The Herald front page screams ‘Russian serial killer.’
Any excuse to recreate the fear and hatred of the Cold War.
Shameful.
Just another reminder that a real people’s government should seize control of the narrative from the plutocrats.
This tinkering crew will do too little for fear of offending the capitalists.
And no, I did not buy it and did not click on it.
Saw the headline on a paper lyiing ona table in a cafe.
Russian authorities hunting a serial killer asked New Zealand police to search their DNA database in a bid to catch the dangerous and wanted murderer.
Y’know, yes, there’s a whole lot of simplistic “black and white”, and “with us or agin us” bullshit going on in the world today.
But jumping up on a chair and getting all arm wavy on the flimsiest of contexts or (in this case) a completely bogus context is just …why fcking do that?
That the NZH wants to recreate the fear and hatred of the Cold War? Nope, I think that’s just more addled gobshite. That the NZLP won’t do the things he wants? Maybe so, but since the things he wants are motivated by addled gobshite, that’s hardly surprising.
If you think my views on inequality, taxes, obesity, housing, transport, health and education are ‘gobshite’, or ‘steaming drivel’, then you clearly are not left wing.
When a Blairite insults me, I wear it as a badge of honour.
Probably most relevant Russian story today is not Ed’s little piece but that another anti Putin journalist and former Russian parliamentary candidate Oles Bunyan has been murdered in Kiev Probably nothing to do with russua though, suggest it was the British ( sarc)
While the meth cirus reigns on TV today; – look what the Government is pushing forward at the same time as they threw the ‘distraction’ of meth at us!!!!
Did they think we would not see them shifting to ‘a thumbs up to CPTPP???????
We are being played big time now folks sadly.
Our verbal submission was 10 minutes last week and we are bitterly disapointed they did not even add any protectins we advocated for.
When will Labour/National /NZF appologise to NZ, after the new cases of other disease comes here after their final rush to pass the final report to Parliament simnce the phoney “select Committee to review the TPTPP” was hoisted on us all as a “diversion” while their intent was to pass this toxic trade agreement as it already was???
Chair Simon O’Connor (National MP) said he believed the CPTPP is o/k; – as is????
Even though us and a lot of other submitters warned him and his committee that they will be setting us up for more “micro-plasma bovis” events.
The submitters said they should include a clause be added to the ISDS agreement to allow in all cases Government contracts or with other parties allowing local/state governments and other parties to encourage Government to pass regulations to protect NZ citizens and the environment against foreign activities in NZ that may damage their future economic, environmental, health, and well-being after the trade agreement will be enacted in 2019.
‘Editored’ section involving environmental protection and no change from draft report originally proposed in march 2018.
(Chair Simon O’Connor said he believed the CPTPP is o/k; – as is????)
COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (CPTPP)
Page; 5
Summary of issues discussed with submitters
Many submitters, notably those opposed to the CPTPP, believe that the changes from the
TPP do not substantively address their concerns. They consider that the CPTPP is
effectively the same as the TPP.
Investor-State dispute settlement and sovereignty
We discussed some submitters’ concerns about the effect the CPTPP would have on the
sovereign rights of New Zealanders to determine their own future through an elected
Parliament. In particular, these submitters consider that the ISDS provisions unnecessarily
empower and protect international investors.
Some submitters believe that the threat of substantial awards against governments is a
strong disincentive for the New Zealand Government to act in the interests of New
Zealanders when those interests conflict with those of CPTPP investors. Submitters consider
that this could have a chilling effect on the Government’s ability to make policy and regulate
in areas including labour law and the mitigation of climate change.
We also discussed the CPTPP’s relationship with New Zealand’s many international
obligations, including the Paris Agreement to address climate change, and the United
Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. We understand that this is problematic because
many of these obligations are not enforceable, but the CPTPP contains enforcement
mechanisms.
Two dispute settlement mechanisms in CPTPP
We understand that the CPTPP provides for two dispute settlement mechanisms: a
government-to-government system to resolve disputes in the agreement, and ISDS. The
ISDS mechanism provides for the settlement of disputes between foreign investors and the
Government of the country in which the investment is made.
Application of ISDS in CPTPP
In the CPTPP, ISDS only applies to the Investment chapter and limited investment-related
elements of the Financial Services chapter. The scope of the ISDS mechanism is narrower
that it was in the TPP. Claims are no longer permitted in relation to investment contracts and
COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (CPTPP)
6
approval. This means that private companies which enter into an investment contract with
the Government would not be able to use ISDS if there were a dispute about that contract.
Decisions made under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 are also not subject to ISDS.
Suspensions around the minimum standard of treatment concerning financial services
further reduce the risk of successful claims under the CPTPP being taken against New
Zealand. The minimum standard of treatment is an obligation that forms part of the body of
customary international law, to accord fair and equitable treatment to covered investments,
and not to deny justice.
Once a treaty is entered into, it cannot be changed by any one state. So any submission to the New Zealand Parliament asking for that will necessarily fail.
It is basically an up and down vote. And there is zero chance (given the make up of the committee) that the select committee would recommend a down vote.
But I presume you knew all of this already, and your submission was merely another way of showing your opposition, rather than an expectation it would have actual effect.
However, presumably the Greens will put in a minority report covering your points.
“Once a treaty is entered into, it cannot be changed by any one state. So any submission to the New Zealand Parliament asking for that will necessarily fail.”
Different situation as the US, Canada and Mexico are in the middle of formal negotiations called to renegotiate NAFTA; whereas the CP TPP is now post the end of formal negotiations and sign off by all parties (countries) to the agreement and in the ratification stage where individual states are processing the agreement through their national legislative requirements for ratification.
Therefore, are we about to make the same costly mistake all over again?
As for the initial mistake (the low level adopted) should and will there be compensation for homeowners and others affected? Moreover, will heads roll?
“I lose count of the number of times that I questioned [Housing New Zealand] about it. To the point that I was told as a minister that I was on the edge of getting involved of day to day running of the technical issues of a crown entity,” Bennett said.
Seems Bennett is pointing the finger at HNZ, Robert.
In response to the recommendations, Housing Minister Phil Twyford has announced new standards and less stringent standards will be set for houses within the next year – with Housing NZ immediately changing its policy.
It appears ms Bennett wasn’t smart enough to translate her concerns into action as mr Twyford did. Mr Twyford needs to be congratulated on such a positive result.
Could be. Or it could be she lacked compelling evidence to back action being taken. Then again, she may of had the evidence and failed to act, therefore she would also be culpable.
Chairman, I also think you are a fake leftie, and it is your normal haughty, super-correct tone that prompts me to write this.
‘may of had’????
If Maori have the right to protect and promote their language ( as I believe they have) then you should try to avoid barbaric solecisms, and those who value our language should help you.
You may write either “may have” or “may’ve’ – but “may of” simply reflects badly upon all else that you write.
If you consistently strike a haughty, super-correct tone, please live up to it in your use of English.
However, in several news stories at the time Bennett and English said they approved of the Housing NZ regime.
English said the agency was “rightly taking a firm stance on the health risks posed by meth, and will continue to do so for as long as it is detected in its properties” in 2016.
And Bennett told Newshub in 2016 there was “no evidence” Housing NZ had evicted tenants unfairly.
Bennett, Chairman, was unable to effect the necessary change to an unjust situation affecting many New Zealanders? What was she there for???
Labour’s only been in a short while, yet the job is done! Tells the story…
Full kudos to them for commissioning this report and acting to make improvements.
However, the concern here is the rather conservative level HNZ has now adopted. We now risk repeating the same mistake again, unless the Government swiftly acts to correct this.
Additionally, a decent Government would see the injustice caused, therefore would willingly offer compensation to all those unfairly impacted. We are not seeing this from this Government.
Never satisfied, you. “Full kudos to them”, you say, then go on to qualify your praise, as you inevitably do, “good job, but …
Compensating for National’s fubar? Galling. Let’s wait till they own their actions then talk of compensation.
Satisfied risking repeating the same mistake all over again? Of course I’m not and nor should you be.
National aren’t going to own this, evident by their pointing the finger at HNZ.
We now have compelling evidence, therefore we know people have been unfairly treated. Hence, the current Government should be acknowledging this and offering compensation. At the least, announcing they are looking into it.
They are, of course, “looking into it”. Your attempts to read between the lines in order to find failure is … tiresome and your glossing-over/dismissal of National’s culpability is … expected.
paula bennet is so full of it and just covering her arse.
“However, in several news stories at the time Bennett and English said they approved of the Housing NZ regime.
English said the agency was “rightly taking a firm stance on the health risks posed by meth, and will continue to do so for as long as it is detected in its properties” in 2016.
And Bennett told Newshub in 2016 there was “no evidence” Housing NZ had evicted tenants unfairly.”
Bennett was on RNZ tonight saying she had real concerns about the meth testing and eviction of state house tenants,but even though she expressed concern to HNZ and other agencies,she was powerless to act.
From what I’ve seen it’s all about liability, we’re paying for the steady erosion of the ‘no fault’ ethos behind ACC.
The bureacrats and interested parties really don’t have a lot of choice in these matters. If something is said to be a risk then ignoring the risk leaves people open to future claims for damages. That looming liability threat pushes people to take extremely conservative measures. No-one goes to work to be sued or face criminal charges so people do everything they can to eliminate the risk of that happening.
As it transpired the meth threat was a bust but no-one was to know that for sure until it did transpire. People acted on the information available at the time and who can blame them for that. Sure, common sense said it was a gross overreaction but the law doesn’t give a rats arse about common sense does it.
To my mind the only culpable party is the Government of the day and, sadly, they can’t be sued or charged for their refusal to establish reasonable and proper meth testing standards.
The potential liability threat of taking an extremely conservative approach should have also been given far more consideration considering the massive costs and unnecessary stress it has caused.
Therefore, risk should be correctly established before levels are set and lives are thrown into disarray.
And while the Government of the day could well be culpable, just because they can’t be sued or charged doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get to the bottom of this.
Surely we’ll want to prevent similar from occurring again, thus we need to establish who was culpable and what went wrong.
You missed the point by some margin there. The risk to landlords was being sued or charged for any harm that might befall their tenants.
You can’t contract out of the law so creating your own testing standards would have been a foolish move, there’s no guarantees ‘the law’ would accept it. It was always for the Govt to set the standards. This Govt has shown how easy it was and one is left to wonder at the motives of the last Govt in refusing to do so.
What about the tenants who were evicted and more than likely incorrectly labelled by their communities or neighbours as P addicts? Don’t know about you, but if that happened to me I’d be devastated for myself and my children especially if one lived in a small community.
How many children have suffered as a result, did one parent find out that another parent had been evicted and then try and take their kids away from them as a result? That’s a very likely scenario.
Indeed, others were also impacted. As I have mentioned further up. And at this stage the Government hasn’t ruled out compensating them. But there has been no mention that I’ve heard of in regards to compensating homeowners that were also impacted.
I’m thinking we may now see class action suits similar to the leaky homes debacle.
Just as well there are some NZs now keeping an eye on housing and the government. Everyone in Britain in the Great Depression got worn out by the amount of deprivation. And it would be echoed here if we aren’t careful as we have brought the British callousness over with us as colonials and it has persisted over nearly two centuries.
This is a bit from George Orwell’s look at the homeless in Britain as in his book The Road to Wigan Pier from 1937.
[The wagon/caravan will contain] such furniture as can be crammed in – sometimes two beds, more usually one, into which the whole family have to huddle as best they can. It is almost impossible to sleep on the floor, because the damp soaks up from below. I was shown mattresses which were still wringing wet at eleven in the morning. In winter it is so cold that the kitcheners have to be kept burning day and night, and the windows, needless to say, are never opened.
Water is got from a hydrant common to the whole colony, some of the caravan-dwellers having to walk 150 or 200 yards for every bucket of water. There are no sanitary arrangements at all. Most of the people construct a little hut to serve as a lavatory on the tiny patch of ground….All the people I saw…especially the children, were unspeakably dirty…The thought that haunted me….was, What can happen in those cramped interiors when anybody dies? But that, of course, is the kind of question you hardly care to ask.
Some of the people have been in their caravans for many years. Theoretically the Corporation are…getting the inhabitants out into houses; but as the houses don’t get built, the caravans remain standing….one woman with a worn skull-like face… struggling to keep her large brood of children clean,…[must have felt as if] coated all over with dung.
One must remember that these people are not gypsies; they are decent English people who have all,,,had homes in their day.,,their caravans are,,,inferior to those of gypsies and they have not the…advantage of being on the move.
“On the contrary. They have shown that despite the info that has come to light, it’s still going to take the Government up to a year to set new levels.”
Be realistic. It’s a bit like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder.
I believe the relevant Standard that HNZ and others have used as a reference is NZS 8510:2017. I’m not going to buy a copy just to have a look at it so I can’t comment on its content.
IIRC Standards are not of themselves statutory laws but one would be rather foolish to ignore them in pursuant of your own standards.
Those standards are developed with input from different parties, some with their own self-interests. I believe the science-oriented input to NZS 8510:2017 was somewhate looser than the end result.
Gosman, WTF has the politics of the reporter, as you imagine them, got to do with the demolition job that reporter did on the daft ideas of the ACT candidate?
Except of course, to deflect from the actual arguments raised by the reporter.
And to deflect from the daffiness of the ACT candidates ideas.
Play the ball, Gosman, not the man.
I note that NZ First had the wisdom to let go the candidate who was 38th on their list and who is now standing in Northcote for a Right-Wing Hansen style party. By-elections certainly bring out the dillies, the daffies and the daft.
There was no demolition job here. This is merely an opinion piece by a well known left leaning journalist. As such his political leanings are entirely valid when determining if his piece has any validity. It does not.
Gosman, if your sole or main determinant as to whether argument is correct is the political views of the writer, then what are you doing here on a left-wing blog?
I say there is a demolition job. I read the article.
The proposals of the ACT candidate in resurrecting 1972 proposals to advocate for a 6 lane highway through the myriad green spaces in Auckland were rightly ridiculed.
At the end, the writer said that a vote for this candidate is similar to voting for the anti-fluoride homeopathic candidate whose name appears next to the ACT candidate’s.
I note that the writer’s left wing views are the sole determinant for your dismissal of his arguments. You have not attempted to justify your belief that his views have no validity, have you?
If you want to have arguments why his opinion has no validity beyond his political bias (as well as showing why he has political bias) then look no further than his argument that the proposal is an old one. So what? Transmission Gully was first proposed back in the 1940’s or even earlier. It was still a good idea and one that the last National government took up in the past 5 years. The Rail loop in Auckland is also an old idea which seems to have merit. Trying to dismiss ideas because they are not original highlights the fact the author is scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of objections.
It looks like it goes directly through the Birkenhead Shopping Centre. That’s it folks. Your shops and mall will be gone. Never mind, you can drive to Glenfield or even Albany for your daily shopping commutes. 😡
And where are the shops and the mall going to go while it is being built? Whenever a tunnel is being built the topical landscape gets smashed to pieces and a small fortune is spent on rebuilding it at a much later date.
What Gluckman said was that there was no danger from houses where there has only been smoking/taking P. But Labs can leave far more dangerous chemicals. So what they have done is raise the level to where smoking/taking P will be eliminated. Only a lab is likely to leave more than the new limit. And in that case there could be more dangerous chemicals there.
My source, before you ask, Chairman, is my own fertile imagination working in conjunction with my amazing alcohol-enhanced powers of logic.
And if I turn out to be right, you will have wasted considerable time once again trying to sow doubt and dissension, won’t you, Chairman?
The report clearly states the most commonly used methods no longer use solvents. Therefore, the primary contaminant associated with manufacturing is methamphetamine itself.
So testing for methamphetamine alone would give no indication that other potentially harmful chemicals are present. Therefore, we risk creating unnecessary costs and harm all over again, albeit with a higher but still conservative standard.
Recently the Italian president vetoed the formation of an Italian government. This was because the proposed finance minister had previously looked at a proposal to exit the Euro, if needed. Its not the first time that the needs of the currency have overruled a democratic decision.
Now we need to look into the earthquake standards.
I’m not too sure about anyone else, but I’m not too comfortable with the idea of emptying buildings and letting them stand empty for years on end, and this practice needs looking into.
If our old state housing stock was largely multi-storey apartments built on reclaimed land, with unreinforced masonry and dodgy steel connections holding up heavy floors you might have a point. However I very much doubt it.
To clarify, the USA is happy to smash any country that doesn’t bow to the demands of its corporations, or attempts to defy the stranglehold of the petrodollar.
I am interested to see if your views on Venezuela gather much support amongst lefties here. I suspect not as Venezuela is now becoming a pariah nation and one to avoid mention at all costs for most mainstream leftists. It is only hard core ones like you that will be banging this particular drum.
Speak for yourself I always thought Venezuela was an economic nutcase country sustained largely by resource extraction.
I also could never quite understand the nutcase right wing droning on and on about it as being the epitome of what the ‘left’ thought as their fandom economy. My opinion was that was largely the right nutbars grabbing their crotch with excitement to build a meme about how the left ‘thinks’. Which appears to be what you are doing?
As you are aware, there is no monolithic left and never has been.
BTW: exactly the same economic issue or over indulgence in resource extraction is what I think is the same fundamental weakness in the NZ (and the aussie) economies as well as Venezuela .
However here the idiotic economic numb skulls who indulge in it appear to be largely from the right. They mine the soils, water and and different mineral resource rather than oil and put the benefits to their beneficiaries among the affluent rather than the poor. But it is exactly the same thing. Unsustainable stupidity indulged in for political reasons to benefit a group voting for selfish reasons. In our case by the National party.
Interesting view that I suspect will not be shared by the more extreme leftist on this site. As already evidenced by some the cause of the problems in Venezuela is not the narrow resource based extractive nature of it’s economy but the actions of the US taken against the Socialist government.
The opposition candidate Falcon issued a statement calling for a new election citing a low voter turnout as the reason. Only 48% of those eligible cast their vote but he forgot to mention that the opposition had called its supporters to boycott the elections and not to vote.
I haven’t seen anything of socialism in either Russia or China.
Venezuela was definitely getting worse under capitalism and the people now keep voting for socialism despite the capitalist attacks upon it from other countries so things must be better than before.
Russia was a socialist state. The author of this piece refers to communism, but try not to be confused:
“Gorbachev understood that the shabby socialist economy was incapable of sustaining a world power. Perestroika was introduced, and with it glasnost, a limited opening up of channels of criticism. Glasnost proved suicidal. The surrealism of Soviet society could not survive the light of criticism. Inevitably, the ideological house of cards erected by the Party propagandists and disseminated by foreign fellow-travelers over seven decades collapsed.” https://fee.org/articles/the-soviet-tragedy-a-history-of-socialism-in-russia-1917-1991-and-russia-under-the-bolshevik-regime/
“Venezuela was definitely getting worse under capitalism…”
I think not. But it can’t possibly have been any worse than it is now.
“adoption of an economic system that fails everywhere it is tried. It’s called socialism.”
Yeah, But I think the beneficiary Dairy Farmers including that dick who had the notice about Ardern are thankful at the “adoption” of a good old bit of Socialism
at the moment.
Interesting, So I take it then that as they were so grateful and are so “internationally competitive.” they will not take or need the generous benefit these pack of beneficiaries are getting from the government.
“They will be more thankful to the economic reforms of the 80’s and 90’s that made them internationally competitive.”
Also, that is bullshit as if I remember correctly there was nothing but winging how were they going to survive now all the export incentives were being stopped and the suspensory loans and tax avoidance schemes like having a swimming pool c/w Barbecue area “just in case of fire”
“So I take it then that as they were so grateful and are so “internationally competitive.” they will not take or need the generous benefit these pack of beneficiaries are getting from the government.”
That’s up to them. They have been the victims of a natural disaster beyond their control, a bit like the citizens of Christchurch. But then many businesses experience that and don’t get government aid.
“…as if I remember correctly there was nothing but winging how were they going to survive now all the export incentives were being stopped…”
Absolutely there was, and yet 35 years later we lead the world, and are selling our expertise to the world. Isn’t the market a wonderful thing.
Since the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis, the authorities have repeatedly told us there is no risk to human health from eating meat or milk from infected animals. They would say that wouldn’t they – got to keep the ‘confidence of the market’.
Now, a Massey University professor of food safety describes the disease as a *low* risk to humans. In time, I expect the risk deniers will obfuscate as scientific evidence mounts, in much the same way as the concerns over the A1/A2 milk proteins.
“Amateurs Talk Strategy, Professionals Talk Logistics”
Perhaps it is time for the government to evolve their policies with a mind open to the above quote.
Good morning The AM Show there is a good reasoning for ECO MAORI pushing for equality for the ladies it’s the fair thing to do ladies are more intelligent than men and humane it’s good to have Amanda on the show this raises the humanity and intelligence of the show.
You cannot see the flaws in locking people up for years 5000 Maori young men most who just need a bit of guidance who come from broken family created by this system no father to gide them set boundaries for them wake up you know they wanted to privatise Hospitals Prison school so what did national do the ran these to the ground and say the system in not working let’s privatise every thing like America . Duncan its is the justice system that failed to do there job of keeping the people who killed while on bail not the 5000 Maori men it’s not hard to observe people look at there history and identify the risky people and keep them in jail 1 persent of the 5000 50 mistake the justice system has made that’s a fact that’s what these civil servents get paid to do this is a logical way of thinking about this problem
Its is best to try the eradication route for this bovine virus this virus will effect beef farmers as well as dairy farmers. Culling of these cows should have started on the 1/1/2017 No then it would not have blown out to what we have now Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The AM Show there you go Simon Bridge using crime and scare tactics to try and raise his polling rates the same phenomenon that made the bovine virus blow out to this mess. If he really cared about Aotearoa he would work with labour greens to come to a intelligent humane solutions to OUR Prison population look at our scandernavion cousins empty prison.
Ka kite ano
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The Justice Committee has reported back on its Inquiry into the 2017 General Election and 2016 Local Elections, with a host of recommendations about how to improve our electoral systems. Some of their recommendations are already incorporate din the Electoral Amendment Bill currently before Parliament, but there's also a recommendation ...
Back in 2017, in order to make themselves "electable" in the eyes of rich people who oppose everything they stand for, the Greens signed up for NeoLiberalism, adopting a restrictive set of "Budget Responsibility Rules" which basicly prevented them from using government to make things better. Now, they're finally abandoning ...
Since invading in 2001, the US has consistently claimed that their war in Afghanistan has been going well, even when it continued year after year after year. Of course, they were lying, and thanks to the Washington Post and the US Freedom of Information Act, we get to see just ...
How should we think about artificial intelligence and the implications that it has for our work and leisure? There are many articles on artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on jobs, and the ethics of applications. These are important topics, but I want to focus on some less discussed aspects, ...
I love data. It’s amazing the sort of “discoveries” I can make given a data set and computer statistical package. It’s just so easy to search for relationships and test their statistical significance. Maybe relationships which ...
The other big story concerning Leeds Hospital is Boris Johnson's bizzare behaviour at Leeds Hospital, where he was confronted by a journalist and challenged about a four year old boy with suspected pneumonia who was left sleeping on the floor, rather than getting abed like a sick kid would in ...
So, for a brief period of history, it was alleged that a protester had punched Matt Hancock's SPAD (not a euphemism; special adviser) when Hancock visited Leeds Hospital.This was reported by the likes of Robert Peston and Laura Keunssberg, as well as the less credible Guido Fawkes. It also quickly ...
by Daphna Whitmore Last week France passed a law that equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. It is based on a definition of anti-Semitism that includes criticism of Israel such as: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist ...
Over the past year we've seen major bus problems in Hamilton and Wellington, as drivers have sought better wages and an end to the bullshit of split shifts, which basicly see them "married to the job". And now its Auckland's turn. When NZBus's drivers planned low-level strike action of not ...
The government has been congratulating itself over the passage of the Zero Carbon Act, which sets out long-term emissions targets. But those targets are insufficient. Meanwhile, Denmark is showing us how its done:Denmark’s parliament adopted a new climate law on Friday, committing to reach 70% below its 1990 emissions in ...
Another day, another piece of legislation with a secrecy clause. This time its the innocuous-seeming Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill, which (after establishing a new body and making it subject to the OIA in three different ways) includes the rapidly-becoming-standard clauses enabling it to request information from other public ...
The state of the United Kingdom is fractured, torn up, shredded. The Empire is gone, it died a long time ago. And yet, the country is still tracking with a lead in favour of the ones who play to the ingrained, class-bound division for political gain. It is a disgrace ...
On 27 September, Greta Thunberg addressed a crowd of 500,000 at the School Strike for Climate in Montreal, saying: “You are a nation that is allegedly a climate leader. And Sweden is also a nation that is allegedly a climate leader. And in both cases, it means absolutely nothing. Because ...
It should be obvious by now but let’s be clear: The same folk who regularly traffic in disinformation, misinformation and “fake news” are also those who most strongly claim that their freedom of expression rights are being violated when moves are made to curb hate speech (as opposed to protected ...
Michael SchulsonWhen Shane Burcaw flies on an airplane, he brings along a customized gel cushion, a car seat, and about 10 pieces of memory foam. The whole arsenal costs around $1,000, but for Burcaw it’s a necessity. The 27-year-old author and speaker — who, alongside his fiancée, Hannah ...
We are very pleased to publish this submission is from Lucinda Stoan. She is a social justice activist, mother, and educator, based in Washington State in the US. This detailed and comprehensive source-linked overview of trans issues and what is at stake will be useful for many people, especially in ...
New Zealand's Underarm Banker: It bears recalling that the “independence” of the Reserve Bank Governor was for decades held up by neoliberal capitalists as the most compelling justification for passing the Reserve Bank Act. Interesting, is it not, how the ruling class’s support for the Bank’s independence lasted no longer than ...
Rubbish In, Rubbish Out: Put all this together, and it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that anyone who responds positively to a pollster’s request to “answer a few questions” is just ever-so-slightly weird. Desperately lonely? Some sort of psephological train-spotter? Political party member primed to skew the poll for or against ...
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. A long and bitter court feud between former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig and Jordan Williams has been settled, with an apology and compensation from Williams. On Tuesday, Craig sent out ...
Samuel Becher, Victoria University of Wellington and Jessica C Lai, Victoria University of WellingtonEarlier this year, the New Zealand-based pizza chain Hell Pizza offered a limited-edition “Burger Pizza”. Its customers weren’t told that the “meat” was plant-based. Some customers complained to the Commerce Commission, which enforces consumer law in ...
Some people seem to want to close down any critical discussion of the current research into the relationship between water fluoride and child IQ. They appear to argue that claims made by researchers should not be open to critical review and that the claims be accepted without proper consideration ...
The government has been congratulating itself over the passage of the Zero Carbon Act, which sets out long-term emissions targets. Meanwhile, Climate Action Tracker has the shameful reality: those targets are insufficient:While New Zealand is showing leadership by having passed the world’s second-ever Zero Carbon Act in November 2019, under ...
The government introduced a Racing Industry Bill today. As an urban who horse racing as pointless-to-cruel, and gambling as a tax on stupidity and/or hope, this isn't normally a bill which would interest me in the slightest, beyond grumpiness at more government money for a dying industry. But there is ...
Check. Check. One, two, three, four. Is this thing ON? Hello readers, I logged in last night (yeah, it’s been a while) to mark THE END of the landmark legal case, Jordan Williams v Colin Craig, which (gulp) reached The Supreme Court, in which New Zealand’s most-defamed man was suing the politician he ...
Before The Birth: Israel’s most fervent supporters set their clocks ticking in Biblical times. They cite the kingdoms of David and Solomon as proof that, in the words of the Exodus movie’s theme-song: “This land is mine.” The majority of Israel’s backers, however, start their clocks in 1933 – the year Adolf ...
In an unreliable, strange and confusing world, Public Address is proud to present a measure of comfort and stability by annually asking everyone what words or phrases sum up the year that's been – and then giving some of them consumer goods as prizes for being clever or simply lucky.Well, ...
Both my parents are pretty handy – and they seem to have the right tools for most jobs in the garage and they know how to fix practically anything. A similar story could be told about their generation’s experience in the workforce – being a generalist was not unusual and ...
When it was revealed that NZ First had tried to enrich itself from public office via the Provoncial Growth Fund, the Prime Minister assured us that everything was OK as Shane Jones, the Minister responsible for the fund, had recused himself. Except it seems that that recusal came very late ...
Today is a Member's Day, and probably the last one of the year. After the marathon of the End of Life Choice Act, most of the bills up for debate today are uncontentious. First up is the second reading of Chlöe Swarbrick's Election Access Fund Bill. This will be followed ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has reported back on the government's odious and tyrannical control orders bill. As expected, the fraudulent select committee process has made no significant changes (partly because they couldn't agree, but mostly because it was a stitch-up from the start, with no intention of ...
Yesterday, the government released its draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, which will be put to a non-binding referendum at the next election. I'm not a drug policy expert, but Russell Brown is, and he thinks its pretty good. And pretty obviously, it will be a massive improvement on the ...
As you're probably aware, the draft bill outlining the proposed legal cannabis regime to be put to a referendum late next year was published yesterday, and has already attracted a flurry of comment. It's notable that a good deal of the comment is about proposals that aren't actually new.A minimum ...
One of the big problems in New Zealand climate change policy is the government working at cross-purposes with itself. It wants to reduce fossil fuel use, but encourages oil and gas exploration. It wants to reduce transport emissions, but then builds enormous new roads. The problem could be avoided if ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzAccording to the United Nations, food shortages are a threat ...
Last year, the government announced it was ending offshore oil exploration by no longer issuing new permits. The idea was that the industry would then die off as permits expired. Except almost immediately the government revealed its bad faith, by saying they would extend permits and alter conditions to keep ...
The government introduced the Education and Training Bill to Parliament yesterday. Its a massive bill, which replaces both existing Education Acts, as well as various other bits of legislation (including some which are still proceeding through the House). I'll leave the serious analysis to teachers and people who actually know ...
Amelia SharmanThere’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to micro-credentials, those bits of bite-sized learning that can help workers stay on top of technological change. What’s a micro-credential? While definitions vary, micro-credentials can be understood as short courses that allow people to learn new skills or have an existing competency recognised. ...
All Smiles Now: Claire Szabo is taking up her presidential role after serving as the CEO of Habitat For Humanity. Which is absolutely perfect! After KiwiBuild was so comprehensively mismanaged by Phil Twyford, the party has not only elected a new president from a thoroughly respectable not-for-profit, but one who ...
While much of the NZ left has transitioned to postmodern and identity politics in relation to transgender ideology, there are some very good articles about that deploy Marxist methodology in relation to this subject. The one below is from the British marxist group Counterfire and appeared on their site here ...
by Daphna Whitmore At Golden Oaks, a luxurious country retreat in the Hudson Valley, pregnant women have the best care money can buy. From the organic food, personalised exercise programmes, private yoga instruction and daily massages Golden Oaks looks like a country lodge for the upper class. Set some time ...
When Labour was running for election in 2017, it felt it needed to demonstrate "fiscal responsibility" and signed itself up to masochistic "budget responsibility rules". It was a fool's errand: the sorts of voters who demand fiscal responsibility are also the sorts of voters who believe that labour can never ...
Writing in Stuff, Joel MacManus looks at what we need to do to meet the Zero Carbon Act's targets. The core of it:1. Convert 85 per cent of vehicles on the road to electric. 2. Eliminate fossil fuels from all industrial heating up to 300 degrees Celsius. 3. Double our ...
Professors Janet Hoek and Richard Edwards, Emeritus Professor Phil Gendall, Jude Ball, Dr Judith McCool, Anaru Waa, Dr Becky FreemanRecent media reports have presented conflicting evidence on youth vaping in NZ. While some NZ school principals report concerns about increasing vaping on school grounds and confiscating vapes, ASH Year ...
“America the Beautiful!”, staunch defender of democracy, freedom and… a whole lot of despotic tyrants that play nice with what is called “the Washington Consensus.” America is indeed capable of immense good, but like any Nation, and most assuredly any aspirant to the mantle of Empire, great, immense evil. All ...
Image credit:The beginner’s guide to blogging I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is ...
1080 is used to control pests in NZ. Its use is contested by a noisy few. A new report claims high levels of 1080 in rats washed up on a beach. Flora and Fauna of Aotearoa (F&F) won’t name the laboratory that did their testing. It has sparked a hunt ...
What Kind Of Empire? The thing for Kiwis to decide is what kind of empire they want to belong to. The kind that, while offering its own citizens democratic rights, demands absolute obedience from its “friends”? Or, the kind that, while authoritarian at home, takes a relaxed attitude to the ...
It hasn't been a good week for the Conservatives, pollwise. All major recent polls are showing their lead shrinking.Comparing each pollster's current (between 29/11 and 22/11) and previous most recent poll.Com Res - Conservative lead down 3 points.You Gov - Conservative lead down 1 point.Kantar - Conservative lead down 4 ...
Paramedics have reiterated their support for New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball's bill to impose mandatory prison sentences on those who assault our first responders and prison officers. There are more than 50 cases of abuse and assault against New Zealand paramedics each week. The figure has remained largely unchanged ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has revealed the Party’s stance on a proposed single public broadcaster. He said it had been the NZ First policy to support and strengthen public sector media. "For this reason, we welcome the initiative of Minister Faafoi to progress work in this area. Both ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Introduction Good morning, and thank you for your attendance here today. Let us start by acknowledging the work of all the media outlets and reporters, particularly the regional reporters, who have been covering this week’s tragedy at Whakaari White Island. It ...
New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball’s bill introducing a six-month minimum sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its first reading in Parliament. Mr Ball said the new offence of "injuring a first responder or prison officer with intent" would target people who attacked paramedics, police, firefighters, and corrections ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters gave his final interview for 2019 on The Country to tell farmers they have never had it better under the current coalition Government. “Here you've got these record returns [for farmers]. These returns would be nothing like a record if the currency under the ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said that New Zealand's Cook Islands High Commissioner, Tessa Temata, has died over the weekend. Ms Temata, 52, died in Palmerston North and had returned to New Zealand for medical treatment. She was the first New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands of Cook Island ...
A new defence report has mapped out how New Zealand's soldiers will navigate rising seas, and a year after the Defence Force announced its need to prepare for climate change. In the “Responding to the Climate Crisis” report, the Force restates its operational plan and sets goals to tackle climate ...
We're rebuilding New Zealand - our transport network, our hospitals, our schools and more... After nine years of neglect there's a lot to fix - but we're getting on with the job. ...
We're rebuilding New Zealand - our transport network, our hospitals, our schools and more... After nine years of neglect there's a lot to fix - but we're getting on with the job. ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Human Rights A critical step has been taken to end gender based violence against women and girls in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Human Rights Jenny Marcroft MP has welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Crimes (Definition of Female ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says it's time to recognise market forces haven't led to the expected reduction in Māori smoking rates and try a new approach. The Party had recently invoked the agree to disagree clause in their Coalition Agreement with the Labour Party, and will not support ...
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...
The Coalition Government will be banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, ahead of next year’s general elections. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament and passed under urgency – emphasising the need for such restrictions to safeguard our democracy. The bill introduces a new requirement that party secretaries and ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones opened Taipā's $19 million bridge recently, improving transport infrastructure in the Northland region. The two-lane bridge is 107m long with a 2.5m-wide shared walking and cycling path, and will reduce the congestion that the old one-lane bridge was notorious for. The project had also included ...
The Overseas Investment Office have rejected the application of Mercury Agriculture LP, which is 92 per cent controlled by Canadian interests, to purchase more than 2000 hectares of South Canterbury and Otago land. Mercury wanted to buy 2000ha at Rangitata, 1494ha near Ashburton, 816ha near Cromwell and 212ha near Temuka. ...
This weekend was Labour's 103rd Party Conference! We welcomed over 500 of our Labour whānau in red to Whanganui, where we reflected on the last two years in Government, and looked ahead to 2020 and beyond. We know the long-term challenges facing New Zealand won't be tackled overnight, but we're making ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced that the Provincial Growth Fund will invest $9.6 million to seal the final unsealed section of State Highway 43 from Stratford to Taumarunui. The Minister said sealing the 12-kilometre gravel section of the highway – also called the “Forgotten World Highway” - through ...
Former Finance Minister and former chair of the Tax Working Group, Sir Michael Cullen, has voiced his support for New Zealand First’s decision to oppose the planned increase in tobacco excise tax. In an interview with The Weekend Collective, he said that increasing the price was no longer effective in ...
Māori are natural storytellers. On the marae we use stories to tell our history, to teach the next generation life lessons and to let people know, in our most creative of ways, who we are and where we have come from. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First has invoked the ‘Agree to Disagree’ provisions of the Coalition Agreement because it cannot support the announced 11.46 percent increase in the tobacco excise from 1 January 2020. “Studies show that the automatic tobacco excise increases are having less effect ...
Taupō-based company Geo40 has made a breakthrough in extracting near battery-grade lithium from geothermal fluid which its says could be a gamechanger. Its chief executive John Worth said the earth mineral was highly prized, with battery-grade lithium selling for US$10,000 (NZ$15,600) a tonne. Geo40 was founded in 2010 to find ...
Crown research institute AgResearch Ltd, as part of its Future Footprint plan, had intended to relocate top scientists and support staff — particularly those focused on sheep genetics and genomics — from Invermay to Lincoln. However, those plans seem to have been shelved at the request of the Coalition Government. ...
Ten engineering firms in Southland are receiving a total of $2.13 million in Provincial Growth Fund funding to lift productivity and create new jobs. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced in Invercargill that the 10 engineering and manufacturing firms would receive funding to assist them with buying equipment that ...
The number of new residents to New Zealand is the lowest it has been in nearly two decades and it has earned the ire of the immigration industry. The industry alleges that 'Trump-style extreme vetting' is being put in place aimed at keeping a lid on immigration numbers. June Ranson, ...
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is one step closer to modernising its fleet after the United States State Department recently approved the sale of five new C-130J Hercules aircraft to New Zealand. Arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide the aircraft, but as a "foreign military ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development A $261,000 loan from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has helped a family-run business in Manawatū to scale up manufacturing capacity, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced at its opening today. Ashhurst-based skin-care business The Herb Farm is on track to ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Regional Freight Hub near Palmerston North has taken a step forward with the completion of the master plan, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said. Shane Jones unveiled the high-level design of the new Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) backed rail-road hub ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of DefenceTērā te haeata takiri ana mai i runga o Pukaha!Ara tai uru, whai uru, whai uru!Ara whai ato, whai ato, whai ato!Ara rā tini, ara rā tini, ara ri!The rays of the morning sun strike a new dawn upon Pukaha ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $772,000 in opportunities for growth in Manawatū-Whanganui, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.NZ Bio-Forestry Limited will receive a $380,000 boost for game-changing research which could unlock significant growth in the wood processing sector, ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today the appointment of diplomat Sarah Lee as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to South Africa. She will be the first female Head of Mission to represent New Zealand in Africa. “New Zealand’s relationship with South ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones wants to create a log barging facility at Hicks Bay and turn the area into a Special Economic Zone. The move would be part of protecting New Zealand's forests from being depleted by India and China, he said. It follows his announcement last week to strengthen ...
New Zealand First supports the changes recommended by the Winter Grazing Taskforce to improve animal welfare outcomes through the winter months, and the establishment of a pan-sector action group to implement them. New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Mark Patterson says the report highlights areas of concern about the animal ...
Former prime ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key, formerly from the Labour and National parties respectively, have joined forces in support of New Zealand First’s plan to relocate Auckland's port to Whangārei. While Ms Clark and Sir John spent their political careers on opposite sides of the political divide, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is in Japan for the Foreign Ministers' meeting of the G20 grouping of countries as one of nine "invited" countries. He has used the opportunity to cast a spotlight on the plight of Pacific countries, calling out countries which still offered subsidies or Government assistance to ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his election victory. “New Zealand and the United Kingdom are close friends and despite our distance we are strongly connected by our history and people,” Jacinda Ardern said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Prime ...
The Government has released its long term vision for a sustainable 21st Century rail network that gets our cities moving, connects our regions and gets more freight off the roads. Deputy Prime Minister and State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters said the Government is committed to rebuilding New Zealand’s ...
I want to start by acknowledging the families who have experienced such grief and such loss since the extraordinary tragedy on Monday. Today was all about reuniting them with their loved ones. We've just come from the airport where many of them were gathered and in amongst what you can ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further support for Samoa’s longer term needs as it continues to respond to a devastating measles epidemic. “Samoa’s health system has experienced massive strain in the wake of the measles epidemic. The volume of patients needing care during this outbreak, and the number of ...
Discounted electric bikes will be offered up to public sector staff across the country as part of the Government’s work to reduce transport emissions and support healthier transport options. Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter officially launched the new initiative at Wellington Hospital today. “The Government has negotiated bulk-purchase ...
The Australian and New Zealand Governments today launch an historic joint bid to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. Australian Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck and New Zealand Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson will announce the bold campaign, ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has approved a $15 million loan to help re-establish a gold mining operation at Blackwater Gold Mine, near Reefton, Rural Communities Minister and local MP Damien O’Connor announced at an event on the West Coast today. “This is great news for the Coast that could ...
Papakāinga model inspires whānau well-being A housing project by Kohupātiki whānau in Hastings is an outstanding example of a Māori-led housing initiative that can reduce financial pressure and reconnect whānau to their whakapapa says the Minister for Māori Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Minister Mahuta officially opened the Aroha Te Rangi ...
Restoration efforts for a significant wetland in the Hawke’s Bay are getting more support announced Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage. “Wetlands are vital to healthy landscapes and ecosystems. They function as nature’s ‘kidneys’, filtering and protecting water quality, acting as nature’s sponges after rain and are home to ...
Nelson has today seen the launch of Housing First Nelson Tasman. Today’s launch marks the expansion of the Government’s homelessness programme, Housing First, to the top of the South Island. “Housing First is a proven programme that puts people who are experiencing homelessness and multiple, high and complex needs into ...
New Government funding announced today will help communities make a difference in tackling environmental issues Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage announced in Hawkes Bay today. The Ministry for the Environment’s Community Environment Fund is dedicating $243,101 to growing the capacity and capability of the Environment Hubs Aotearoa’s (EHA) ...
The days of vulnerable consumers falling victim to loan sharks, truck shops and other predatory lenders are numbered, following the Credit Contracts Legislation Amendment Bill passing its third reading tonight. “Too many Kiwis are being given loans that are unaffordable and unsuitable, trapping them in debt and leaving their families ...
A Bill that prevents terrorism and supports the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas has passed its third reading, Justice Minister Andrew Little says. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill is a carefully targeted response to manage the risk posed by a small number of New Zealanders who have ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio will travel to Samoa on Friday, where New Zealand medical teams are helping Samoa respond to an outbreak of measles. “New Zealand has been working closely with the Government of Samoa and offering our assistance from the ...
The Government has changed the law to improve student safety and welfare in university halls of residence and other student accommodation. The Education (Pastoral Care) Amendment Bill passed its third reading this afternoon and details of an interim Code of Practice setting out the Government’s expectations of tertiary providers have also been released. ...
A new tool to help councils fund and finance infrastructure could mean some housing developments happen a decade earlier than currently planned, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said today. “This new tool, developed by the Government in partnership with industry and high-growth councils, will allow councils to access private debt ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has welcomed the release of a bold new vision for the country’s vital food and fibre sector. “I’m delighted that New Zealand’s major farmer and grower organisations are today supporting the Primary Sector Council’s vision – Fit for a Better World,” he said. “The international consumers ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has congratulated the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government for completing a well-conducted referendum on the future political status of Bougainville. “New Zealand supported the referendum process by providing technical advice through the New Zealand Electoral Commission and leading a Regional Police ...
In light of Cabinet’s position that freight operations on prime land in downtown Auckland are no longer viable, the Government will now embark on a short work programme to enable decision-making in the first half of next year, Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones says. Minister Jones is today releasing the ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter has received the report back from a surgical mesh restorative justice process undertaken by Victoria University. The process heard stories, either in person or online submission, from more than 600 people affected by surgical mesh. “The report made for heart-breaking and confronting reading,” says ...
The Water Services Regulator Bill – Taumata Arowai , introduced to Parliament today, is a milestone for drinking water safety in New Zealand and will help improve environmental outcomes for urban waterways, rivers and lakes. “This is a breakthrough for New Zealanders in terms of providing safe drinking water throughout ...
Kia ora koutouE ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā matā wakaTēnā koutou katoaHaere ngā, moe maiKoutou ma ngā Rangatira Ko Anaru ahauKo au te Minita mo ngā TureHe Honore tino nui kei roto I ahau No reira tena koutou katoa Today, we are releasing two reports that are the ...
The Government is looking to turn around the long-term challenges of criminal justice by taking a new approach to break the cycle of offending to ensure there are fewer victims of crime. Justice Minister Andrew Little released two reports today, Turuki! Turuki! from Te Uepū Hāpai I te Ora, and ...
New Zealand firms expanding beyond the start-up phase are set for more support after today’s passage of the Venture Capital Fund Bill, Associate Finance Minister David Parker said. The Bill, which establishes a $300 million Venture Capital Fund, puts in place a key initiative of the Wellbeing Budget’s economic package. ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e ngā rau rangatira mā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Señora Presidenta, Excellencies, Delegates. International action A common thread that runs through the Paris Agreement is the commitment we have made to each other to do what we can to ...
The Government is lifting capital investment to the highest level in more than 20 years as it takes the next step to future-proof New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced $12 billion of new investment, with $8 billion for specific capital projects and $4 billion to be added to ...
The Government is forecast to run $12 billion worth of surpluses across the four years to 2023/24 as the economy continues to grow. The surpluses will help fund day-to-day capital requirements each year. These include fixing leaky hospitals, building new classrooms to cover population growth and take pressure off class ...
Budget 2020 will continue the Coalition Government’s focus on tackling the long-term challenges facing New Zealand while also investing to future-proof the economy. When the Government took office in 2017 it was left with crumbling infrastructure, severe underinvestment in public services, degraded rivers and lakes, a housing crisis and rising ...
The Minister responsible for the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (te Takutai Moana Act 2011), Andrew Little has welcomed the launch of an online geospatial tool that provides data-rich, dynamic coastline maps that will significantly boost research and evidence-gathering under the Act. Te Kete Kōrero a Te ...
The Chief Victims Advisor to Government Dr Kim McGregor, QSO, has been reappointed in her role for a further two years. Dr McGregor has held the role since it was established in November 2015. She provides independent advice to government on how to improve the criminal justice system for victims. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare have today announced the deployment of a network of DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami) buoys. “New Zealand and the Pacific region are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. It is vital we have adequate warning systems in place,” ...
DART Buoys Announcement Aotea Wharf, 9.30am 11 December 2019 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements to Minister for Civil Defence Hon Peeni Henare also here today. White Island It is with regret that this event shadows the tragic natural disaster two days ago. The volcanic eruptions on White Island have claimed 5 lives, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Racing Industry Bill in parliament today. This is the second of two Bills that have been introduced this year to revitalise New Zealand’s racing industry. “Our domestic racing industry has been in serious decline. The Government is committed to ...
Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni, is pleased to announce that $291,321 is to be awarded to national and local community initiatives to maintain and promote the use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). “New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where Sign Language is an ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has announced today the Coalition Government’s initial response to work completed by the independent statutory body, the Veterans’ Advisory Board. “When Professor Ron Paterson completed his review of the Veterans’ Support Act in 2018, he made a number of recommendations, including one which I referred ...
The Government will fund the bulk of the cost of a rural water supply for the Ohakea community affected by PFAS contamination, Environment Minister David Parker announced today at a meeting of local residents. This new water scheme will provide a reliable and clean source of drinking water to the ...
I have had the opportunity to be briefed on the details of the volcanic eruption of Whakaari/White Island, off the coast of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. The eruption happened at 2.11pm today. It continues to be an evolving situation. We know that there were a number of tourists ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare have today confirmed initial Government support of $100,000 for communities affected by the severe weather that swept across the South Island and lower North Island over the weekend. The contribution will be made to Mayoral relief funds across the ...
New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, Tessa Temata, died in Palmerston North over the weekend, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said today. Ms Temata, 52, had recently returned to New Zealand for medical treatment. "On behalf of the Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we extend ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today announced construction is underway on Wellington commuter rail upgrades which will mean more frequent services and fewer breakdowns. The upgrades include converting the Trentham to Upper Hutt single track section to a double track, with a new signalling system, upgraded stations and level crossings, and ...
Napoleon demanded that his generals be lucky. Conservative PM Boris Johnson, as he surveys a thumping victory in the British general election, would meet that criterion.His luck bears a resemblance to that of Margaret Thatcher. Like her, he has made a decisive break with orthodox establishment thinking. That presents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has rejected or sidelined a number of recommendations from the long-awaited Thodey review of the public service that might have constrained his and his government’s power. Not surprisingly, a proposal to ensure changes ...
Analysis - The "do nothing" government announces a big spend-up on infrastructure, moving the Port of Auckland, and Winston Peters throws his weight behind NZME's bid to buy Stuff. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]For their last video for the year, University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini and Michelle Grattan look backwards to the big issues which have shaped political discourse. They discuss the surprise election results, and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged Ngāti Awa for their role as tangata whenua (people of the land) in leading and caring for affected whānau (family members), following the Whakaari / White Island eruption and recovery operation earlier today. ...
The Environment Committee has opened for public submissions on the Urban Development Bill. The bill follows on from the Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities bill, which disestablished Housing New Zealand and set up a Crown entity in the same name. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Loader, Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Murdoch University, Murdoch University This article is part of our Gender and Christianity series. To understand contemporary Christian ideas about gender, and specifically masculinity, we need to go all the way back to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Gissing, General Manager, Risk Frontiers, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University Calls are growing for a national bushfire plan, including from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who says they are an issue of national security and the federal government must provide hands-on leadership. ...
Pro-democracy lobby group Democracy Action welcome New Zealand First’s commitment to hold firm rejecting the Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene’s bill to entrench the Māori seats. The Bill, which would require any changes to the seats to require the ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.Sometimes you are just doing a podcast as usual and then Colin Mathura-Jeffree gives you a call and throws your world off its axis. In a very special edition of Colin’s Cranny: Live, ...
We get a handle on the artists and artworks that shaped this decade in Aotearoa.As 2019 draws to a close, the four nominees for this year’s Turner Prize subverted the competition – they asked to receive the award as a collective. Meanwhile, at Art Basel Miami Beach, a banana taped ...
The second and final report of Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora, the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, contains nothing we didn’t know 30 years ago. Yet generations of politicians have ignored the same advice, writes Laura O’Connell Rapira.Between the 1950s and 1990s, New Zealand experienced seismic social, economic ...
Fuel company Z Energy has cut its earnings forecast for the year by 10 percent because of tougher competition and falling margins, and is forecasting a big cut in dividends. ...
Liquidators of the hacked cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia have travelled to the United States, to retrieve customers' information and certain crypto-assets. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath Albury, Professor of Media and Communication, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology Popular commentary on dating apps often associates their use with “risky” sex, harassment and poor mental health. But anyone who has used a dating app ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania Australian shoppers are set to spend $52.7 billion this Christmas. In the words of the retail industry, we are “stampeding” to empty our wallets, both online and ...
NZ Herald and many other media outlets ran a story on a man whose farts could repel mosquitos, despite the story coming from a satire news site and not being verified in any way, writes Dan Satherly for Newshub.“Man’s farts so deadly he kills mosquitoes in a 6m radius” is ...
Timing right to borrow our way to a stronger economy in 2020 The Government’s announcement of its intent to invest significantly in the county’s infrastructure could turbo charge an economic recovery that was already showing positive signs for ...
A poem by writer, journalist, and former Manus Island refugee Behrouz Boochani.Forgive me my loveTranslated by Moones Mansoubi, Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, 2018 Forgive me my bird as I am not able to embrace you.But here,in this corner,I know some migrating birds that I smile to at dawn.I embrace them ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Powles, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies, Massey University The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, a chain of islands that lie 959 kilometres northwest of Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, has voted unequivocally for independence. The referendum saw 85% voter turnout during ...
Fisheries New Zealand starts consultation today on proposed changes to catch settings for rock lobster and scallops for the new fishing year beginning 1 April 2020. ...
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. This was the declaration of the pigs who control the government in George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm– a tart comment on the hypocrisy of governments that proclaim the absolute equality of their citizens but gives power and privileges ...
SPCA has been working flat out to desex more than 80 animals a day over the last year, which is the most desexing SPCA has done since recording the figures. ...
“The fact so many families are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table must be addressed urgently if we’re to provide the foundations for a good life for the next generation of New Zealanders,” says Scott Figenshow, Chief Executive ...
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 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (Hamish Hamilton, $40)Winner of the 2019 Booker Prize.2The Body: ...
This holiday season Te Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Internal Affairs wants to offer parents and caregivers some advice on how to help keep your family safe online. ...
A report released by the Chief Victims advisor Kim McGregor advising there needs to be an Independent Victims body is being welcomed by Victim Rights lobby group Sensible Sentencing Trust. National spokesperson Jess McVicar says the trust have ...
For the third time in five years, the United Kingdom has gone to the polls today. From the summer islands of New Zealand, join The Spinoff as we follow the results rolling in.9.30am: So, with polls about 90 minutes away from closing, the top line is this – we’ve got ...
Winston Peters will back an NZME proposal to buy Stuff with a 'Kiwishare' guarantee the merged news company will keep regional news and separate websites for at least two years. ...
The Executive Director of Dapaanz (Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa New Zealand), Sue Paton says the announcement that Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment court would become permanent immediately, following successful pilots in Auckland ...
Online marketplace Sidekicker is taking advantage of people who have little choice but to juggle multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet, writes artist and freelancer Ben Markley.After graduating early this year with one of the least vocational degrees, I didn’t expect the largest array of job prospects. Nevertheless, I ...
National is vowing to bring back and expand health sector targets dropped by the current Government and mulling whether to scrap elected District Health Boards. ...
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition launched a week ago, calling for better support and funding for community midwives. The 10k figure was reached after the first four days. Chief executive of the College of Midwives, Alison Eddy, said last ...
Information obtained by animal rights organisation SAFE has revealed rodeo organisers are refusing to halt calf-roping events in rodeo, despite the Government’s animal welfare advisors’ recommendation that they do so. ...
Subject; Deputy PM said quote; “New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has challenged his Cabinet colleagues for the delay over a Northport decision, criticising it as "paralysis by analysis". https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/405385/paralysis-by-analysis-winston-peters-assessment-of-the-delay-over-northport ...
If the Productivity Commission's report on local government funding, released yesterday, had been relied on by NASA as the basis for getting astronauts to the moon, its greatest achievement by now would have been launching a $2 skyrocket 40 feet into the air ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Mayne, Molecular biologist and bioinformatician, CSIRO Humans have a “natural” lifespan of around 38 years, according to a new method we have developed for estimating the lifespans of different species by analysing their DNA. Extrapolating from genetic studies of species with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Evans, Professor of Governance and Director of Democracy 2025 – bridging the trust divide at Old Parliament House, University of Canberra A new, ongoing survey on how young Australians understand and imagine their democracy is already challenging long-held stereotypes. The survey ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesco Paolucci, Associate Professor; Head of Health Policy Program, Sir Walter Murdoch School of Public Policy and International Affairs, University of Newcastle Private health insurance has come under intense scrutiny in recent months, as it becomes clear health insurers are failing to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Zaphir, Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project; and Online Teacher at Education Queensland’s IMPACT Centre, The University of Queensland This is the second of two essays exploring key theories – cognitive load theory and constructivism – underlying teaching ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW On Monday the Australian government will release the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). This will – as required by the Charter of Budget Honesty – provide an update on the key assumptions made in this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia It seems like every time we switch on the idiot box we are confronted with news footage of another disaster. Bushfires in Australia. A hurricane in North America. A tsunami ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Andrew Little indicates justice system changes after reports, Auckland buses back on the road, and National release health proposals. Two significant reports for the justice sector were released yesterday. The first was Turuki! Turuki! Transforming our Criminal Justice System from the Chester Borrows-led Safe and ...
On Wednesday, the government announced a $12 billion infrastructure package. It turns out that scrapped National Party roading projects are back in consideration for funding under the scheme. ...
Andy Ruiz Jr pulled of a massive shock by KO’ing Anthony Joshua in New York. And then delivered another stunning moment when he stepped onto the scales in Saudi Arabia. ...
What happens when your work is the victim of attempted sabotage by a group of slow-moving middle-aged men? Author and journalist Michelle Duff reveals all.Initially, it was kind of unclear what I was looking at. The disembodied hand loomed from the shaky first-person footage, flipping the cover of the book ...
The National Party leader sits down with Alex Braae to talk political rhetoric, misinformation, and whether he’ll have any dance partners after next year’s election.How cynical is Simon Bridges? It’s a question that has dogged National’s leader over the past year.Being an opposition leader is, of course, a difficult job ...
Sharon Brettkelly calls home to the Bay of Plenty to give us an insight into what Whakatane locals are thinking in the wake of Whakaari-White Island's eruption ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison is picking up that Australia’s devastating, prolonged fires are producing a soured, anti-government mood among many in the community. It may not be entirely rational for people to turn on politicians in such ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UNSW, and Co-Leader, ‘Data as a Source of Market Power’ Research Stream of The Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation, UNSW Today, the federal government responded to the recommendations of the Australian Competition and ...
Winston Peters hopes mergers of NZME and Stuff and RNZ and TVNZ will save local journalism. Bernard Hickey argues they are more likely to again prove costly diversions. ...
The foreign affairs minister Winston Peters will be travelling to Samoa tomorrow to visit hospitals and medical teams dealing with the ongoing measles outbreak. ...
Andrew Little says the justice system is “taking wrecked lives and wrecking them just a little bit more”, but will the Govt cough up with what's needed for transformative change? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lidia Morawska, Professor, Science and Engineering Faculty; Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (WHO CC for Air Quality and Health); Director – Australia, Australia – China Centre for Air Quality Science and Management (ACC-AQSM), Queensland University of Technology Bushfire smoke ...
Winston Peters is bemoaning how long a decision on Northport is taking, saying if you're faced with inevitability, you should act. But Cabinet ministers have put off making a call until next year. ...
Open Mike 30/05/2018 
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Below is the longlist of words and phrases generated in the korero phase of Public Address Word of the Year 2019, with some editorial moderation. Now it's time to vote. As you'll doubtless be able to see, you get three ranked choices. Use your power wisely. Or frivolously, whatever.As usual, ...2 days ago
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The Herald front page screams ‘Russian serial killer.’
Any excuse to recreate the fear and hatred of the Cold War.
Shameful.
Just another reminder that a real people’s government should seize control of the narrative from the plutocrats.
This tinkering crew will do too little for fear of offending the capitalists.
And no, I did not buy it and did not click on it.
Saw the headline on a paper lyiing ona table in a cafe.
Ed? pfft.
Y’know, yes, there’s a whole lot of simplistic “black and white”, and “with us or agin us” bullshit going on in the world today.
But jumping up on a chair and getting all arm wavy on the flimsiest of contexts or (in this case) a completely bogus context is just …why fcking do that?
Didn’t read the story. Has no idea what the story says. Indulges monomania anyway 🙄
He’s still got a point, though.
Has he? I think he writes a load of steaming drivel on almost any subject you care to name.
Granted. He’s still got a point here, though.
That the NZH wants to recreate the fear and hatred of the Cold War? Nope, I think that’s just more addled gobshite. That the NZLP won’t do the things he wants? Maybe so, but since the things he wants are motivated by addled gobshite, that’s hardly surprising.
If you think my views on inequality, taxes, obesity, housing, transport, health and education are ‘gobshite’, or ‘steaming drivel’, then you clearly are not left wing.
When a Blairite insults me, I wear it as a badge of honour.
However, when someone who isn’t a Blairite calls out your drivel, you attack the messenger because you can’t handle the criticism.
“Real left wing thinking” ≠ regurgitating kleptocrat propaganda whilst seeing conspiracies everywhere.
Plus what Bill said.
Many on this site are sick of your bully boy tactics.
Just because you don’t agree with my views does not give you the right in verbal abuse.
My views are left of the NZ Labour Party.
Conspiracies everywhere?
No.
Do they exist?
Yes
Skripal
Yes – a conspiracy.
Syrian chemical attack
Yes – a conspiracy
The plan to attack Iraq in 2003.
Yes – a conspiracy.
The plan to attack the U.S in 2001
Yes – a conspiracy.
😆
Calls me a Blairite, bleats about verbal abuse.
Nice riposte Ed, you are part of the true left imo. Thanks for trying to mend the bridge with armed offenders bloke.
Probably most relevant Russian story today is not Ed’s little piece but that another anti Putin journalist and former Russian parliamentary candidate Oles Bunyan has been murdered in Kiev Probably nothing to do with russua though, suggest it was the British ( sarc)
OAB
Don’t be so quick to diss Ed. A bowl of steaming drivel might be all a poor person has on a winter morning to keep them going!
I would argue most real left wing thinking is closely aligned to what I say on this site.
Like a “True Scotsman”, I suspect the definition of “real left wing thinking” is in the eye of the proclaimer.
scroll past.
While the meth cirus reigns on TV today; – look what the Government is pushing forward at the same time as they threw the ‘distraction’ of meth at us!!!!
Did they think we would not see them shifting to ‘a thumbs up to CPTPP???????
We are being played big time now folks sadly.
Our verbal submission was 10 minutes last week and we are bitterly disapointed they did not even add any protectins we advocated for.
When will Labour/National /NZF appologise to NZ, after the new cases of other disease comes here after their final rush to pass the final report to Parliament simnce the phoney “select Committee to review the TPTPP” was hoisted on us all as a “diversion” while their intent was to pass this toxic trade agreement as it already was???
Chair Simon O’Connor (National MP) said he believed the CPTPP is o/k; – as is????
Even though us and a lot of other submitters warned him and his committee that they will be setting us up for more “micro-plasma bovis” events.
The submitters said they should include a clause be added to the ISDS agreement to allow in all cases Government contracts or with other parties allowing local/state governments and other parties to encourage Government to pass regulations to protect NZ citizens and the environment against foreign activities in NZ that may damage their future economic, environmental, health, and well-being after the trade agreement will be enacted in 2019.
‘Editored’ section involving environmental protection and no change from draft report originally proposed in march 2018.
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/SCR_78363/a1acbf19b29fdfcfb0f773ee52bffd2dfd522be3
(Chair Simon O’Connor said he believed the CPTPP is o/k; – as is????)
COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (CPTPP)
Page; 5
Summary of issues discussed with submitters
Many submitters, notably those opposed to the CPTPP, believe that the changes from the
TPP do not substantively address their concerns. They consider that the CPTPP is
effectively the same as the TPP.
Investor-State dispute settlement and sovereignty
We discussed some submitters’ concerns about the effect the CPTPP would have on the
sovereign rights of New Zealanders to determine their own future through an elected
Parliament. In particular, these submitters consider that the ISDS provisions unnecessarily
empower and protect international investors.
Some submitters believe that the threat of substantial awards against governments is a
strong disincentive for the New Zealand Government to act in the interests of New
Zealanders when those interests conflict with those of CPTPP investors. Submitters consider
that this could have a chilling effect on the Government’s ability to make policy and regulate
in areas including labour law and the mitigation of climate change.
We also discussed the CPTPP’s relationship with New Zealand’s many international
obligations, including the Paris Agreement to address climate change, and the United
Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. We understand that this is problematic because
many of these obligations are not enforceable, but the CPTPP contains enforcement
mechanisms.
Two dispute settlement mechanisms in CPTPP
We understand that the CPTPP provides for two dispute settlement mechanisms: a
government-to-government system to resolve disputes in the agreement, and ISDS. The
ISDS mechanism provides for the settlement of disputes between foreign investors and the
Government of the country in which the investment is made.
Application of ISDS in CPTPP
In the CPTPP, ISDS only applies to the Investment chapter and limited investment-related
elements of the Financial Services chapter. The scope of the ISDS mechanism is narrower
that it was in the TPP. Claims are no longer permitted in relation to investment contracts and
COMPREHENSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE AGREEMENT FOR TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (CPTPP)
6
approval. This means that private companies which enter into an investment contract with
the Government would not be able to use ISDS if there were a dispute about that contract.
Decisions made under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 are also not subject to ISDS.
Suspensions around the minimum standard of treatment concerning financial services
further reduce the risk of successful claims under the CPTPP being taken against New
Zealand. The minimum standard of treatment is an obligation that forms part of the body of
customary international law, to accord fair and equitable treatment to covered investments,
and not to deny justice.
Once a treaty is entered into, it cannot be changed by any one state. So any submission to the New Zealand Parliament asking for that will necessarily fail.
It is basically an up and down vote. And there is zero chance (given the make up of the committee) that the select committee would recommend a down vote.
But I presume you knew all of this already, and your submission was merely another way of showing your opposition, rather than an expectation it would have actual effect.
However, presumably the Greens will put in a minority report covering your points.
“Once a treaty is entered into, it cannot be changed by any one state. So any submission to the New Zealand Parliament asking for that will necessarily fail.”
What wayne means is BOKYAG.
Cant be changed ?
tell that to Trump as hes doing just that with NAFTA
Different situation as the US, Canada and Mexico are in the middle of formal negotiations called to renegotiate NAFTA; whereas the CP TPP is now post the end of formal negotiations and sign off by all parties (countries) to the agreement and in the ratification stage where individual states are processing the agreement through their national legislative requirements for ratification.
Trump is an example no sane politician would wish to follow.
With the Chief Science Advisor to the Government, Peter Gluckman, stating he wouldn’t be worried about “toddlers crawling around on the floor” until the meth residue reached the level of several hundred micrograms per 100cm2, why is the new testing standard level (at 15mcg per 100cm2) recommended so low?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104287037/the-meth-house-is-a-myth-theres-no-risk-from-drug-smoking-residue-govt-report-finds
In fact, the country’s top scientists are recommending people not test their homes unless the police specifically indicate it was a meth lab.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/358454/meth-house-contamination-debunked-by-pm-s-science-advisor
Therefore, are we about to make the same costly mistake all over again?
As for the initial mistake (the low level adopted) should and will there be compensation for homeowners and others affected? Moreover, will heads roll?
The head’s of Key, English et al, rolling…
“I lose count of the number of times that I questioned [Housing New Zealand] about it. To the point that I was told as a minister that I was on the edge of getting involved of day to day running of the technical issues of a crown entity,” Bennett said.
Seems Bennett is pointing the finger at HNZ, Robert.
You often ask for evidence of you being a fake leftie. Defending Bennett’s I-know-nothing approach and the blaming of officials is one example.
Highlighting what has been reported isn’t defending Bennett.
Nevertheless, are you prepared to let your dislike for Bennett get in the way of getting to the truth?
She could actually be telling the truth, do you have any evidence to the contrary?
And yet Twyford reversed the Meth test policy on becoming Govt.
So twas possible.
Twyford?
Wasn’t that done on their (HNZ) own initiative? Rather than it being a Government directive?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104287037/the-meth-house-is-a-myth-theres-no-risk-from-drug-smoking-residue-govt-report-finds
“Less stringent standards will be set for houses within the next year”
So despite what has come to light, seems it will still take Twyford sometime before he can set new standards.
If Bennett had info that she could have used to push through changes, but failed too, then she could also be held to account.
In the meantime, HNZ has announced it’s own changes. So they can call their own shots, therefore can also be held to account on their decisions taken.
It appears ms Bennett wasn’t smart enough to translate her concerns into action as mr Twyford did. Mr Twyford needs to be congratulated on such a positive result.
Could be. Or it could be she lacked compelling evidence to back action being taken. Then again, she may of had the evidence and failed to act, therefore she would also be culpable.
Chairman, I also think you are a fake leftie, and it is your normal haughty, super-correct tone that prompts me to write this.
‘may of had’????
If Maori have the right to protect and promote their language ( as I believe they have) then you should try to avoid barbaric solecisms, and those who value our language should help you.
You may write either “may have” or “may’ve’ – but “may of” simply reflects badly upon all else that you write.
If you consistently strike a haughty, super-correct tone, please live up to it in your use of English.
Yeah, he is.
Indications are that Bennett is lying:
Bennett, Chairman, was unable to effect the necessary change to an unjust situation affecting many New Zealanders? What was she there for???
Labour’s only been in a short while, yet the job is done! Tells the story…
Labour haven’t got the job done yet, Robert. See my post above.
Okay, “being done”. Good enough for me. Better than “not being done”(National).
Full kudos to them for commissioning this report and acting to make improvements.
However, the concern here is the rather conservative level HNZ has now adopted. We now risk repeating the same mistake again, unless the Government swiftly acts to correct this.
Additionally, a decent Government would see the injustice caused, therefore would willingly offer compensation to all those unfairly impacted. We are not seeing this from this Government.
Does that sit right with you, Robert?
Never satisfied, you. “Full kudos to them”, you say, then go on to qualify your praise, as you inevitably do, “good job, but …
Compensating for National’s fubar? Galling. Let’s wait till they own their actions then talk of compensation.
Satisfied risking repeating the same mistake all over again? Of course I’m not and nor should you be.
National aren’t going to own this, evident by their pointing the finger at HNZ.
We now have compelling evidence, therefore we know people have been unfairly treated. Hence, the current Government should be acknowledging this and offering compensation. At the least, announcing they are looking into it.
They are, of course, “looking into it”. Your attempts to read between the lines in order to find failure is … tiresome and your glossing-over/dismissal of National’s culpability is … expected.
“They are, of course, ‘looking into it’”.
More rubbish from you as usual, Robert.
“I haven’t given any thought to compensation and I don’t intend to.” – Phil Twyford.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/05/landlords-won-t-get-compensation-for-following-incorrect-meth-standards.html
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018647263/no-compensation-for-meth-evictions-housing-nz
paula bennet is so full of it and just covering her arse.
“However, in several news stories at the time Bennett and English said they approved of the Housing NZ regime.
English said the agency was “rightly taking a firm stance on the health risks posed by meth, and will continue to do so for as long as it is detected in its properties” in 2016.
And Bennett told Newshub in 2016 there was “no evidence” Housing NZ had evicted tenants unfairly.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104287037/the-meth-house-is-a-myth-theres-no-risk-from-drug-smoking-residue-govt-report-finds
“And Bennett told Newshub in 2016 there was ‘no evidence’ Housing NZ had evicted tenants unfairly.”
Yes, I know. Do you have the evidence to prove otherwise – i.e. that Bennett had the evidence?
TC, am on a quest to find out and when I do, you’ll be the first to know.
Off hand, there was questioning by some in the scientific community in regards to the low level set. So there may be something to find.
The chairman ms Bennett never got off her back side to find the information unlike mr Twyford
You could well be right, Ankerrawshark. Off hand, around 2000 scientist made submissions in 2017 with many of them stating testing was unnecessary.
Moreover, as Draco highlighted below, there was concern raised by the Ministry of Health in 2016 (hat tip to mickysavage).
Bennett was on RNZ tonight saying she had real concerns about the meth testing and eviction of state house tenants,but even though she expressed concern to HNZ and other agencies,she was powerless to act.
From what I’ve seen it’s all about liability, we’re paying for the steady erosion of the ‘no fault’ ethos behind ACC.
The bureacrats and interested parties really don’t have a lot of choice in these matters. If something is said to be a risk then ignoring the risk leaves people open to future claims for damages. That looming liability threat pushes people to take extremely conservative measures. No-one goes to work to be sued or face criminal charges so people do everything they can to eliminate the risk of that happening.
As it transpired the meth threat was a bust but no-one was to know that for sure until it did transpire. People acted on the information available at the time and who can blame them for that. Sure, common sense said it was a gross overreaction but the law doesn’t give a rats arse about common sense does it.
To my mind the only culpable party is the Government of the day and, sadly, they can’t be sued or charged for their refusal to establish reasonable and proper meth testing standards.
The potential liability threat of taking an extremely conservative approach should have also been given far more consideration considering the massive costs and unnecessary stress it has caused.
Therefore, risk should be correctly established before levels are set and lives are thrown into disarray.
And while the Government of the day could well be culpable, just because they can’t be sued or charged doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get to the bottom of this.
Surely we’ll want to prevent similar from occurring again, thus we need to establish who was culpable and what went wrong.
You missed the point by some margin there. The risk to landlords was being sued or charged for any harm that might befall their tenants.
You can’t contract out of the law so creating your own testing standards would have been a foolish move, there’s no guarantees ‘the law’ would accept it. It was always for the Govt to set the standards. This Govt has shown how easy it was and one is left to wonder at the motives of the last Govt in refusing to do so.
“This Govt has shown how easy it was”
On the contrary. They have shown that despite the info that has come to light, it’s still going to take the Government up to a year to set new levels.
The risk to landlords being sued wasn’t the only risk. What about homeowners that were impacted, they may now look at suing the Government.
What about the tenants who were evicted and more than likely incorrectly labelled by their communities or neighbours as P addicts? Don’t know about you, but if that happened to me I’d be devastated for myself and my children especially if one lived in a small community.
How many children have suffered as a result, did one parent find out that another parent had been evicted and then try and take their kids away from them as a result? That’s a very likely scenario.
Indeed, others were also impacted. As I have mentioned further up. And at this stage the Government hasn’t ruled out compensating them. But there has been no mention that I’ve heard of in regards to compensating homeowners that were also impacted.
I’m thinking we may now see class action suits similar to the leaky homes debacle.
Just as well there are some NZs now keeping an eye on housing and the government. Everyone in Britain in the Great Depression got worn out by the amount of deprivation. And it would be echoed here if we aren’t careful as we have brought the British callousness over with us as colonials and it has persisted over nearly two centuries.
This is a bit from George Orwell’s look at the homeless in Britain as in his book The Road to Wigan Pier from 1937.
[The wagon/caravan will contain] such furniture as can be crammed in – sometimes two beds, more usually one, into which the whole family have to huddle as best they can. It is almost impossible to sleep on the floor, because the damp soaks up from below. I was shown mattresses which were still wringing wet at eleven in the morning. In winter it is so cold that the kitcheners have to be kept burning day and night, and the windows, needless to say, are never opened.
Water is got from a hydrant common to the whole colony, some of the caravan-dwellers having to walk 150 or 200 yards for every bucket of water. There are no sanitary arrangements at all. Most of the people construct a little hut to serve as a lavatory on the tiny patch of ground….All the people I saw…especially the children, were unspeakably dirty…The thought that haunted me….was, What can happen in those cramped interiors when anybody dies? But that, of course, is the kind of question you hardly care to ask.
Some of the people have been in their caravans for many years. Theoretically the Corporation are…getting the inhabitants out into houses; but as the houses don’t get built, the caravans remain standing….one woman with a worn skull-like face… struggling to keep her large brood of children clean,…[must have felt as if] coated all over with dung.
One must remember that these people are not gypsies; they are decent English people who have all,,,had homes in their day.,,their caravans are,,,inferior to those of gypsies and they have not the…advantage of being on the move.
Recapping The Road to Wigan Pier in the 2000s.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/feb/20/orwell-wigan-pier-75-years
“On the contrary. They have shown that despite the info that has come to light, it’s still going to take the Government up to a year to set new levels.”
Huh? How long was National in power for?
When did compelling info to the contrary first come to light is what you need to ask.
Compelling to whom?
To everyone concerned to force through change.
Be realistic. It’s a bit like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder.
I believe the relevant Standard that HNZ and others have used as a reference is NZS 8510:2017. I’m not going to buy a copy just to have a look at it so I can’t comment on its content.
IIRC Standards are not of themselves statutory laws but one would be rather foolish to ignore them in pursuant of your own standards.
Those standards are developed with input from different parties, some with their own self-interests. I believe the science-oriented input to NZS 8510:2017 was somewhate looser than the end result.
I believe it can be downloaded for free here:
https://www.standards.govt.nz/sponsored-standards/testing-and-decontamination-of-methamphetamine-contaminated-properties/
Thanks, wonders will never cease I haven’t come across a free AUS/NZS Standard before.
It looks to pretty much explain how this all came about, except perhaps for an explanation as to how meth use became conflated with meth labs.
“Be realistic. It’s a bit like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder.”
The reality is we now have compelling evidence, thus change is being made.
The standard that HNZ and others have used was flawed and the Government of the day seem to have failed in their oversight of that.
Longer than two years ago.
Headline of the week:
Act candidate Stephen Barry has a dream for the North Shore . It’s very stupid .
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104310522/act-candidate-north-shore-motorway-is-breathtakingly-stupid
Headline:
‘Shocker ! – Left wing reporter disagrees with plan of right wing candidate’
You are in favour of a plan to destroy public green spaces with a road which duplicates the Northern motorway?
You can’t be serious.
I am neither in favour or not in favour. I leave that up to the good citizens of Auckland to decide.
I was in favour of Transmission Gully which many here disagreed with but which thankfully the last Government fast tracked.
Stephen Berry, no relation to Maggie. Nepotism is not yet rife.
Gosman, WTF has the politics of the reporter, as you imagine them, got to do with the demolition job that reporter did on the daft ideas of the ACT candidate?
Except of course, to deflect from the actual arguments raised by the reporter.
And to deflect from the daffiness of the ACT candidates ideas.
Play the ball, Gosman, not the man.
I note that NZ First had the wisdom to let go the candidate who was 38th on their list and who is now standing in Northcote for a Right-Wing Hansen style party. By-elections certainly bring out the dillies, the daffies and the daft.
There was no demolition job here. This is merely an opinion piece by a well known left leaning journalist. As such his political leanings are entirely valid when determining if his piece has any validity. It does not.
Gosman, if your sole or main determinant as to whether argument is correct is the political views of the writer, then what are you doing here on a left-wing blog?
I say there is a demolition job. I read the article.
The proposals of the ACT candidate in resurrecting 1972 proposals to advocate for a 6 lane highway through the myriad green spaces in Auckland were rightly ridiculed.
At the end, the writer said that a vote for this candidate is similar to voting for the anti-fluoride homeopathic candidate whose name appears next to the ACT candidate’s.
I note that the writer’s left wing views are the sole determinant for your dismissal of his arguments. You have not attempted to justify your belief that his views have no validity, have you?
If you want to have arguments why his opinion has no validity beyond his political bias (as well as showing why he has political bias) then look no further than his argument that the proposal is an old one. So what? Transmission Gully was first proposed back in the 1940’s or even earlier. It was still a good idea and one that the last National government took up in the past 5 years. The Rail loop in Auckland is also an old idea which seems to have merit. Trying to dismiss ideas because they are not original highlights the fact the author is scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of objections.
You’ve changed again Gosman…
Gosman, I suggest you look further.
There is more out there.
Out beyond the familiar, the known, the safe………
Other argument, other views, other perceptions.
Welcome to the Left Wing!
That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?
It looks like it goes directly through the Birkenhead Shopping Centre. That’s it folks. Your shops and mall will be gone. Never mind, you can drive to Glenfield or even Albany for your daily shopping commutes. 😡
I believe the plan involves tunnels.
And where are the shops and the mall going to go while it is being built? Whenever a tunnel is being built the topical landscape gets smashed to pieces and a small fortune is spent on rebuilding it at a much later date.
I like your new handle, Go smell.
As i understand it the 15mcg level(previously 5) is the level to which a known lab should be cleaned before further use.
Its set very low because there are other harmful by products produced during meth manufacture which are difficult to detect or verify cleanup of.
15 is higher and should have fewer false positives but its still use of a cleaning standard for a detection standard.
“As i understand it the 15mcg level (previously 5) is the level to which a known lab should be cleaned before further use.”
It’s still miles away from the several hundred micrograms Peter Gluckman is concerned about.
And while 15mcg is higher, is it really high enough to be concerned about? According to Gluckman it’s not.
Therefore, it potentially leads to us repeating the same mistake. Only this time, with a slightly higher but still conservative level being set.
I’m wondering if Gluckman is confusing 100cm2 to 1m2. Hundreds per 1m2 would be fine I suspect but not hundreds per 100cm2.
I don’t believe so as it aligns with other info I’ve heard.
What Gluckman said was that there was no danger from houses where there has only been smoking/taking P. But Labs can leave far more dangerous chemicals. So what they have done is raise the level to where smoking/taking P will be eliminated. Only a lab is likely to leave more than the new limit. And in that case there could be more dangerous chemicals there.
My source, before you ask, Chairman, is my own fertile imagination working in conjunction with my amazing alcohol-enhanced powers of logic.
And if I turn out to be right, you will have wasted considerable time once again trying to sow doubt and dissension, won’t you, Chairman?
The report clearly states the most commonly used methods no longer use solvents. Therefore, the primary contaminant associated with manufacturing is methamphetamine itself.
So testing for methamphetamine alone would give no indication that other potentially harmful chemicals are present. Therefore, we risk creating unnecessary costs and harm all over again, albeit with a higher but still conservative standard.
“my own fertile imagination working in conjunction with my amazing alcohol-enhanced powers of logic”
Thinking at it’s best! In vino veritas!
Recently the Italian president vetoed the formation of an Italian government. This was because the proposed finance minister had previously looked at a proposal to exit the Euro, if needed. Its not the first time that the needs of the currency have overruled a democratic decision.
https://rwer.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/president-mattarella-of-italy-from-moral-drift-to-tactical-blunder/#more-32724
Its really a ‘soft coup’.
Its to be expected of course, and the new government is disposed of and a toady moves in.
Now we need to look into the earthquake standards.
I’m not too sure about anyone else, but I’m not too comfortable with the idea of emptying buildings and letting them stand empty for years on end, and this practice needs looking into.
Would you be comfortable if there was an earthquake and 00’s of people died if you were wrong ?
Building codes and regs are a little bit more evidenced based with global acceptance than meph standards Likewise established over many years
If our old state housing stock was largely multi-storey apartments built on reclaimed land, with unreinforced masonry and dodgy steel connections holding up heavy floors you might have a point. However I very much doubt it.
Nice story about Venezuelan democracy on TDB today.
Remember their economic problems are caused by capitalist thievery and the US led economic blockade
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/05/28/guest-blog-vinnie-molina-the-bolivarian-revolution-in-venezuela-shall-overcome/
“Remember their economic problems are caused by capitalist thievery and the US led economic blockade”
LOL!
I love how the failures of socialism is always blamed on other things and never on the stupid policies themselves.
Also how come the US has this amazing ability to collapse socialist economies but less power over other Capitalist ones?
Sounds like that’s where we should be importing builders from doesn’t it gosmerp.
> Also how come the US has this amazing ability to collapse socialist economies but less power over other Capitalist ones?
because corporate profits are at stake
How are corporate profits at stake in Venezuela? The main industry in the country is State controlled .
Which means less profits for the bludging capitalists.
To clarify, the USA is happy to smash any country that doesn’t bow to the demands of its corporations, or attempts to defy the stranglehold of the petrodollar.
Witness US smear jobs on NZ now that we have a slightly left leaning government
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2018/05/cherry-picking-chinese-influence/
The financial blockade isn’t a result of socialist policies but the result of capitalist ones.
How is this supposed financial blockade impacting Venezuela exactly?
It’s listed in the article. It’s one of the problems of ‘free-trade’.
The reason are not listed at all. It is merely posted as if it was a fact (which it is not).
So, you’re saying that the US sanctions are having no effect at all?
So, what would be the point of the US’s financial war upon Venezuela?
Loving not one piece of evidence of counter argument. Do we need to bring up Argentina again Gosman to prove how much of a plonker you are?
Any country / cult run on pure ideology no matter what is rooted It usually comes down it will be better this time because I will be in charge
I am interested to see if your views on Venezuela gather much support amongst lefties here. I suspect not as Venezuela is now becoming a pariah nation and one to avoid mention at all costs for most mainstream leftists. It is only hard core ones like you that will be banging this particular drum.
Speak for yourself I always thought Venezuela was an economic nutcase country sustained largely by resource extraction.
I also could never quite understand the nutcase right wing droning on and on about it as being the epitome of what the ‘left’ thought as their fandom economy. My opinion was that was largely the right nutbars grabbing their crotch with excitement to build a meme about how the left ‘thinks’. Which appears to be what you are doing?
As you are aware, there is no monolithic left and never has been.
BTW: exactly the same economic issue or over indulgence in resource extraction is what I think is the same fundamental weakness in the NZ (and the aussie) economies as well as Venezuela .
However here the idiotic economic numb skulls who indulge in it appear to be largely from the right. They mine the soils, water and and different mineral resource rather than oil and put the benefits to their beneficiaries among the affluent rather than the poor. But it is exactly the same thing. Unsustainable stupidity indulged in for political reasons to benefit a group voting for selfish reasons. In our case by the National party.
Interesting view that I suspect will not be shared by the more extreme leftist on this site. As already evidenced by some the cause of the problems in Venezuela is not the narrow resource based extractive nature of it’s economy but the actions of the US taken against the Socialist government.
What is an extreme leftist, as described by Gosman, whose politics lie to the right of Attila the Hun?
My politics are mainstream. People like Draco support policies that are fringe
To be consistent he must also be demanding new elections in the US where turnout isn’t much better.
No, Venezuela’s economic problems are caused by the adoption of an economic system that fails everywhere it is tried. It’s called socialism.
Bit like capitalism then?
Ah, no.
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/12/19/its-not-capitalism-that-causes-poverty-its-the-lack-of-it/&refURL=https://www.bing.com/&referrer=https://www.bing.com/
Strange that, throughout history, it’s always been socialism that’;s saved capitalism. Without it capitalism destroys the society that it arises in.
That’s 5000 years of recorded history for you.
Proof that capitalism is a failure because of the greed of the rich.
Yeah like Socialism is saving capitalism in Venezuela. And Russia. And China.
I haven’t seen anything of socialism in either Russia or China.
Venezuela was definitely getting worse under capitalism and the people now keep voting for socialism despite the capitalist attacks upon it from other countries so things must be better than before.
The people who can be bothered to vote in a rigged political system keep voting for Socialism.
Fixed it for you Draco 😉
Russia was a socialist state. The author of this piece refers to communism, but try not to be confused:
“Gorbachev understood that the shabby socialist economy was incapable of sustaining a world power. Perestroika was introduced, and with it glasnost, a limited opening up of channels of criticism. Glasnost proved suicidal. The surrealism of Soviet society could not survive the light of criticism. Inevitably, the ideological house of cards erected by the Party propagandists and disseminated by foreign fellow-travelers over seven decades collapsed.”
https://fee.org/articles/the-soviet-tragedy-a-history-of-socialism-in-russia-1917-1991-and-russia-under-the-bolshevik-regime/
“Venezuela was definitely getting worse under capitalism…”
I think not. But it can’t possibly have been any worse than it is now.
“adoption of an economic system that fails everywhere it is tried. It’s called socialism.”
Yeah, But I think the beneficiary Dairy Farmers including that dick who had the notice about Ardern are thankful at the “adoption” of a good old bit of Socialism
at the moment.
They will be more thankful to the economic reforms of the 80’s and 90’s that made them internationally competitive.
Interesting, So I take it then that as they were so grateful and are so “internationally competitive.” they will not take or need the generous benefit these pack of beneficiaries are getting from the government.
“They will be more thankful to the economic reforms of the 80’s and 90’s that made them internationally competitive.”
Also, that is bullshit as if I remember correctly there was nothing but winging how were they going to survive now all the export incentives were being stopped and the suspensory loans and tax avoidance schemes like having a swimming pool c/w Barbecue area “just in case of fire”
“So I take it then that as they were so grateful and are so “internationally competitive.” they will not take or need the generous benefit these pack of beneficiaries are getting from the government.”
That’s up to them. They have been the victims of a natural disaster beyond their control, a bit like the citizens of Christchurch. But then many businesses experience that and don’t get government aid.
“…as if I remember correctly there was nothing but winging how were they going to survive now all the export incentives were being stopped…”
Absolutely there was, and yet 35 years later we lead the world, and are selling our expertise to the world. Isn’t the market a wonderful thing.
Since the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis, the authorities have repeatedly told us there is no risk to human health from eating meat or milk from infected animals. They would say that wouldn’t they – got to keep the ‘confidence of the market’.
Now, a Massey University professor of food safety describes the disease as a *low* risk to humans. In time, I expect the risk deniers will obfuscate as scientific evidence mounts, in much the same way as the concerns over the A1/A2 milk proteins.
“Amateurs Talk Strategy, Professionals Talk Logistics”
Perhaps it is time for the government to evolve their policies with a mind open to the above quote.
Don Franks on Jim Rose’s attempt to justify a racist judicial and prison system:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/05/29/a-response-to-jim-rose-on-maori-prison-population/
Norman Finkelstein on the “quite unimpressive” Alan Dershowitz.
Highly Recommended!
“I told him his book was a tissue of lies, a complete fabrication…”
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/28/10-the-book-you-claim-to-have-written/
Good morning The AM Show there is a good reasoning for ECO MAORI pushing for equality for the ladies it’s the fair thing to do ladies are more intelligent than men and humane it’s good to have Amanda on the show this raises the humanity and intelligence of the show.
You cannot see the flaws in locking people up for years 5000 Maori young men most who just need a bit of guidance who come from broken family created by this system no father to gide them set boundaries for them wake up you know they wanted to privatise Hospitals Prison school so what did national do the ran these to the ground and say the system in not working let’s privatise every thing like America . Duncan its is the justice system that failed to do there job of keeping the people who killed while on bail not the 5000 Maori men it’s not hard to observe people look at there history and identify the risky people and keep them in jail 1 persent of the 5000 50 mistake the justice system has made that’s a fact that’s what these civil servents get paid to do this is a logical way of thinking about this problem
Its is best to try the eradication route for this bovine virus this virus will effect beef farmers as well as dairy farmers. Culling of these cows should have started on the 1/1/2017 No then it would not have blown out to what we have now Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The AM Show there you go Simon Bridge using crime and scare tactics to try and raise his polling rates the same phenomenon that made the bovine virus blow out to this mess. If he really cared about Aotearoa he would work with labour greens to come to a intelligent humane solutions to OUR Prison population look at our scandernavion cousins empty prison.
Ka kite ano
Here’s someone crying in his coffee link below
Male, pale, but not stale
OPINION: I can’t help that I’m white and ageing. But it feels like society’s kicking me.
Ka kite ano