Open mike 30/08/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 30th, 2022 - 52 comments
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52 comments on “Open mike 30/08/2022 ”

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  1. Stephen D 1
    30 August 2022 at 8:02 am

    If you're low-lying, and can see the sea from your house, you need to read this.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/29/major-sea-level-rise-caused-by-melting-of-greenland-ice-cap-is-now-inevitable-27cm-climate

    "Major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now inevitable, scientists have found, even if the fossil fuel burning that is driving the climate crisis were to end overnight.

    The research shows the global heating to date will cause an absolute minimum sea-level rise of 27cm (10.6in) from Greenland alone as 110tn tonnes of ice melt. With continued carbon emissions, the melting of other ice caps and thermal expansion of the ocean, a multi-metre sea-level rise appears likely."

    • Jenny are we there yet 1.1
      30 August 2022 at 9:01 am

      Goodbye Bangladesh.

      https://phys.org/news/2021-04-human-exodus-bangladesh-due-sea-level.html

      Western Imperialism has a new name. 'Climate Change'.

      New Zealand leads the charge in denying climate refugees sanctuary, setting a precedent for other Western countries the main culprits behind climate change. to pretty much carry out genocide, against the third world victims of our climate change inaction..

      New Zealand refuses climate change refugees – mass action is now needed

      Morgan Godfery Mon 12 May 2014 01.40 BST

      New Zealand’s court of appeal has refused refugee status to a family from Kiribati, a Pacific island which is quickly sinking beneath the sea

      …..Sea level rise – coupled with more intense storm cycles – will contaminate the water table, pollute the small pockets of agricultural land and destroy homes and businesses. Tarawa, the main atoll, is a tiny sandstrip some six square miles in size. There is, quite literally, no escaping the misery climate change will cause…..

      …..Anote Tong, is exploring options for mass migration.

      The idealist in me hoped the court of appeal would create an option for that mass migration. The realists on the court wouldn’t have a bar of that…..

      ……Ordinary people need to put pressure on their governments to deal with climate change displacement. The missing link isn’t some new legal rule, but mass action.

      The history of the Pacific is a history of isolation, both physical and political. It’s that isolation that allowed the great powers to commit economic and military misadventures in the region, from depleting phosphate stocks in Kiribati and Naura to nuclear testing in French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands.

      The social history of the Pacific is one of migration, from the early Austronesian and Polynesian expansions to the recent European settler migration. How can we say no to refugees when we are all migrants ourselves?

      https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/12/new-zealand-refuses-climate-change-refugees-mass-action-is-now-needed

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    30 August 2022 at 8:32 am

    What to do about all this (How to get there 🙂

    "They allow us ‘to draw inspiration and comfort from the fact that the path we have taken is not the only one available, that our destiny is therefore not indelibly written in a set of choices that demonstrably and scientifically have proven not to be wise’. By their very existence, he says, the diverse cultures of the world show we can change, as we know we must, the fundamental manner in which we inhabit this planet."

    https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-08-29/invisible-force-why-culture-will-determine-humanitys-future/?

    • Jenny are we there yet 2.1
      30 August 2022 at 10:00 am

      Robert Guyton

      30 August 2022 at 8:32 am

      What to do about all this (How to get there

      New Zealand could begin by listening to the people we are intending to drown and act on their pleas.

      Pacific leaders call for coal mining to be shut down to save island nations from effects of climate change

      By Eric Tlozek

      Posted Tue 8 Sep 2015 at 10:31amTuesday 8 Sep 2015 at 10:31am, updated Tue 8 Sep 2015 at 11:44am

      "We're simply seeking for the rights of small island states to survive,"

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-08/pacific-island-nations-want-to-shut-down-coal-mining/6756958

      New Zealand could start listening to their pleas, by being the first Western Country in the world to ‘Ratify the Majuro Declaration on Climate Change into law in parliament.

      http://www.21stcentech.com/climate-change-update-majuro-declaration-climate-leadership/

      …..Not familiar with Majuro? It is a declaration by 15 Pacific Ocean states including Australia and New Zealand. It is in effect a declaration of war against continued development of fossil fuel energy sources. It is an affirmation that climate change is the issue we must all address on the planet. And it is a take charge declaration that states unequivocally that atmospheric warming is not a bargaining chip for endless conferences that accomplish nothing…..

      …..We, the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum, underline the need for urgent action at all levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions commensurate with the science and to respond urgently and sufficiently to the social, economic and security impacts of climate change to ensure the survival and viability of all Pacific small island developing States, in particular low-lying atoll States, and other vulnerable countries and regions worldwide.

      …..Prime Minister Tony Abbott will travel to Port Moresby on Wednesday and will take part in the main Pacific Islands Forum leaders retreat on Thursday.

      A climate change declaration in Suva last week ….. signalled what Pacific countries would likely bring to the negotiating table.

      The two big brothers of the Pacific have largely ignored their neighbours' calls to meet the challenges of climate change.

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-07/kiribati-urges-australia-nz-to-be-real-friends-on-climate-change/6755794

      In my opinion it is way past time that New Zealand and Australia stopped 'largely ignoring our neighbours' calls. And started acting on them.

      That we haven’t speaks to our racism and history of colonial disrespect and oppression of our Pacific Island neighbours.

      Colonialism has a new name, Climate Change

  3. Leighton 3
    30 August 2022 at 8:56 am

    What does billion-dollar Essity think it is playing at by threatening to sue factory workers that it has already locked out? We don't need these corporate bully-boy tactics in NZ – I think a consumer boycott is in order. There are plenty of other (and environmentally better) toilet paper, paper towels, tissues etc out on the market.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/129720192/purex-manufacturer-makes-500k-legal-threat-against-workers-union-says

    • aom 3.1
      30 August 2022 at 10:07 am

      Time for far more drastic action. NZ should enact legislation to tell outfits that abuse NZers to FUCK OFF- do not pass GO and do not collect $200.

      Unfortunately our craven Government lacks the balls to look after NZers unless they are protecting the right of returns to wealthy 'investors'. Most of them are so low that they minimise their taxes by claiming an income that the poorest can't even dream about, let alone aspire to.

  4. Sanctuary 4
    30 August 2022 at 9:14 am

    Pakistan's population at partition in 1947 was about 35,000,000. Today it is 235,000,000. Egypt had 10,000,000 people in 1900, 106,000,000 today. Iran's population in 1950 (first accurate census) was 16,000,000. Today it is 89,000,000.

    Across the entire "cradle of civilisation" – from the Indus valley to the Nile – over-population is now a chronic problem and it is where the first mass climate induced starvations are going to occur.

  5. Bearded Git 5
    30 August 2022 at 9:14 am

    Nicola Willis refused to rule out National working with Tamaki's party this morning on First Up.

    Nathan Rarere (who is so good) asked her to answer "yes or no" and she wouldn't.

    The whole interview is worth a listen.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018856612

    • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 5.1
      30 August 2022 at 9:43 am

      At about 7.50 into the interview, to save people from having to listen to all the Natz crap that comes first.

    • Grantoc 5.2
      30 August 2022 at 4:34 pm

      The will they/won't they hysteria about National not ruling out working with Tamaki's 'party' is an irrelevant liberal left media beat up.

      There is no Destiny Church /Tamaki Party as we speak. There is unlikely to be any such party. Sure Tamaki has made a couple of speeches about creating one; that's the easy bit, but Tamaki has offered no vision, no policies, or any statements of intent, for NZ. There is nothing from Tamaki but a few tired non sensical slogans. He is not motivated or committed to do the hard graft of building a party. Its too much like hard work. I predict it won't happen.

      Given the above what is the point of any political party saying they will or won't work with Tamaki.

      Of course it suits the narrative and the agenda of the liberal left to foster the idea of a Tamaki Party in same way as the "reds under the beds' campaign tried to do some years ago. If the liberal left can 'con' the National Party into this game, well that's some sort of minor, but ultimately irrelevant propaganda victory for the left I suppose.

      • observer 5.2.1
        30 August 2022 at 4:58 pm

        You're missing the point there.

        Of course you're correct that Tamaki's party won't get anywhere, for the reasons you describe. So when Luxon was asked all he had to say was:

        "Brian Tamaki? Seriously? Of course we won't be doing any deals with him, we don't want anything to do with him, he's a charlatan, his views are appalling and his party is obviously a non-starter."

        But he didn't.

        The issue is not Tamaki (irrelevant). it is Luxon's utterly hopeless judgement. He goes on TV and rules out Ardern and then goes on radio and doesn't rule out Tamaki. He gains nothing by doing this.

        He has no idea how to do basic politics. He cannot think on his feet. He probably had a line prepared for him about "not interested in Brian Tamaki" but then he mangled it and instead managed to sound evasive and confused. He ended up saying "Read between the lines". Why?

        This is the source of all his stuff-ups, from important (abortion) to trivial (Hawaii). He goes onto auto-pilot and digs deeper and deeper and deeper ….

        and you can hardly blame the "left" or the media for giving him enough rope if he's always tying himself up.

        • Leighton 5.2.1.1
          30 August 2022 at 5:01 pm

          Excellent post, observer.

        • Bearded Git 5.2.1.2
          30 August 2022 at 5:09 pm

          Excellent post Observer hitting the proverbial nail on the head.

          What I noticed on First Up was that Willis used exactly the same words (give or take) as Luxon when the Tamaki Party was raised. Hers was no accidental response …this is the official National line. And long may it continue all the way to the election.

      • lprent 5.2.2
        30 August 2022 at 5:54 pm

        There is no Destiny Church /Tamaki Party as we speak

        He is not motivated or committed to do the hard graft of building a party. Its too much like hard work. I predict it won’t happen.

        Try wikipedia if you can’t keep up with current politics. They link to everything so even the most lazy person can follow it..

        The Density party was formed in 2003. Nominally it had nothing to do with the Density Church. And if you believe that then can I refer some bridge sellers to you. He does appear to have rather a lot to do with it.

        On 18 September 2007, Brian Tamaki announced that Destiny New Zealand would be deregistered as a political party.[7] In its place, a new Christian political party would be formed, with Richard Lewis as the co-leader.[8] The second co-leader was not announced. However, then-MP for The Kiwi Party Gordon Copeland announced that he was the other co-leader of the party.[9] On 20 September Copeland announced that he “could not work” with Richard Lewis, and would remain an independent MP.[10] In October, it was announced that Destiny New Zealand would put its support behind The Family Party, to be led by Lewis and former United Future MP Paul Adams.[11] The Family Party contested the 2008 election without success and was disbanded in 2010.

        In 2019, Hannah and Brian Tamaki announced a new party, initially called Coalition New Zealand then renamed as Vision NZ.[12]

        Vision NZ got 4,236 votes across the whole country in the 2020 general election. It appears to still be registered. Its leader is still Brian Tamaki’s wife. Brian Tamaki, as he has done for the last 20 years seems to spend a lot of time speaking for parties that appear the Density Party in drag. He also seems to spend inordinate amounts of time and resources prancing around supporting them.

        Basically you still seem to be the same credulous political idiot you were a decade ago. Confidently asserting ‘facts’ that are just misinformation. Believing spin and PR rather than just digging into available information. And I suspect your next trick will either be to whine like child how it is unfair to point your personal defects out to you, or resort to saying that Vision NZ isn’t just a drag queen impression of the Density party and church.

    • Incognito 5.3
      30 August 2022 at 5:43 pm

      Unless both the Leader and Deputy-Leader of the National Party are hapless it seems it is deliberate strategy (aka speaking notes) to keep the door open for Brian Tamaki and his followers to join National (and ACT, presumably) in Government in 2023 (aka come hell or high water).

  6. roy cartland 6
    30 August 2022 at 9:26 am

    One of the good things on TDB is this podcast, Buchanan and Manning. B reckons Trump is going down, words like "treason" and "death penalty" are mentioned. Freaky.

    • roy cartland 6.1
      30 August 2022 at 9:40 am

      Bit more of a summary:

      Trump & co don't care for their followers, anyone stupid enough to believe he can do what he says he can, gets what they deserve.

      Shredded National documents and threw them down the Mar-a-lago toilet, a federal (section 4? i.e. highest order) crime.

      He had the payroll info of covert ops / undercover personnel in the field, which he could sell to Russia, Israel, Saudis, putting said personnel at great risk. So someone in the CIA has got that info out of Langley to him, which would imply a massive internal investigation.

      Treason and espionage are still capital crimes in the USA, otherwise prison sentences of 50+ years.

      Those around him will squeal, as they try to save their own skins; the only way to avoid prison (or the chair!) is to point the finger upwards.

      The only way out for him now is to move further into crazy territory (stacking the benches with whackos, like he is doing).

      Ron de Santis (among others) might abandon him to have a tilt at the presidency himself.

    • Anne 6.2
      30 August 2022 at 9:55 am

      "One of the good things on TDB is this podcast, Buchanan and Manning"

      It is indeed. Two of our most intelligent and talented professionals discussing local and world affairs they actually know something about.

      Since I stopped looking at the TDB, I forget to watch. Could they be included in the sidebar or are they already there. blush

    • joe90 6.3
      30 August 2022 at 12:39 pm

      In February Asia Janay Lavarello was locked up for big-noting with documents she wasn't supposed to have. Reality Winner was sentenced to more than five years for mishandling documents she wasn't supposed to have. Aldrich Ames and Robert Hansen will die in prison, and Jonathan Pollard should too but Israel, for their activities.

      tRump?

      So, who wants to see that in skywriting over Washington DC?

      It’s already been covered in other posts, but I think the most distressing thing may be this:

      https://balloon-juice.com/2022/08/27/t-r-e-4-5-o-n/

  7. Jimmy 7
    30 August 2022 at 9:53 am

    "Gerrard said he feels he's failed as a father and it breaks his heart seeing the look of sadness on the faces of his children."

    As a father I would say he's pretty successful having six children. Very silly though, to have two more children while living in a motel, when you cannot afford to look after the current four children. Why do these people keep producing children they cannot afford?

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/08/wh-nau-of-eight-say-they-re-being-forgotten-about-after-living-in-one-bedroom-transitional-housing-unit-for-nearly-four-years.html

      • Jimmy 7.1.1
        30 August 2022 at 1:46 pm

        I can't afford to have 6 children. If he was earning $200k+ a year, then have a big family. But it sounds like they expect other people to pay for their children.

        • aom 7.1.1.1
          30 August 2022 at 2:18 pm

          There was a time when families routinely has large numbers of children and had a good, plentiful lifestyle with a fair distribution of wealth that was not pegged to 'deserving' and 'undeserving'. Somewhere along the way (1980's?) we lost the plot and encouraged wealth to be funneled up, accumulated and hoarded by the 1%ers.

          Hope you have been frugal all your life so you can survive retirement and old age Jimmy. Otherwise, you may have to rely on the wealth generated by your targets six children for your survival.

          • Jimmy 7.1.1.1.1
            30 August 2022 at 2:30 pm

            Yes throughout my life I have had a degree of personal responsibility (which seems to be missing from these people) ie. I have planned for future and retirement and not expected to receive handouts from government or elsewhere. Don't the Greens say the world is already over populated? So maybe the large families are a thing of the past.

            • arkie 7.1.1.1.1.1
              30 August 2022 at 3:24 pm

              No the Greens do not say that at all, that is an eco-fascist argument. What we have is an unequal distribution problem, not a population problem.

              • Jimmy …
                30 August 2022 at 3:53 pm

                Ah yes. The old unequal distribution argument. I have worked hard, starting with virtually nothing, and saved a nice nest egg for my retirement, But because I have worked hard, taken risks and got ahead, I should now give a whole lot away to someone that has not worked at all.

                • arkie …
                  30 August 2022 at 4:46 pm

                  Are you going to refuse Super?

                • Incognito …
                  30 August 2022 at 6:35 pm

                  … I should now give a whole lot away to someone that has not worked at all.

                  There it is, the tax-is-theft accusation, theft from your personal wallet. In addition, based on your stereotyping, you assume that a person has not worked at all without any evidence to support your belief. I can see how the National Party propaganda captures deplorable gullible souls like you.

                  • Jimmy …
                    31 August 2022 at 11:37 am

                    You seem to have grabbed the wrong end of the stick. I do not believe "Tax is theft". I pay my legal amount of tax required and do not mind doing so.

                    What I am against, is using my after tax income and saving wisely, and now be told, because I have provided for myself, I should give some to people who have not provided for themselves (and often pissed it up against a wall, not that I think the family in this example have, they have simply kept producing children without thinking about who is going to pay to school them, cloth them, feed them, house them even).

                    • Incognito …
                      31 August 2022 at 6:45 pm

                      Your comment makes very little sense, it is contradictory even, and a nice attempt at smearing the usual stereotypical suspects.

                  • Jimmy …
                    1 September 2022 at 7:39 am

                    Just out of interest, what part of my comment is contradictory and doesn't make sense?

                    Saying that I want to keep the after tax income I have saved, and not have it re-distributed to others that have not saved seems very logical to me.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.1.2
          30 August 2022 at 3:19 pm

          But it sounds like they expect other people to pay for their children.

          Imho that’s lazy pejorative framing which would make Ruth proud.

          Care to consider alternatives? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_takes_a_village

          https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/it-takes-a-village

          It Takes a Village to Raise a Child: Understanding and Expanding the Concept of the “Village” [11 March 2022]
          https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.756066/full

          • Jimmy 7.1.1.2.1
            30 August 2022 at 4:37 pm

            "Care to consider alternatives?" – what like, responsible parenting and birth control?

            • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.1.2.1.1
              30 August 2022 at 5:02 pm

              what like…?

              Apologies if it wasn't clear Jiminy; was asking if you had considered this specific alternative way of looking at 'the problem':

              It Takes a Village to Raise a Child: Understanding and Expanding the Concept of the “Village” [11 March 2022]
              https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.756066/full

              Or even (quelle horreur – queue the Dancing Cossacks!) "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs", i.e. a different kind of control.

              If 'we' had started to exercise some responsible control 50 years ago then we wouldn't be in such a mess now, but here we all are, 4 billion additional souls later. No use crying over spilt milt, and imho children shouldn't suffer – even a fan of 'the rod' knows (in their ‘heart’) that the kids aren't to blame.

              Why poverty in New Zealand is everyone's concern
              Liang describes poverty as a "heritable condition" that perpetuates and amplifies through generations: "It is also not hard to see how individual poverty flows into communities and society, with downstream effects on economics, crime and health, as well as many other systems. Loosen one strand and everything else unravels."

              A Kete Half Empty
              Poverty is your problem, it is everyone's problem, not just those who are in poverty. – Rebecca, a child from Te Puru

            • Leighton 7.1.1.2.1.2
              30 August 2022 at 5:07 pm

              If the Greens aren't saying that having six children is a problem, then they should be. Overpopulation is one of the main contributors towards climate change and reducing the birth rate is part of the solution. It is environmentally irresponsible for anybody to be having six kids in 2022 regardless of wealth/whether they are able to pay for them.

            • aom 7.1.1.2.1.3
              30 August 2022 at 9:05 pm

              As evidenced by your comments, your parents didn't consider alternatives – like responsible parenting and birth control.

              • Jimmy …
                31 August 2022 at 11:28 am

                Haha, very funny. But actually they did by only having two children and not relying on the state to raise us.

  8. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 8
    30 August 2022 at 2:20 pm

    Gosh, Jacinda spanked poor Luxy in the house today.

    He reads from a set list of questions which tend to go over the same point again and again. Only Seymour asked a couple of relevant questions.

    Bring on the GE debates hey ho!

  9. Cricklewood 9
    30 August 2022 at 5:04 pm

    Wow, have to say the headlines around the gst on Kiwisaver fees are pretty ugly… could set a narrative in place that really hurts electorally.

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    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

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