directly to the $50 billion leaky home problem.
Self-regulation and privatisation in the mining inspection sector led directly to 29 dead men at Pike River.
Self-regulation and privatisation in the heavy trucking sector will, on the evidence, lead directly to people dying in road crashes.
What on earth is it about these people? They seem to be blind or blinkered. They are in fact the most dangerous group of people in NZ this National lot. Deadly dangerous
They really don’t care about anyone except themselves and how much profit that they can make out of the community.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Private-companies-may-do-random-WoF-checks/tabid/423/articleID/274342/Default.aspx
What else might this large private police force be doing?
You’ll find out in a couple of years.
Quite!
I was wondering how in NZ they might be able to bring something in which will begin the process of “training people”, getting them used to “boots on the ground”, so to speak.
Being pulled over, harrassed, and having your private property, and your person, inspected by what will be private mercs, probably paid for by us!
Should this all come to pass, the changes to WOF, from the details available so far, this would certainly look like some very evil planning!
” large private police force” working on contract to government.
This will end up like the hated tow trucks and wheel clampers.
This is government wanting to run everything to their own rules, leaving the hard work to others while they remain at a distance taking no responsibility and staying well away from fronting the consequences. Next inevitable step is that they don’t care about the consequences and the public are just to be herded around and taxed to provide the democratic system that continues mechanically but not serving the people but just the pollies income and perks so they can live their comfortable separate lives.
Prism, one could argue that “next step” is already in play!
How much government can be outsourced, before its “illegal” to make changes to industry, because of “treaties/obligations’?
The talk of private companies handling this work, paid for by taxpayers is disturbing!
muzza
Good point. Make a change, once embedded it’s hard to get rid of it. All levers and handles will be twisted and pulled to leave things as they are. Probably with curse words like bureaucratic, over-regulation and the dreaded ‘nannnny state’. Bah!
Oh goody back to 1992 when the who was it joined up the cops and the traffic cops who was that ..”……..
OH look it was the Nats
Leaky homes do you mean Draco?
Which MP, from which party, is going to ask Prime Minister John Key the following VERY hard question in the House?
________________________________________________________________________________
COMMENT PUBLISHED.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/will-grant-robertson-get-chop-lf-131298
#11 by Penny Bright 22 hours ago
Here we go again – the usual ‘spin-doctor’ campaign try to pick and snipe and undermine Labour Party leadership?
Saw it all before with Phil Goff in 2011.
yawn……………….
The question I want answered is:
What role did John Key play in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in November 1999, when he was a foreign exchange advisor to the New York Federal Reserve, and Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch?
Given that the effect of the repeal of the Glass Steagall Act was to leave the derivatives market unregulated?
Given that the global financial meltdown has been largely caused by the collapse of the derivatives market?
Who is going to ask THAT question?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Why would John Key give advice on Mortgage based derivatives when his area of expertise was in the Foreign exchange markets as you rightly pointed out?
I’m curious why you think it was the collapse of the derivatives market, (by the way where do I find this particular ‘market’), that caused the GFC. Where is your evidence that it was such a collapse that led to the problems?
Why did Fannie/Freddie and AIG collapse, as a start!
The LIFFE is one place you will find that “market”, and yes of course Key knows exactly whats going on, and why his bank (ML), was swallowed up
While not right at the top of the list of names in the banking world, he was high enough to be parachuted into his current job as PM, which means he was on the radar of some very powerful people!
Are you being deliberately obtuse!
LIFFE doesn’t exist and hasn’t done for a number of years. It also didn’t concern itself massively with the nmortgage based derivatives that were impacted by the GFC.
Sure it doesn’t, but you understand what was meant when I said “Market”, and used LIFFE as an example, as it s now EURONEXT.LIFFE, also merging with CME!
The takeovers, and mergers that LIFFE was hoovered into, speak for themselves!
There is a large part of your market!
The trouble for you Muzza is that I worked at Liffe for a few years so I know what they did. I suspect you have little clue and simply did a Google search on ‘Derivatives Exchanges’ and came up with the name of a now defunct entity.
The products that the Exchanges that Liffe was involved with were realitively straight forward derivatives such as bog standard Futures and Options contracts. These products are completely standardised like a mass produced mass market pair of shoes you might puchase in a shop. They had little direct connection with the mortgage market in the US.
The derivatives that led to problems for companies like AIG were complex Over The Counter (OTC) products like CD Swaps CDO’s and CFO’s specifically related to Mortgages. These are manufactured by the banks and sold direct to investors much like a custom car or tailored suit might be sold.
You asked where you can find the market, and got an answer, which you know is technically correct. Another answer could have been – “in the completely unregulated “city of london”, is where one will find the derivatives market, but thats only part of it eh!
It doesnt matter what was traded, if it was OTC or exotics, thats not a link I was trying to make.
You understand (I think), why Fannie/Freddie/AIG went down, thats the housing market and insurance market right there, which was, and still is a major trigger/catalyst for the on-going problems.The fallout continues, because you can only screw a physical market once, but the levereged instruments, ensure that failure it will continue much , much longer!
Your belief that the City of London is completely unregulated is completely wrong. The major investment banks have a huge amount of regulation they need to comply with.
Ok Gosman, I’m not going into it with you, suffice to say that some time with the FSA, and working with regulatory & compliance at various banks, told me otherwise!
Its a joke, smoke , mirrors, a few fines here and there, while the big boys smash their way through and around entities like the FSA, while stealing their staff, along with “other experts”, to ensure that the minimum of lip service is paid to , regulations!
You worked with the FSA and in regulatory & compliance at various banks and yet you don’t understand the nature of derivatives. I find that very difficult to reconcile. What banks did you work with?
You’re a fucking dreamer Gosman.
AIG, Lehman Brothers, MF Global, Bernie Maddoff
Billions of investor dollars stolen
Their collapses all initiated from their City of London operations because of their lax rules eg. on rehypothecation limits and reporting, compared to the US.
Bernie Maddoff???
You do realise where he was operating from don’t you?
They all had major operations in the City of London due to the lax regulations and rules available there. And they all failed from there.
Evidence please that Bernie Maddoff unravelled from the UK.
I think you don’t undertsand how banks operate if you think that they can hide what they do across the board simply by operating in London.
Meh. I take it you accept that all those other operations unravelled from London then.
The point I am making is that it wasn’t anything to do with a collapse of a derivatives market (there are in fact hundreds of these), that caused the GFC. It was more to do with the unravelling of the positions that some companies held in relation to certain Derivates products which caused them harm.
To explain using simpler terms, imagine you have bet heavily that the ALL Blacks will win the Rugby Union world cup, Unfortunately for you it is 2007 and not 2011 and you lose out. It would be incorrect to state that it was the collapse of the Rugby Union betting market that caused your financial predicament. It was the outcome of the bets you made.
Oh gawd the pedantry
When people say “the stock market collapsed” they don’t actually mean the building the stock market is in collapsed
FFS Gosman
The derivatives market grew into a weapon of mass financial destruction. You didn’t even touch on the issues of counterparty risks, collateral chains, dark pool exchanges, and insanely miscalculated financial modelling which all helped set the bomb off.
“Financial engineering” has been one of the most dangerous, wealth destroying activities of modern western civilisation.
No, a market collapses when demand for the good or services drops to virtually zero. Even if that happened in the derivatives markets, (and it didn’t for the majority of the products offered), this still wouldn’t have caused a massive problem. The problem occured due to the triggering of the contracts i.e. it was the underlying market that lead to liquidity problems. The derivative positions of some of those companies that went bust simply magnified the losses.
Fuck off Gosman your definitions of what a collapse is and what it isn’t is nothing more than worthless pedantic obfuscant shit.
CV, that’s pretty much true of everything that Gosman says.
DUH
(by the way where do I find this particular ‘market’), that caused the GFC. Where is your evidence that it was such a collapse that led to the problems?
Well liar loans, Northern Rock, as well
And Gos I was starting to think that you had a good understanding on thing financial.
They collapsed due to the derivatives market collapsing did they? What evidence do you have for this?
And you have the evidence to prove they didn’t?
See my reply to muzza above. In short you really don’t understand the nature of what it is you are discussing.
Look whose talking.
Interesting, so there is no inter connection, and your comment is NOT evidence.
That analogy is not evidence either.
It is incorrect to state the Derivatives market collapsed. First off which Derivatives market are you meaning and second the products that did the damage did exactly what they were supposed to do i.e. kick in when other products dropped in price. The problem was the resulting position was not a favourable one for companies like AIG. However if you have an alternative view on the subject perhaps you would share it with the rest of us.
Evidence?????
So AIG Northern Rock etc didn’t need any help from the bad decisions they made?
Did they replace the last Gosman? – Because who ever is writing using the handle now is actually lesser on understanding and intellect than Gosman used to be. I use the words understanding and intellect losely!
Gosman – If the FED/ECB/BoE etc have all had to prop up the global banking system (banks) because the CDO/CDS trigger exposed all derivative markets as vaccuous/fraudulant, and now something like $16 trillion or more has been pumped into the global banking system using various QE techniques, what would you call that, successful!
Let me put it simply for you – Without the QE the derivatives markets would have totally collapsed, and taken the the banks with it, but that was not allowed to happen, yet!
No because as stated there are hundreds and possibly thousands of derivatives markets. There is not a single ‘Derivatives market’ as suggested.
It is highly improbable that all Derivatives markets would collapse at the same time, although it is a remote possibility. Of course this would mean the entire financial system would also have collapsed first.
You are the first person I have seen argue that the Quantitive Easing carried out has been used to prop up the Derivatives markets. You have some evidence for this view do you?
Read my comment again , I said (Banks), thats sloppy even by your standards!
The BANKING system IS being propped up, if it wasn’t, the derivatives markets would systematically collapse the lot, taking it all with them.
Quantitive easing isn’t designed to prop up the banking system. It has been designed to create additional credit in the market to stimulate demand. The fact that many banks are using it to bolster their balance sheets due to increased regulatory requirements is kind of irrelevant.
Gosman,
Thank god that the financial systems are not interconnected.
Oh and that the banks were given money for one thing (stimulate demand) and used it for another (bolster balance sheets)
That is fraud.
No it’s not. The Banks never stated to governments’ Give us cheap credit and we will pass it on to the wider economy’. The governments in question merely made an assumption that this would happen. What they seemingly forgot is at the same time the central banking authorities in those countries are requiring stricter capital requirements to try and avoid another banking crisis. This has meant that the Banks are being told to bolster their reserves at the same time they are being provided with a lot of cheap capital to do so. Hardly fraudalent following orders and taking advantage of government policies.
BUT you said stimulate demand and they used it to prop up the balance sheets.
Isnt demand part of the wider ecconmy?
Or am i mistaken that a balance sheet for a bank is part of stimulating demand?
I’m not sure you know what it is you are trying to ask.
AND this
This an important statement
In August 2007 he told the New Zealand Herald he had left Elders Merchant Finance in 1987. The following year documentation from a 1990s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into a failed group of companies revealed he had told investigators in 1991 that he had left Elders 1988.
He was soon telling media he simply had his dates wrong in the 2007
Another memory lapse.
This Wednesday 31 October the annual Bruce Jesson lecture is being given by Nicky Hager in Auckland. Details below. Nicky’s comment –
“I will then look at the role and potential of investigative journalism, in the context of considering what is needed to improve politics in this country.”
The annual Bruce Jesson Lecture is organised by the Bruce Jesson Foundation in memory of Bruce Jesson (1944-99), another great investigative journalist who, like Hager, worked mainly as an independent writer without any regular wage or salary for most of his life.
The lecture will be at Auckland University’s Maidment Theatre at 6.30pm on Wednesday 31 October. Admission by donation, bar open from 5.30pm. More details: http://www.brucejesson.com
On behalf of: Tamaki Housing Group
DO YOU WANT AN 8 STORY APARTMENT BUILDING AS YOUR NEIGHBOR?
It is disappointing but quite predictable that the Finance Minister is using the affordable housing crisis to panda to a property developer fuel land acquisition. Previously the red tape cutting deregulation saw the Auckland region crammed full with shoddy, leaky houses, which will cost ratepayer billions of dollars into the foreseeable future.
It is disgraceful, Finance Minister Bill English is blundering full steam ahead into localbody affairs with ideological view that will displace families on between $15,000 and$25,000 per annum, and destroy capital values for home owners particularly thosesaddled with mortgages when high rise apartment building spring up on their fence lines. (non-notified)
The last thing Aucklander’s need is the unelected “Productivity Commission” and Minister of Finance socially engineering our city.
Sue Henry
(09) 575.6344
Wow! You’re a little off message with the other leftists on this issue. The problem is with sprawl not intensification according to them. Talk about mixed messages from the left on this issue.
Yeah it’s almost as if different people have, like, different ideas and stuff.
Finance Minister is using the affordable housing crisis to panda to a property developer…
What does this involve?
Eating bamboo shoots and trying to breed in captivity?
Nah, it’s when a politician promises to do something everyone would like, or fix something everyone agrees is a problem, and presents as a plan:
“We really would like this to happen. Very much. It is serious. (Furrows brow, stares down barrell of camera) Now let us wait two years and see if it does”
cf, John Key saying he’d sort us a fucking panda,
Where’s our fucking panda John Key?
What sort of a man lies about getting pandas?
A story about self-regulation and the un/examined life.
John Clark became Prime minister of New Zealand. He had governed for a single term and enjoyed popular support. Good people obeyed the law and bad people feared it. New Zealand was governed in this manner and other people who wanted the power of government were afraid of the Prime Minister’s political skill. John Clark had an elder brother, Bill, and a sister, called Jane. The brother loved to eat, he called himself an unrepentant foodie. The sister was, well, she enjoyed the company of others – many and varied, all of them pleased her.
At Bills house there was a cellar of beverages, some still in the barrel, and on his lavish property there was also a winery. His parties were so enthusiastic that when he vented his villa, the smell of alcohol and weed often caught the wind and disturbed the people of the township across the bay. Bill was so often stoned out of his tree that he had no feelings of regret or sorrow. He had no idea of what was safe or dangerous in life. Most of the time he didn’t even know what was going on in his own house and was unaware if something was present or missing. He’d pretty much forgotten anything about the lives of his close or distant relatives and didn’t even know that his grandfather had recently died and his niece had a new baby. He was so oblivious to his surroundings that even one of his drunken guests swinging a golf club near his face failed to register a response of any kind. He once fell in the BBQ pit, coming away unburned, and while sitting by the pool during a sudden downpour, he was confused as to why his guests ran inside.
At Jane’s multi-level house there were a number of guest rooms, about thirty-eight apartment sized suites, to house her lovers. She was so captivated by her visitors that she neglected relatives and friends and paid no attention to family. She spent all her time around her inner courtyard, turning night into day. Over the course of three months, if she left her place once, she felt unsatisfied and cheated by life. If there was a visitor in town that caught her eye, she’d do anything to win their heart. She’d use expensive gifts, trips and flattery; stopping only if it were impossible to get what she wanted.
John Clark thought these things over and secretly went to consult with the a senior advisor to his Party.
“I’ve heard that how a person cares for themselves influences their family,” said John, “and that how a person cares for their family influences the State. In other words, in paying attention to the things closest to home, we can affect things in society. I’ve taken care of the State, it’s in good shape all things considered, but my family, it’s in total disorder. Perhaps this isn’t he way to go about things? How can I help my family clean themselves up? What should I do?”
His advisor said, “I’ve thought about this for a while, but didn’t want to raise the subject. You know how it makes the Party politically vulnerable. Why don’t you use your influence to control them? Encourage them by outlining the importance of a healthy life. Correct them gently by telling them about the benefits of virtuous and appropriate behaviour.”
John Followed his advisor’s advice and the next time he saw his siblings, he said to them:
“The ability to think is what makes man more than just an animal. By using our minds, we can understand virtue and morality, modesty and restraint. This is the kind of behaviour that helps a person achieve glory and success. You guys, however, you’re only interesting in things that excite your passions. You indulge your selfish and immoral desires and endanger your lives and your minds. Listen up, it has to stop. Fix yourself right now, commit to making a change for the better, set some goals and by tonight, you’ll already have improved your lives.”
Bill stubbed out his cigarette, took out another, and offered the plain package to Jane.
“We knew all this a long time ago and made our decision from choice,” said Jane. “We didn’t need your advice to enlighten us. It’s difficult to extend life, but easy to die. No one would think of sitting around waiting for death just because it’s difficult to extend your own life. You value good behaviour and virtuous ideals in order to stand out from the crowd. It’s your pompous tendency in action. You hide your feelings and true nature by striving for this kind of false purity. To us, it seems worse than death.”
“The only thing we’re worried about is satisfying our desires too soon,” said Bill. “We worry about having so many attractive visitors, or eating so much fine food, that we blunt our sense of appreciation and can’t pursue what we love anymore. We’ve got no time to waste worrying about reputations or the state of our minds. For you to come and judge us simply because you are good at ruling people, to try to charm us with promises of fame and achievement, it’s just sad and pathetic.”
“I have an answer for you,” Jane said. “Look, just because someone knows how to regulate external things, it doesn’t mean those things will become regulated. No matter what we do, a person’s body will still age and one day we’ll all die. But if someone knows how to regulate what goes on inside themselves, they might actually succeed in regulating those things. That person’s mind will be calm and they’ll be at peace with the way life is and they won’t be thrashing around, blaming other people for whatever they see and feel. Your method of regulating external things works on a temporary basis and only for a small specific area. It doesn’t encourage harmony between all things or individual calm. They way we live, me and Bill, our method can be applied throughout the whole universe, it’s natural. We adhere to our real natures. What’s more, it would eliminate the need for rulers and governments.”
“That pretty much sums it up,” said Bill. We should have had this talk sooner, John. But do us a favour, explain to us your own perspective of virtue.” John was taken aback, somewhat bewildered, and had no ready answer. Later he met with his senior advisor again and told him what had happened.
“You were living alongside real people,” his advisor said, “and we never knew it. Who says you are a skilled politician? The country’s been governed all this time and, it seems, not due to any skill of yours.”
Adapted from, Yang Chu’s Garden of Pleasure: The philosophy of Individuality, Edited by Rosemary Brant; Chapter 9: “The Happy Hedonists”.
😉
This is a vicious, dishonest Government that regularly ruins my breakfast!
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/each-morning-i-turn-on-radio-to-listen.html
Glad I didn’t tune in to radio this morning. Saw her on Campbell Live the other day and that was enough. Hate to think what damage Longstone and her neo-con B & B (bastards and bitches) mates are doing to my blood pressure.
See Anne 1.5 on this post for verification. 🙁
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/06/financial-crisis-25-people-heart-meltdown
Financial crisis: 25 people at the heart of the meltdown – where are they now?
In 2009 the Guardian identified 25 people – bankers, economists, central bankers and politicians – whose actions had led the world into the worst economic turmoil since the Great Depression.
On the fifth anniversary of the credit crunch, what are they doing?
Rupert Neate
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 August 2012 20.49 BST
Alan Greenspan, chairman US Federal Reserve 1987-2000
A disciple of libertarian icon Ayn Rand, Greenspan became chairman of the Fed just in time to save the global economy from the 1987 stock market crash from becoming a full-blown disaster.
He went on preside over the boom years of the 90s and lead the US economy through the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and was widely referred to as an “oracle” and “the maestro”.
But Greenspan’s super-low interest rates and consistent opposition to regulation of the multitrillion-dollar derivatives market are now widely blamed for causing the credit crisis. Under Greenspan’s tenure the derivatives market went from barely registering to a $500 trillion industry, despite billionaire investor Warren Buffett warning that they were “financial weapons of mass destruction”.
His rock-bottom rates encouraged Americans to load up on debt to buy homes, even when they had no savings, no income and no job prospects.
These so-called sub-prime borrowers were the cannon fodder for the biggest boom-bust in US history. The housing collapse brought the global economy to its knees.
He was given an honorary knighthood in 2002 for his “contribution to global economic stability”, but in 2008, at a Congressional hearing investigating the causes of the financial crisis, Greenspan finally admitted he “made a mistake in presuming” that financial firms could regulate themselves.
“You found that your view of the world, your ideology was not right, it was not working?” Henry Waxman, the committee chairman, said.
“Absolutely, precisely,” Greenspan replied. “You know, that’s precisely the reason I was shocked, because I have been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.” …………………..
_________________________________________
Politicians
Bill Clinton, former US president
Politicians’ current plan to help prevent another financial crisis is to ringfence banks’ risky “casino banking” divisions from the more pedestrian high street banking departments. 13 years ago Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, which had done just that. Clinton’s move, which came after fierce lobbying from bankers, heralded the birth of superbanks and primed the sub-prime pump. …
_____________________________________________
Senator Phil Gramm
“Some people look at sub-prime lending and see evil. I look at sub-prime lending and see the American dream in action,” Gramm told a Senate debate in 2001.
Another dynamite quote. “When I am on Wall Street and I realise that that’s the very nerve centre of American capitalism and I realise what capitalism has done for the working people of America, to me that’s a holy place.”
It was Gramm that had fought hardest for deregulation and helped write the law that enabled the creation of financial giants such as Citigroup and Bank of America. ……….
_____________________________________________________
The question I want answered is:
What role did John Key play in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in November 1999, when he was a foreign exchange advisor to the New York Federal Reserve, and Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch?
Given that the effect of the repeal of the Glass Steagall Act was to leave the derivatives market unregulated?
Given that the global financial meltdown has been largely caused by the collapse of the derivatives market?
Who is going to ask THAT question?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/opinion/7876654/Grim-news-for-Labour-leader
Ouch…
I don’t read the dominion, but NZ First holding the balance of power is a scary thought.
Thats really not good
The truth Hurts But shearer is a liability as is Robertson and any of his ilk.
http://pundit.co.nz/content/poll-of-polls-update-volatility-masks-a-slow-moving-tide
For a more intelligent point of view.
More intelligent? How is taking credit for the tide going out that intelligent.
when people are worried about their sandcastle being washed away, it is intelligent to see whether the tide is coming in or going out.
Hey I’m sure you’ll be delighted with PM Shearer. Hope he gets everything done which is needed before we go back for another 2 or 3 Tory terms.
better than 6 straight tory terms.
As if there’s a real difference between drowning five metres under the surface and drowning ten metres under the surface.
yeah, that’s the melodrama that Hooten loves.
I take it you’ll be doorknocking for Mana in 2014? To continue your analogy, it’d be a shame if you just decided to fold your arms and sink out of spite.
Oh you’re very kind but no need to worry about me, mate.
Oh I was, I was. It was just that you seemed to be spending more time impersonating Chicken Little rather than, you know, actually cheerleading the party you actually do support.
Yes, I believe that says it all McFlock.
No, it doesn’t.
It’s pretty clear you think Shearer is a lousy leader. What’s unclear is what party you want to win the election, in an ideal world. You’re about as useful to Labour as BM – always sniping, never contributing.
Why would I want (or need) to be put in the category “USEFUL to Labour” by YOU (or anyone else), Mr McFlock?
Let me ask you another question mate, how many THOUSAND dollars have you given to Labour over the last ten years? How many HUNDREDS of hours have you volunteered for Labour over the last 3 election campaigns?
I’ve done a lot less than some on The Std, but I sure have done more than 99.75% of the population out there for Labour. Still not good enough for you? Then go screw yourself.
Emphasis mine.
Read what you wrote again and figure out why I can’t be fucked with your expectations of Labour supporters, past and present. Maybe it will give you a clue as to why some of the best Labour activists up and down the country not stuck in Beltway Think have picked up sticks and walked from Labour; some to other parties, some out of politics altogether.
And then have a think to yourself why in the most incompetent, clearly smarmy and untrustworthy electorally suicidal year the NATs have managed to concoct in terms of what should be a dream run for the Opposition, Labour sits on…29% to 32%. Same as 9-18-36 months ago.
Raise your pom poms McFlock and dance the dance.
Guess what: to be a “supporter” you need to “support”. That doesn’t mean “never criticise”, it means at least give credit where it’s due.
Labour no longer espouse the principles you support? Boo-fucking-hoo. Support someone else. You know why? Because while it might be emotionally fulfilling for you to piss on Labour all the time, you only have one urethra: every litre you dump on labour means that National stays that bit more dry. Why do you think BM & hoots etc are jerking off on the Shearer/Cunliffe thing?
You might not think there’s much difference between labour and national atm, but there’s enough of a difference that it will still mean a lot to a lot of people who are struggling right now. It might not reach your standards of socialist heaven, but it’s better than national.
So as someone who wants to see at least a vaguely left wing government in 2014, kindly piss on national and actually support somebody, because at the moment you just sound like a whiney little bitch who needs to get the fuck over the fact that he didn’t get what he wanted.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/private-vehicle-inspectors-could-stop-cars-check-warrants-ck-131341#comment-591630
More work for the ‘CONTRACTOCRACY?’
Where will the money go?
Who will benefit?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Thoughts and wishes to the people of the North east of the usa.
Family members over there, heres hoping they are safe and sound.
Joss Whedon is still the coolest man in Hollywood. The Zomneys are coming!
I just did a series of updates to the site that should improve the speed and reduce the downloads, especially for those readers still on dialup. As far as I can tell they shouldn’t cause any problems although I did have differences between the test environment and the live system because of cloudflare (which is why there were a few glitches on display this late afternoon).
Tested on the live system with current versions of chrome, firefox, and safari. I don’t have any windows boxes available right now so I haven’t tried it on IE.
If anyone has issues with them, then leave a comment here – make sure there is a “lprent” (first letter is a lowercase L) in the comment so I see it faster than my usual moderation sweeps.
Next up is the mobile fixes in a few days
IE 9.0.8 is happy, groovin along 🙂
Worked ok on IE6, IE7, and IE8 (the joys of VirtualBox), Opera, ReKong, Camino,a and a few other oddity browsers.
Firefox Aurora 18.0a2 is happy as well 🙂
lprent
Ubuntu 12.04/Firefox 16.01 combination works ++good
since you mentioned mobile fixes are imminent, i would like to bring to your attention a couple of ongoing events within the mobile site that you may or may not know of: re. samsung S2
; initial text entry seems stable but the text box repeatedly runs away to hide whenever any attempt is made to edit the text before publication,
: the site is often saying ‘publication failed’ when publication was fine.
Thankyou
p.s. conversation tracker id’s, as used on the main site, would be extremely helpful.
Ok I’ll have a look at those, but I suspect I’ll be shifting that back to BraveNewCode unless they show up on my android 4.0 HTC or old apple 3G (because I can’t remember seeing either).
The main one that I’ve been fixing has to do with the number of comments blowing the RAM constraints on phones. For some reason when there are more than about 40-50 comments on a post, many phones just crash their browsers. It appears to be purely memory related and usually happens on posts with those larger comments. These days we routinely get a post of two with more than 100 large comments. So I’ve been cutting the size down by looking at the text sizes. Trick is to make sure that looking at the text sizes doesn’t slow everyone else down by making the server run like a dog.
But one thing I will be looking at doing next weekend is writing or adapting a barebones mobile version as an alternative. Seems ridiculous that a few thousand lines of a mostly text should blow out a browser. I suspect a lot of it is also the numbers of different identicons and other graphics..
Tried any Smartphone emulators?
Might save a bit of time 4 ya.
Mostly in QEMU. But they usually fail to fail on memory allocation emulation because they aren’t using the same underlying heap/stack. You really need actual hardware for some kinds of bugs.
[deleted]
[lprent: bye. Troll. ]