Auckland council and Ports of Auckland can’t help themselves to continue to steal the harbour and appropriate more public land to help multibillionaire business at the expense of most Kiwis right to use their own public land freely that they pay for through rates!
BTW – Cruise ships do not have to pay the measly $35 tax to help conservation. Pathetic!
Cruise ships are highly polluting and their so called tourist dollars only help a very tiny amount of businesses (often foreign owned) that are congregated in highly priced locations aka not the little guy who can’t afford the rents.
Phil Goff promised not to take any more land for the harbour and is breaking his promise.
More intergenerational theft by the council!
On top of the ‘funny’ money when apparently the Auckland council are 600 million in surplus, (although borrowing hundreds of millions from the government for yet more spec house development????)
Also on top of America’s cup costing hundreds of millions of dollars that the ratepayers have to pay for and appropriating more harbour for multibillion dollar pursuits.
The world’s largest cruise ship and its supersized pollution problem
As Harmony of the Seas sets sail from Southampton docks on Sunday she will leave behind a trail of pollution – a toxic problem that is growing as the cruise industry and its ships get ever bigger
Clean, Green NZ, no more…turn a blind eye to massive polluters that cruise ships generate…
“But marine pollution analysts in Germany and Brussels said that such a large ship would probably burn at least 150 tonnes of fuel a day, and emit more sulphur than several million cars, more NO2 gas than all the traffic passing through a medium-sized town and more particulate emissions than thousands of London buses.
According to leading independent German pollution analyst Axel Friedrich, a single large cruise ship will emit over five tonnes of NOX emissions, and 450kg of ultra fine particles a day.
Bill Hemmings, marine expert at Brussels-based Transport and Environment group said: “These ships burn as much fuel as whole towns. They use a lot more power than container ships and even when they burn low sulphur fuel, it’s 100 times worse than road diesel.”
“Air pollution from international shipping accounts for around 50,000 premature deaths per year in Europe alone, at an annual cost to society of more than €58bn [ $65bn],” says the group on its website.”
Just the usual ‘funny’ numbers that accountants like to release to media that are meaningless… because you can pretend you are doing a great job fiscally by hiding debts..
What a laugh. That big fat zero H duP is SCORING! Jacinda Ardern. Didn’t waste my time reading it. Maybe I should have. Just the headline was enough though.
Andrea Vance has been providing background info that illuminates how Labour conducted the CTO process: “Further documents revealed the fingerprints of Labour party president Nigel Haworth and former apparatchik GJ Thompson. Ardern was more heavily involved in the process than previously let on. Importantly, the State Services Commission ruled the appointment robust and unbiased.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107455388/andrea-vance-a-week-of-grubby-politics-in-contrast-to-new-york-performance
So the SSC reviewed Labour’s conduct of the CTO recruitment process and decided they had run the process appropriately. Curran, as Minister leading that process, can take credit for that presumably. After months of media & political commentary suggesting that Curran’s meetings & emails with Handley were inappropriate, we now know it was all total crap. Several weeks ago I asked onsite here what rule she was supposed to have broken and got no response.
Media blather about nothing, everyone fascinatedly recycling irrelevant speculation, carefully avoiding the lack of evidence. Vance writes “when she gets back home, there’s plenty of murk to cut through.” But Ardern wasn’t displaying any interest in cutting through the murk as it kept building up since summer, so why would she suddenly decide to cut through it now?? If she was a cut-through type of leader she would have issued this public statement long ago: “As far as I know Minister Curran hasn’t broken any rules in her conduct of our CTO process, but the SSC will investigate and report on that.”
“A recruitment firm with close links to the Prime Minister’s office was involved in hiring the Government’s new chief technology officer, new documents reveal. JacksonStone and Partners completed due diligence on two finalists for the job – one of which was Derek Handley. Heather Church is principal consultant at the firm. She is also married to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s chief of staff, Mike Munro.”
“Numerous applications were received and Curran and officials whittled the list down to 18 candidates. They were assessed by Curran’s private secretary “against a criteria matrix consisting of mana, ability to influence, strategic ability and relevant experience.” Vance provides plenty other interesting details too…
Fire the recruiters, they did a hideous job and not only that are compromised by having family members in Jacinda’s office.
If the government had bothered to open the process up to multiple recruiters who actually knew the IT industry then they may have attracted candidates or at least given a heads up what sort of role it was because it certainly was not a CTO one, given advice to the government so it did not turn into a train wreck and run the process appropriately, instead of wasting candidates time for months, humiliating the candidates and running the public service into the muck.
To reject 60 candidates from the get go, is alarming, then to come to Handley after a further 79 is alarming…
If they wanted someone not technical it should have been clearer and certainly the got the basics wrong, like the job title.
Typical NZ, (and bad recruiters) they can’t even get the basics right or even understand why they can’t retain talent in this country, or talent remaining has no interest in becoming involved with the government screw ups.
Once they had seen the first 60 applications, I think they job description was revised substantially, like often happens even for small jobs.
““In particular, I see the chief technology officer working on issues such as improving digital equality, protecting citizens’ rights online, and building a connected nation, alongside the Digital Economy and Digital Inclusion Advisory Group and the other advisory groups I have already signalled I will be establishing.
“Although the role sits within the government context, the chief technology officer will require a collaborative way of working across government, with ministers and officials, and with a range of other stakeholders to shape and drive New Zealand’s digital agenda,” Ms Curran says.
Why bother wasting everybody’s time you have to wonder, it’s clear by the emails that he was discussing the role with Jacinda and got Clare Curren so excited by all the non tech buzz words that she could understand, she thought it was like ‘Star Trek’.
Does the released emails sound impartial? Nope. Bear in mind the guy is not technical at all, never been a CTO before, no qualifications in tech and before even starting he was talking about assembling a massive team to do the work for him, while he (in his head) had a staring role in Davos, aka not really planning to spend much time in NZ then… getting the extensive team of grunts to do his work for him…
It’s like advertising for a doctor, and then getting a person who was involved a medical marketing company decade ago and then been a low level figure head overseas who then asks his mates to find a job for him back in NZ and needs an extensive team to do his job, which he describes as a ‘social’ role not a technical one.
The worldwide focus on tech is getting and retaining the superb tech skills to make ideas work and now every business needs to have suburb tech, the difference between survival and obsolescence.
Tech has moved on from the 1990’s marketing and self promoter types who made a buck a few decades ago, who are a dime a dozen in the industry.
One of the many txts between government and Derek Handley. Does not sound impartial!
To: Jacinda
Hello!
So close to the baby arriving! Then….POP. It’ll be out before you know it 🙂 So exciting.
About a month ago we were texting back and forth, I said I really wanted to put some
ideas to you as to how I could be of service. In my mind I had started to develop
thoughts ranging from Davos to our links to China’s new economy. Things I think I can
pull together and work on from the edges of Govt. Listed some samples below.
But here is where I have landed: over the course of May I was approached by an
increasing number of people I really respect, to strongly consider applying for the CTO
role.
I had never thought about it seriously – mostly probably because the recruiting started
last year when we had not decided about moving back home, I wasn’t paying attention.
I thought very long and deeply about it, and in the end, I concluded that for now I
genuinely believe the most service I could be to you and New Zealand is actually in that
role. I think I could really do it amazingly well.
So on the weekend I submitted an application.
In that light, let’s see how that process pans out independently – whatever happens will
be the right thing. But if that role isn’t in the stars, then I would LOVE to meet up in
September and revisit some ideas and thinking when my wife and I are back in New
Zealand! I’m so keen to come home and help you. I have such unique and weird skills
and networks around the world – I want to put them to work and help so much.
Be well.
dh
Sample of Thoughts
>●
Designing an impactful and surprising Davos presence
●
Alternative to this: New Zealand could design a new model for a Davos type global
collective to shape/steer thinking for our generation
●
Asia summit x New Economy
●
Govt x Sustainability
●
Global next-generation wealth-holder/change-makers
Derek Handlay Sal, Aug 11,2018 319212 AM
To Clale Culran
Hello Clare
So excited to be moving forward with this. It’s such an amazing opponunity and privilege to help shape New Zealand
– has sent me a draft offer letteri which I review and get back to her on logistic and administrative next steps but I
assume I should lay out my more essential questions and thoughts here with you.
As we spoke about below I’m laying out my main questions and thoughts I would like to start to work through with you over
the coming days Let me know if I should be dealing with. on any of the below)
Let’s chat again very soon please!
Derek
1. Resources and team – this is my number one most pressing consideration and has been from the outset – I am
excited to really dive into this as soon as you have time to
All of the obiectives (digital equal 1 economy I connected nation) etc require a lot of thinking, coordination
mapping and communicating – the resources for this are my primary concern
Aside from those above objectives – developing a stakeholder-led strategy requires a dedicated sharp and
creative team lull time
The original cabinet paper notes two dedicated stall members from GDCO and MBIE – is this still the thinking?
Would love to chat more about this with you and whoever else would be involved in resourcing, How would we
handle external hires/contractors/suppon ifdeemed best?
have an idea of the type of team think would be ideal and imagine it to be a mix of internal and external
people – as well as some international thinkers
2. Operational budgeufunding
a To carry out the functions in the role well, there also needs to be some operational budget for things like
convening communications design content etc for stakeholder and community collaboration as well as the
outputs you would need (published maleriaL web contentetc) lorthatengagement
3. Conllicts or Disclosures
submitted a draft proposal of issues and potential conllicts in the intenhew process On the phone you
mentioned it’s best we work through this togetherfitst – I have attached the memo to this email so you can see
howl laid it out.
Each one needs to be worked through carefully so that everybody understands them fully but think the most
sensitive one is- if your advice comes back than can keep and lust be acutely
aware of managing any lwould much prefer this – especially given 0 contract is lust one year
and can be terminated
4, Timing has also asked about this so share the below her too –
amily and I will be on the ground on Monday the 10th of September – my preference would be to announce
in person during thatweek My preference for a start date would be October to give me a lew weeks to get
settled as we have just bought a new house its got renovations etci getting. in school and all that stuff.
Not sure how this sits you,
5, Location
it hasn’t been mentioned In any material to date that this role requires being located in Wellington so I have
assumed location is not I understand from that I get an some at (I assume tn
have some ldeas amund location – I would ptefer a mostly work embedded/”In Resldence” Ihe communtly
atvarious organisations around the country – but would like an Auckland base as well
a. “Announcement”
Would like to hear your thoughts on how you have been thinking about this The announcement itself is an
opportunity to kick off a broader engagement campaign and enlist self-selected leaders who to
collaborate My preference would be to not ‘waste’ the announcement by just making it one way — but by using
it to kick off a two way conversation from the outset
SaveNZ @ (3.1.1.1.1.1) … Thanks for the info. Clare Curran was not the best person to be dealing with this.
I could be wrong, but from most of the information I’ve seen and heard, it seems to me in my very humble opinion for all it’s worth, DH is/has been calling the shots.
Never heard of the guy before this fiasco raised its ugly head! For someone supposed to be intelligent, as well as tech savvy, from what I’ve seen, his written communication skills, as well as the presentation of his correspondence is not good for a “professional” … spelling errors, poor sentence and paragraph structure etc. If these English language features are indicative of his job skills, then I sure wouldn’t want to employ him to represent me!
This whole government CTO issue comes across (to me that is), as being very odd indeed!
“Sanction-free welfare” might look like a UBI. But it will be a cold day in hell – this after all is the country of sanction-free capital gain.
We just love it when people get money for doing nothing, as long as that ‘nothing’ is watching the values of their rental properties inflate. But if that ‘nothing’ is staying at home and raising young kids, we go ape-shit at them.
If that sounds like a profound and probably irremediable moral corruption mixed with an unhealthy dose of racism – that’s because it is.
Chris Trotter raises several questions, around why the NZDF have demanded that the inquiry into the deaths of Afghan villagers at the hands of the NZDF should be held in secret.
…..in the book “Hit & Run” by investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson. Was the NZDF responsible for the deaths of six Afghan citizens – including a little girl – or wasn’t it? Did our Special Air Service hand over captured Afghan insurgents to the Afghan security forces to be tortured – or didn’t it?
Such questions put the decency and honesty of the New Zealand military squarely in the cross-hairs of public scrutiny…..
…..Naturally, the NZDF’s defenders have objected that the idea of politicians sending civilian investigators to rifle through the military’s files is outrageous. How can our allies trust the NZDF with their secrets if at some future point they could be revealed for all the world to see?
My question refers to the independence of our Defence Forces from the influence of our Allies.
According to Trotter, protecting the interests of our ally is the motive given by the NZDF for the need for a secret hearing.
Shouldn’t the interests of the New Zealand people and the Afghan villagers who have been sinned against in our name, be put first by our Defence Force before the interests of our allies?
When our closest military ally the USA, is according to commentators like Mike Moore and others, on the brink of fascism, where would this leave our Defence Force? Will they break the strong ties they have with the US, or will the NZDF become a Fifth Column working against the interests of New Zealanders.
As Chris Trotter says:
….a military that could collude in suppressing evidence of murder could collude in all manner of crimes….
No where in the NZDF Statement Of Intent is there any mention of protecting New Zealand’s independence as a sovereign nation. Instead, we read this:
2018 – 2022 STATEMENT OF INTENT
• Be integrated internationally with
our military partners and like–minded
nations;
• Be integrated with domestic agencies
with whom we deliver services in and
around New Zealand; and
• Be integrated internally – as a
Defence Force.
To achieve this we are prioritising our focus
for 2025 in three target investment areas:
• People: Developing a flexible, resilient
and affordable workforce in order to
ensure we have the right mix of people,
with the right skills, in the right place, at
the right time, to deliver our outcomes.
• Information: Providing our people
with secure access to accurate, timely
and relevant information, everywhere
it is needed in order to make the right
decisions.
• Relationships: Building and
maintaining the strength of our
domestic, international and commercial
relationships in order to maximise our
combined effect.
Through integrating our efforts and
reshaping the way we organise and
employ our people, capabilities,
information and relationships, along with
programmed capability enhancements,
and the regeneration of our estate and
infrastructure, we will:
• Realise our full potential as
New Zealand’s armed forces;
• Exploit our advantage at home and
abroad stemming from our unique ‘Kiwi’
ethos, and
• Achieve better security outcomes for
all New Zealanders.
This Statement of Intent sets in place the
foundation for how the Defence Force
will deliver the Integrated Defence Force
strategy by 2025. It focusses on the first
The Integrated phase of the 2025 journey.
The NZDF concentration on becoming “integrated internationally with
our military partners…”, might make it very hard for the NZDF to extricate itself from the US, if that state descends into fascism.
Defence Force planners are supposed to explore all defence scenarios, and forward planning for all contingencies and threats. I wonder if one of our military planners projected contingency plans includes plans to explore cutting NZDF integration with the US military on the US descending into fascism.
My guess is not.
And so they will be caught completely unprepared. To the detriment of us all.
“People: Developing a flexible, resilient
and affordable workforce”
“Relationships: Building and
maintaining the strength of our
domestic, international and commercial
relationships in order to maximise our
combined effect.”
Note the words AFFORDABLE for the defence workforce
Note the words COMMERCIAL relationships needing defence..
Neoliberalism knows no sovereignty, only cost cutting and protecting commercial profits of the elite at the expense of the many, and protecting the elite power…. which are not necessarily domestic, could be international or commercial…
Our relationships for defence also seem to be built around the ego’s of two world leaders, Trump and Xi Jinping. Shared values (sarcasm) that that our military works for in real terms.
You would find the Defence Policy is dictated by the Government of the Day in conjunction with MFAT, MoD/ NZDF IRT with Manning and Capabilities and funding from Treasury.
Since the Salami slicing of Manning and Capability from 1991 onwards, New Zealand how has to rely on its Allies a lot more now since WW2 as a result of Salami cuts in part driven ideology of Treasury and political ideologies base around Free Trade, the Free Market, Globalisation or we are at the ass end of the world no one would bother about us.
If you want the NZDF to have an independent Defence Policy, then more money has to thrown towards, but at what cost to health, education, doc, transport etc?
During East Timor ie INTERFET- 2003 there was an expectation that the penny may’ve or finally dropped to all concern that having and maintaining an independent NZDF was in the best interest to the Country. But no it didn’t happen because of cost and especially once NZDF submitted its lessons learnt or as I would say lessons relearned from INTERFET and the resulting UN Peacekeeping mission, but it was very quietly serve by Government and Treasury.
Even the events of 2006 in the SP region and the after the 2018 Defence Policy review which was released a couple of mths ago Government, Treasury and those other Depts outside of the Ministry for Defence, MoD/ NZDF that you still need to throw more at Defence if you want to be less dependent on your Allies and again at what cost to education, health etc. Thence why we as a nation takes the easy route of less fiction, less money on defence by relying on our allies.
Yes I understand your concerns about the USA atm and I all think that everyone here on is concern about what is happening in the US atm. But until both sides of the house, the policy wonks, treasury and the rest of NZ wake up IRT to Defence, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Aid Development etc then the status quo will prevail every time there is change.
The Greens Defence Policy is not an option either as it doesn’t reflect reality on the ground and again written by someone or persons who are either policy wonks or read to much into Peacekeeping theory in University or out of book instead of looking at lessons learnt from pass Peacekeeping missions amd understanding the environment that NZDF operates in.
Do the Greens understand what the average sea state around NZ and SP? As Landing Ship with a Docking Well can operate up to sea state 6, where as the Landing Ship with a ramp like the current in service RNZN Landing Ship can only operate in sea state or less while conducting Ship to Shore Transfer. Or-
Do the Greens really understand what Defensive Operations is and mean Military POV? I sure do and I have been doing it for the last 19yrs Airbase /Airfield Ground Defence operator in warlike and Peacetime along with my time in NZ Army in NZ Scots (RNZAC) in the 90’s.
Nor is the National Party much chop either Defence and like US Military DFAT food it look’s like ass and tastes like ass.
American soldiers are good at cleaning up locker rooms.
Shame about their less than stellar efforts everywhere else.
This morning I was watching a bit of college football: Baylor University at Oklahoma. Towards the end of the third quarter, during one of the interminable breaks in the game, the commentators drew attention to a picture of a gleaming locker room, after the Army football team had used it the week before. The picture was captioned: “Leave it how you found it.”
This nifty little P.R. exercise by the Army football team had just the effect they no doubt calculated it would have. Any citizen of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Cuba, Central America, Iraq, Afghanistan would have reflected bitterly that the U.S. Army does anything but leave things how they found them. And any U.S. citizen with an I.Q. above room temperature who was watching that Baylor-Oklahoma game would have thought something similar.
Such scruples didn’t seem to afflict the fellows commentating the game, however. One of them burbled:
“Makes you feel great about the people serving our country, protecting our interests abroad.”
If only the U.S. Army treated everywhere like a stadium locker-room. If only….
Ryanair cuts every corner
There is a world of difference between the work of a stewardess in the 1980s and the situation of the cabin crew at Ryanair today. The downgrading of this group of workers is the result of a relentless price war following the deregulation of the airline industry in the 1990s. Ryanair became Europe’s largest airline during this period because of the radical savings made at every turn, most notably in the wages of cabin crews whose work was transformed into that of a flying corps of pushers of snacks and scratch tickets – a major source of revenue for the airline and an essential criterion for promotion.
In order to reduce costs, the airline is exploiting the plight of young people in Southern and Eastern Europe. During the euro crisis, Italy, Spain and Portugal in particular experienced a wave of emigration due to high youth unemployment. Young and often highly qualified migrant workers are welcome cheap labourers in the catering trade, in delivery services – and even in the aviation industry. The wage of around 1200 EUR per month at German Ryanair locations seems generous at first glance, as it is twice as high as an entry-level salary in the countries of origin. However, what many of the young workers do not include in their calculations is the cost of living in the countries in which they are stationed without a say in where they want to go.
The dream of independence quickly fizzles out when the only housing option is a small shared flat near a remote airport. Local social security contributions also have to be paid. Meanwhile, Ryanair’s profits have exploded – tripling between 2014 and 2016. “Ryanair acts cleverly in the interests of its shareholders”, says a Polish flight attendant with many years of experience with the company, “but it’s all on our shoulders”.
Like trying to exist in Auckland or in Queenstown!
The airline industry is a haven for the terminally stupid and irresponsible. Michael O’Leary, the boss of Ryanair, is one of the worst people in the whole world—but he’s no worse than one dipstick that we’ve produced ourselves. A few days after the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011, the Air New Zealand boss Rob “Fuckwit” Fyfe appeared on television to assure New Zealanders that the fuss over so-called nuclear leaks was a beat-up, and there was nothing to worry about. He advised us to do as he did, which was to accept the word of the Japanese government’s PR people, and not to trust the word of so-called “experts”.
At the same time as the Fuckwit was making that infamous appearance, the Japanese government was seriously contemplating the evacuation of Tokyo.
@Savenz and one or two others.
I’ve been thinking (and so far it hasn’t really hurt that much, although I might need a bit of a lay down soon)
Kind of a bit of a yea/nah moment in terms of responses to that Brian Easton contribution on Pundit, and then ….. what was that running joke about recruiters?.
Something about what do you do when you’re not very good at [insert profession here (such as prgrammer/web developer/entrepreneur)]?. Answer: become a recruitment agency ticket clipper specialising in your failed field. Alternatively, a real estate agent or even immigration advisor (or maybe even a gNat politician). No credentials or sense of morality required.
And then I was thinking about the growing ‘tribal’ phenomenon – the label in and of itself a bit problematic. The difference between a tribe and it’s preparedness for a co-operative approach .v. one of uber-competitiveness, ego and a desire for dominance.
And then I was thinking that the co-alition ekshully have quite a few things that COULD earn them a few brownie points that even the dysfunctional MSM (Garners and DuplicityAirheads and grumpy old men and others) could get ‘on board with going forward’.
Actually they should be ‘positioning’ themselves now. OR is that ‘pivoting’? I think it’s the latter.
One such ‘populist’ ussue (in light of the MSM’s increasing reportage of gun related crime) would be the creation of a proper register – i.e. not just gun owners, but the weaponry they own.
Another might actually be to stop paying lip service to open government and to provide us with one or two examples that matter.
But you know …… incrementailsm, Rome wasn’t built in a day, Hope and Change, and its a FUCKING sight better than what we had before.
I can’t cope! Anyone got a pill for me? Never mind …. I’ll sleep it off
Don’t be Rip van Winkle though Once was Tim. We need the thinking ones with a desire for positive outcomes good for us all to counter the trolls. (And I apologise to any of Terry Pratchett’s trolls who now live in a relatively mixed society and feel the freedom blowing across their lichen.)
I thought that our PM had worked in the office of Helen Clark in when she was PM.
Did she learn nothing? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12134068
So we, the taxpayer, had to pay for a professional 3 person crew from a US Ad Agency to film propaganda that would be used, according to Ms Ardern, in her Political campaigning.campaign material. The money comes out of the Labour Party Leaders fund.
Does she not remember Helen doing exactly the same thing in 2005 when they used the funds to pay for the Pledge Card? Highly illegal according to the Auditor-General. However Ardern, like Clark, appears to believe that she is above the law.
As with Ardern’s stuff up when she didn’t even know what GDP is her office has come out and announced that “She didn’t really mean” what she so clearly said she meant.
Is she really as dumb as she appears, or is it that she simply doesn’t give a damn about obeying the law?
I wonder if it was these professional Ad agency staff who told her to try and get her daughter into every public appearance?
We deserve better from our Peters’ led Government.
I have no idea what if anything was spent there and what might have gone on.
This is illegal.
Was that?
And do you agree that this is disgraceful, or is this all hunky-dory?
Also, one must remember that Barclay is no longer an MP.
Do you propose that Ms Ardern should quit?
We don’t know how much of the Leaders Fund was spent on the Barclay scandal because National went to great lengths to keep that information from the public.
Using the Leaders Fund for comms purposes is not illegal and whatever Paula Bennett might say won’t make it illegal. Anyway the Claire Trevett piece in the Herald points out that Embassies would sometimes hire local photographers to film Key in exactly the same way.
Let’s face it the Leaders Fund is basically a slush fund used for a myriad of dodgy purposes by all participants. Your hypocrisy on the issue is a tad distasteful though.
Barclay was eventually thrown under the bus by his political masters and that’s the only reason he’s no longer an mp. He used to be my mp and believe me if he could still have his nose in the trough he surely would.
I propose that Ms Ardern just keep trucking along, she’s doing great.
That is of course the “But they did it to, defence”.
Did National really steal more than $800,000?
And then claim that it should be legal and pass a law to validate the theft?
Well no, but that doesn’t seem to bother you. Your heroine can clearly do no wrong.
I’ll bet that you supported that little fraudster Meteria T in her little fraud as well.
And you have the gall to accuse me of hypocrisy! You really are the prime example of hypocrisy in todays examples, aren’t you?
You are losing it you rwnj – all you’ve got is lies and putrid putdowns of everyone especially women. Are you a sad lonely little man or are you just a sicko?
There is a deepening rift within the American left over the war in Syria. It is unfortunate that this rift is eclipsing actual activism to stop the suffering of Syrians. But since apparent support for Bashar Assad and Vladimir Putin is so strong among some sectors of the left, it is worth tackling the debate if only to try to get past it and on to the more urgent job of shining a light on the plight of Syrians and considering nonmilitary alternatives to ending the complex war…..
……Assad, a dictator by any definition, and his ally Putin are both seen as bastions of anti-U.S. resistance. The leaps of logic that some on the left are engaging in, in order to vilify Syrian rebels and civilians in favor of these two leaders, are breathtaking.
Many are casting the chemical attack on Douma as self-inflicted. The theory is that the rebels who until recently occupied the area inflicted the damage on Syrian civilians as part of some elaborate scheme to frame Assad……
Apparently, acknowledging the reality of the chemical attacks by Assad is akin to inviting the U.S. to expand its Syria war to Assad’s targets. And so in order to oppose that, are we to deny the real suffering of Syrians? Are we to bend reality to suit our desire?….
…..Just as there is a chorus contradicting the lived experiences of Syrian civilians, there has been an effort to undermine the White Helmets, a rescue program that has been accused both of receiving U.S. funding (it has gotten U.S. Agency for International Development money just as other projects have) and of being a front for al-Qaida…..
How are so many on the left falling for such fakery? The Guardian’s extensive investigation into a propaganda effort to discredit the White Helmets offers some answers. Just as it is all too easy to fall for fake news these days, it is also easy to corroborate sources and determine veracity with a little effort.
……..When the left accuses conservatives of falling for fake news, we may imagine our rational approach to the world makes us more immune to falsehoods. Sadly, in the case of Syria (and Afghanistan and other nations), the left may be just as vulnerable to seeing all things through the lens of our political worldview rather than through facts. This does little to help ordinary people the world over who are victims of violence.
Take your pick:
Common Dreams
Truth Dig
The Guardian
Democracy Now
Fact Checker
Bellingcat
Snopes
Vs Bill and Ed and Mike Smith’s favourite pro-Assad sources
Is this the same Latakia football stadium, where in scenes reminiscent of the Pinochet regime, the Assad regime herded Palestinian refugees, before disappearing some of them and driving the rest out of the city?
And then went on to level the Al Ramel refugee camp?
Wow Jenny
An unattributed report from a newspaper that publishes “Like” diatribes of Luke Harding and is 7 years dated – give us some FACTS !
Um – So Assad is Hezbollah friendly – but targets Palestinian refugees ?
I did some thinking, and – consequently – thought otherwise.
“National’s behaviour since the election has only confirmed our good sense in choosing Labour. National is leaderless, moribund, and vacuous. It’s a shell of its former self because it’s been seduced by marketing. Substance will always trump shallowness so remember this, Simon Bridges will not lead National into the next election.
I 100% agree with you. The acting PM, Peters should have been more direct and called a spade a spade:
National’s torpor since the election has only confirmed our good sense in choosing Labour. National is like a headless chicken, a walking corpse, without a soul. It’s a zombie seduced by marketing. Substance will always trump shallowness so remember this, Simon Bridges is a dead man walking.
Think you are on the wrong platform BM if you seriously want anybody here to vote for National, whatever the faults of the Coalition. Anyway, Winnie said he’d still be around in 25 years time, so National may have a long time to wait!
Kia ora The Am Show the people who got riped off Duncan are the common people for the last nine year’s billion’s flowing up to the % 0.1 .
The young people from Gisborne deserved the win I say the Auction worked out I seen people make no money on some of the other Block episodes Is Mark hung over lol off to Anura Bay you did good with the young one’s kia kaha it is a good show Mark all the best to all the contestants.
simon how does petrol and diesel prices affect electricity prices or rent we know that government’s don’t throw out new revenue stream’s when they first get elected I see a few bitter move’s made by national . I think it’s a good idea to vet our new resident’s so we get people with the same values as us respect all .
I tau toko Andrew Becroft approach to our problem children a local community Marae based care that teaches them morels and there culture.
Sam the League man its been a good season for League .
Kia Kaha Marama you advocate for the people who have lost the most over the last 9 years ka pai Did you know that the mokopuna’s are the ones who suffer when the state cut’s or freezes benefits.
Duncan if Marama had of given you figures you would have attracted her with them do you still need a tisue.
I say the neutral tax plan is a way of re balancing our tax to be more fairer to all.
The tax system’s of the last 150 year’s has been un fair as it is Te tangata whenua who have been TAX THE MOST.
Ka kite ano P.S I back the advocating for councils to bad advertising alcohol in public places.
Kia ora Newshub I will have to be more care full but I have my reasons for my statements one will have to check my old post to figure that out.
The housing market is going up in provincial Aotearoa and that is opposite to the reality national are trying to paint .
Alfred I think its a little dumb for a brown person to back national when one can see what has happened to a lot of brown people under the bridge I could say more about your reality but I have my morels .
I wonder if our teacher’s have read the book golden goose I hope they got the story line.
The Right whales coming to Aotearoa is a good sign that there populations are the up .
That albino calf was cute.
I have read on the amount of whaling stations we had in Aotearoa there were a lot in the 1800 we had a lot of whales to .
trump will cheat on the Kavanaugh investigation hes a cheat he can’t help himself.
Tesla will be fine there is a new report from the World scientist about human caused climate change I can see it won’t be good for us the lobbyist briber’s money has stop people seeing reality .
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls you wiped the big smile off Mulls face James we spent a couple of years in Hams
The Golf was good in Europe this weekend E hoa enough said .
T J 50 a congrats E hoa .
The Rosters won the grand final. Eco a Roster so I’m quite happy with that out come.
The Wahine Rugby and League player’s have some good tackles. Yes the Ausses are still trying to get there heads around that subject .
Ka kite ano P.S that’s a good battle wound James
Kia ora I say get rid of the Sugar thats the way to lose weight when one can not afford the expensive fresh vegetables .
I’m not going to pick a favorite bird Eco favors all bird’s this is a good way to promote our bird’s I can here them singing at the minute.
I say that a 4 day week would work for some forestry silver culture keep the van’s full mo to thur 3 days off ad a xtra hour a day for production so you will only lose 4 hours but save a days costs and have happy workers .
Red light cameras will slow down our vehicle accident rate . I say reducing the speed in Auckland central city is a good thing .
I see Massey University is promoting te tangata whenua at its 3 sites the first in Australasia to do this Ka pai
Ka kite ano
Here is another solution to our rivers pollution problem’s .
Our Awa has problems from 150 years ago were our tipuna were scared of unproductive land being taken they clear felled all the trees the whenua slipped into the river now the river floods often this has eroded thousands of acres of good land into the river. The manuka has grown all around the whenua now Ka pai ka kite ano.
The Block 2018 was a great season Giss greats won .
I remember the Australian first block they renovated a block of brick 2 story flat’s .
I enjoy watching people renovating building house’s I would be good at it the wife is the artist good with colors well I’m color blind so that’s not my job but I can fix most things don’t give up is Eco Maori moto I won’t say never one has to leave room for negotiation Kia kaha Ka kite ano link below.
Here we go some more disturbing fact’s on inequality for tangata whenua health .
Our bowel cancer screening we need a big push to extend maori & Pacific tangata life expectancy up to European New Zealanders .
A lot of us die before we reach retirement age we are dieing way to young for my liking’s .
All that has to happen is early screening and treatment of this cancer ka kite ano.
Link is below .
The drug companies have twisted the system to buy drugs in their favour .
Rebate have grown to over $500 million this system will be used by the companies to manipulate Pharmac into buy there old lines of drugs which will not be the best drugs for the people at the best price link is below ka kite ano P.S see how fast these rebates have grown under shonky’s rule
There has been a break through for cancer treatment drugs will the browns get access to these drugs well we will be last once again .
There is more information on how these rip off drug companies behave.
One cure to this is to make campany’s charters law so they have to have humane intentions before profits quite simple solution for a lot of Papatuanuku ill’s .
But no the power full company’s won’t let the worlds governments make these change’s link below
Kia ora Newshub the someone has taken over the teacher’s union’s that’s clear for me to see who ever in charge deliberately stiring up a storm in a tea cup.
Does any one else see that there were troubles with the Wellington Bus services now Auckland some one is deliberately interfering with these service’s .
All the other ex prime ministers except shonky stayed out of the media for at least 3 years so why is shonky still hanging around. He has made a lot of money and he is still interfering with our political seen . I heard some one say they are bitter Eco got a sore face.
Tegel mega chicken farm it looks like it was going to be built on flood prone land .
I say that new neighbors should not be aloud to affect the lives of the people in a negative way so good that its been stopped in Kaipara.
That Waikato Ruakura transport hub is huge.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls yes it would be cool if they brought the trophy to Tokoroa I smell some thing with Greg .
Its the amazing powers of mans best friend the drug sniffer dog the drug some sport people use will STUFF U up.
Yes James I’m not into all the hiking evolved in hunting all tho it was a 8 hour walk in and 8 out packing a pig and stag in the Matawai between 3 of us I was unfit and stuffed after that hunt
The Irish no how to get the fan’s attention Fury likes the jab
Ka kite ano
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
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Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
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Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
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Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
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Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
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Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Stop 90m Queens Wharf extension, community groups tell Phil Goff
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12133598
Auckland council and Ports of Auckland can’t help themselves to continue to steal the harbour and appropriate more public land to help multibillionaire business at the expense of most Kiwis right to use their own public land freely that they pay for through rates!
BTW – Cruise ships do not have to pay the measly $35 tax to help conservation. Pathetic!
Cruise ships are highly polluting and their so called tourist dollars only help a very tiny amount of businesses (often foreign owned) that are congregated in highly priced locations aka not the little guy who can’t afford the rents.
Phil Goff promised not to take any more land for the harbour and is breaking his promise.
More intergenerational theft by the council!
On top of the ‘funny’ money when apparently the Auckland council are 600 million in surplus, (although borrowing hundreds of millions from the government for yet more spec house development????)
Also on top of America’s cup costing hundreds of millions of dollars that the ratepayers have to pay for and appropriating more harbour for multibillion dollar pursuits.
The world’s largest cruise ship and its supersized pollution problem
As Harmony of the Seas sets sail from Southampton docks on Sunday she will leave behind a trail of pollution – a toxic problem that is growing as the cruise industry and its ships get ever bigger
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/21/the-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-and-its-supersized-pollution-problem
Clean, Green NZ, no more…turn a blind eye to massive polluters that cruise ships generate…
“But marine pollution analysts in Germany and Brussels said that such a large ship would probably burn at least 150 tonnes of fuel a day, and emit more sulphur than several million cars, more NO2 gas than all the traffic passing through a medium-sized town and more particulate emissions than thousands of London buses.
According to leading independent German pollution analyst Axel Friedrich, a single large cruise ship will emit over five tonnes of NOX emissions, and 450kg of ultra fine particles a day.
Bill Hemmings, marine expert at Brussels-based Transport and Environment group said: “These ships burn as much fuel as whole towns. They use a lot more power than container ships and even when they burn low sulphur fuel, it’s 100 times worse than road diesel.”
“Air pollution from international shipping accounts for around 50,000 premature deaths per year in Europe alone, at an annual cost to society of more than €58bn [ $65bn],” says the group on its website.”
“Auckland council are 600 million in surplus”
That is completely a a false flag. They still have huge capital spending which isnt counted in that sort of accounting procedure.
600 million in surplus? Must be time to update their IT then.
Just the usual ‘funny’ numbers that accountants like to release to media that are meaningless… because you can pretend you are doing a great job fiscally by hiding debts..
A “dolphin” floats. It is not a wharf extension. It enables larger ships to tie up.
What a laugh. That big fat zero H duP is SCORING! Jacinda Ardern. Didn’t waste my time reading it. Maybe I should have. Just the headline was enough though.
Andrea Vance has been providing background info that illuminates how Labour conducted the CTO process: “Further documents revealed the fingerprints of Labour party president Nigel Haworth and former apparatchik GJ Thompson. Ardern was more heavily involved in the process than previously let on. Importantly, the State Services Commission ruled the appointment robust and unbiased.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107455388/andrea-vance-a-week-of-grubby-politics-in-contrast-to-new-york-performance
So the SSC reviewed Labour’s conduct of the CTO recruitment process and decided they had run the process appropriately. Curran, as Minister leading that process, can take credit for that presumably. After months of media & political commentary suggesting that Curran’s meetings & emails with Handley were inappropriate, we now know it was all total crap. Several weeks ago I asked onsite here what rule she was supposed to have broken and got no response.
Media blather about nothing, everyone fascinatedly recycling irrelevant speculation, carefully avoiding the lack of evidence. Vance writes “when she gets back home, there’s plenty of murk to cut through.” But Ardern wasn’t displaying any interest in cutting through the murk as it kept building up since summer, so why would she suddenly decide to cut through it now?? If she was a cut-through type of leader she would have issued this public statement long ago: “As far as I know Minister Curran hasn’t broken any rules in her conduct of our CTO process, but the SSC will investigate and report on that.”
“A recruitment firm with close links to the Prime Minister’s office was involved in hiring the Government’s new chief technology officer, new documents reveal. JacksonStone and Partners completed due diligence on two finalists for the job – one of which was Derek Handley. Heather Church is principal consultant at the firm. She is also married to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s chief of staff, Mike Munro.”
“The firm also carried out recruitment for Ardern’s vacant chief press secretary earlier this year. It has been a member of the All-of-Government Recruitment and Consulting panel since 2012, which allows companies to pitch for specialist contracts.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107422821/no-bias-in-handley-recruitment-report-concludes
“Numerous applications were received and Curran and officials whittled the list down to 18 candidates. They were assessed by Curran’s private secretary “against a criteria matrix consisting of mana, ability to influence, strategic ability and relevant experience.” Vance provides plenty other interesting details too…
Fire the recruiters, they did a hideous job and not only that are compromised by having family members in Jacinda’s office.
If the government had bothered to open the process up to multiple recruiters who actually knew the IT industry then they may have attracted candidates or at least given a heads up what sort of role it was because it certainly was not a CTO one, given advice to the government so it did not turn into a train wreck and run the process appropriately, instead of wasting candidates time for months, humiliating the candidates and running the public service into the muck.
To reject 60 candidates from the get go, is alarming, then to come to Handley after a further 79 is alarming…
If they wanted someone not technical it should have been clearer and certainly the got the basics wrong, like the job title.
Typical NZ, (and bad recruiters) they can’t even get the basics right or even understand why they can’t retain talent in this country, or talent remaining has no interest in becoming involved with the government screw ups.
Where did you get the ‘further 79 from’
Once they had seen the first 60 applications, I think they job description was revised substantially, like often happens even for small jobs.
““In particular, I see the chief technology officer working on issues such as improving digital equality, protecting citizens’ rights online, and building a connected nation, alongside the Digital Economy and Digital Inclusion Advisory Group and the other advisory groups I have already signalled I will be establishing.
“Although the role sits within the government context, the chief technology officer will require a collaborative way of working across government, with ministers and officials, and with a range of other stakeholders to shape and drive New Zealand’s digital agenda,” Ms Curran says.
Why bother wasting everybody’s time you have to wonder, it’s clear by the emails that he was discussing the role with Jacinda and got Clare Curren so excited by all the non tech buzz words that she could understand, she thought it was like ‘Star Trek’.
Does the released emails sound impartial? Nope. Bear in mind the guy is not technical at all, never been a CTO before, no qualifications in tech and before even starting he was talking about assembling a massive team to do the work for him, while he (in his head) had a staring role in Davos, aka not really planning to spend much time in NZ then… getting the extensive team of grunts to do his work for him…
It’s like advertising for a doctor, and then getting a person who was involved a medical marketing company decade ago and then been a low level figure head overseas who then asks his mates to find a job for him back in NZ and needs an extensive team to do his job, which he describes as a ‘social’ role not a technical one.
The worldwide focus on tech is getting and retaining the superb tech skills to make ideas work and now every business needs to have suburb tech, the difference between survival and obsolescence.
Tech has moved on from the 1990’s marketing and self promoter types who made a buck a few decades ago, who are a dime a dozen in the industry.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12130986
One of the many txts between government and Derek Handley. Does not sound impartial!
To: Jacinda
Hello!
So close to the baby arriving! Then….POP. It’ll be out before you know it 🙂 So exciting.
About a month ago we were texting back and forth, I said I really wanted to put some
ideas to you as to how I could be of service. In my mind I had started to develop
thoughts ranging from Davos to our links to China’s new economy. Things I think I can
pull together and work on from the edges of Govt. Listed some samples below.
But here is where I have landed: over the course of May I was approached by an
increasing number of people I really respect, to strongly consider applying for the CTO
role.
I had never thought about it seriously – mostly probably because the recruiting started
last year when we had not decided about moving back home, I wasn’t paying attention.
I thought very long and deeply about it, and in the end, I concluded that for now I
genuinely believe the most service I could be to you and New Zealand is actually in that
role. I think I could really do it amazingly well.
So on the weekend I submitted an application.
In that light, let’s see how that process pans out independently – whatever happens will
be the right thing. But if that role isn’t in the stars, then I would LOVE to meet up in
September and revisit some ideas and thinking when my wife and I are back in New
Zealand! I’m so keen to come home and help you. I have such unique and weird skills
and networks around the world – I want to put them to work and help so much.
Be well.
dh
Sample of Thoughts
>●
Designing an impactful and surprising Davos presence
●
Alternative to this: New Zealand could design a new model for a Davos type global
collective to shape/steer thinking for our generation
●
Asia summit x New Economy
●
Govt x Sustainability
●
Global next-generation wealth-holder/change-makers
Derek Handlay Sal, Aug 11,2018 319212 AM
To Clale Culran
Hello Clare
So excited to be moving forward with this. It’s such an amazing opponunity and privilege to help shape New Zealand
– has sent me a draft offer letteri which I review and get back to her on logistic and administrative next steps but I
assume I should lay out my more essential questions and thoughts here with you.
As we spoke about below I’m laying out my main questions and thoughts I would like to start to work through with you over
the coming days Let me know if I should be dealing with. on any of the below)
Let’s chat again very soon please!
Derek
1. Resources and team – this is my number one most pressing consideration and has been from the outset – I am
excited to really dive into this as soon as you have time to
All of the obiectives (digital equal 1 economy I connected nation) etc require a lot of thinking, coordination
mapping and communicating – the resources for this are my primary concern
Aside from those above objectives – developing a stakeholder-led strategy requires a dedicated sharp and
creative team lull time
The original cabinet paper notes two dedicated stall members from GDCO and MBIE – is this still the thinking?
Would love to chat more about this with you and whoever else would be involved in resourcing, How would we
handle external hires/contractors/suppon ifdeemed best?
have an idea of the type of team think would be ideal and imagine it to be a mix of internal and external
people – as well as some international thinkers
2. Operational budgeufunding
a To carry out the functions in the role well, there also needs to be some operational budget for things like
convening communications design content etc for stakeholder and community collaboration as well as the
outputs you would need (published maleriaL web contentetc) lorthatengagement
3. Conllicts or Disclosures
submitted a draft proposal of issues and potential conllicts in the intenhew process On the phone you
mentioned it’s best we work through this togetherfitst – I have attached the memo to this email so you can see
howl laid it out.
Each one needs to be worked through carefully so that everybody understands them fully but think the most
sensitive one is- if your advice comes back than can keep and lust be acutely
aware of managing any lwould much prefer this – especially given 0 contract is lust one year
and can be terminated
4, Timing has also asked about this so share the below her too –
amily and I will be on the ground on Monday the 10th of September – my preference would be to announce
in person during thatweek My preference for a start date would be October to give me a lew weeks to get
settled as we have just bought a new house its got renovations etci getting. in school and all that stuff.
Not sure how this sits you,
5, Location
it hasn’t been mentioned In any material to date that this role requires being located in Wellington so I have
assumed location is not I understand from that I get an some at (I assume tn
have some ldeas amund location – I would ptefer a mostly work embedded/”In Resldence” Ihe communtly
atvarious organisations around the country – but would like an Auckland base as well
a. “Announcement”
Would like to hear your thoughts on how you have been thinking about this The announcement itself is an
opportunity to kick off a broader engagement campaign and enlist self-selected leaders who to
collaborate My preference would be to not ‘waste’ the announcement by just making it one way — but by using
it to kick off a two way conversation from the outset
SaveNZ @ (3.1.1.1.1.1) … Thanks for the info. Clare Curran was not the best person to be dealing with this.
I could be wrong, but from most of the information I’ve seen and heard, it seems to me in my very humble opinion for all it’s worth, DH is/has been calling the shots.
Never heard of the guy before this fiasco raised its ugly head! For someone supposed to be intelligent, as well as tech savvy, from what I’ve seen, his written communication skills, as well as the presentation of his correspondence is not good for a “professional” … spelling errors, poor sentence and paragraph structure etc. If these English language features are indicative of his job skills, then I sure wouldn’t want to employ him to represent me!
This whole government CTO issue comes across (to me that is), as being very odd indeed!
It sounds like a bullshit job consisting of wasting other people’s time on pointless makework.
Greens are going for more change.
Better to kill off the glitter covered shit that is social security legislation and start again from scratch imo
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/367581/greens-campaign-for-sanction-free-welfare-system
“Sanction-free welfare” might look like a UBI. But it will be a cold day in hell – this after all is the country of sanction-free capital gain.
We just love it when people get money for doing nothing, as long as that ‘nothing’ is watching the values of their rental properties inflate. But if that ‘nothing’ is staying at home and raising young kids, we go ape-shit at them.
If that sounds like a profound and probably irremediable moral corruption mixed with an unhealthy dose of racism – that’s because it is.
AB
+100
Chris Trotter raises several questions, around why the NZDF have demanded that the inquiry into the deaths of Afghan villagers at the hands of the NZDF should be held in secret.
Operation Burnham Inquiry To Proceed Under Cover Of Darkness
Chris Trotter – Bowalley Road, September 29, 2018
My question refers to the independence of our Defence Forces from the influence of our Allies.
According to Trotter, protecting the interests of our ally is the motive given by the NZDF for the need for a secret hearing.
Shouldn’t the interests of the New Zealand people and the Afghan villagers who have been sinned against in our name, be put first by our Defence Force before the interests of our allies?
When our closest military ally the USA, is according to commentators like Mike Moore and others, on the brink of fascism, where would this leave our Defence Force? Will they break the strong ties they have with the US, or will the NZDF become a Fifth Column working against the interests of New Zealanders.
As Chris Trotter says:
The irony is that the US is often far more open about many of these things- the secrecy is really about protecting NZDF
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900008922/pentagon-restricts-release-of-afghanistan-war-data.html
The US will still spin the investigation process and take no further action but at least an investigation is done
No where in the NZDF Statement Of Intent is there any mention of protecting New Zealand’s independence as a sovereign nation. Instead, we read this:
The NZDF concentration on becoming “integrated internationally with
our military partners…”, might make it very hard for the NZDF to extricate itself from the US, if that state descends into fascism.
Defence Force planners are supposed to explore all defence scenarios, and forward planning for all contingencies and threats. I wonder if one of our military planners projected contingency plans includes plans to explore cutting NZDF integration with the US military on the US descending into fascism.
My guess is not.
And so they will be caught completely unprepared. To the detriment of us all.
Also telling..
“People: Developing a flexible, resilient
and affordable workforce”
“Relationships: Building and
maintaining the strength of our
domestic, international and commercial
relationships in order to maximise our
combined effect.”
Note the words AFFORDABLE for the defence workforce
Note the words COMMERCIAL relationships needing defence..
Neoliberalism knows no sovereignty, only cost cutting and protecting commercial profits of the elite at the expense of the many, and protecting the elite power…. which are not necessarily domestic, could be international or commercial…
Our relationships for defence also seem to be built around the ego’s of two world leaders, Trump and Xi Jinping. Shared values (sarcasm) that that our military works for in real terms.
Michael Moore talks about the threat of fascism in the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TizKmVsLVtE
You would find the Defence Policy is dictated by the Government of the Day in conjunction with MFAT, MoD/ NZDF IRT with Manning and Capabilities and funding from Treasury.
Since the Salami slicing of Manning and Capability from 1991 onwards, New Zealand how has to rely on its Allies a lot more now since WW2 as a result of Salami cuts in part driven ideology of Treasury and political ideologies base around Free Trade, the Free Market, Globalisation or we are at the ass end of the world no one would bother about us.
If you want the NZDF to have an independent Defence Policy, then more money has to thrown towards, but at what cost to health, education, doc, transport etc?
During East Timor ie INTERFET- 2003 there was an expectation that the penny may’ve or finally dropped to all concern that having and maintaining an independent NZDF was in the best interest to the Country. But no it didn’t happen because of cost and especially once NZDF submitted its lessons learnt or as I would say lessons relearned from INTERFET and the resulting UN Peacekeeping mission, but it was very quietly serve by Government and Treasury.
Even the events of 2006 in the SP region and the after the 2018 Defence Policy review which was released a couple of mths ago Government, Treasury and those other Depts outside of the Ministry for Defence, MoD/ NZDF that you still need to throw more at Defence if you want to be less dependent on your Allies and again at what cost to education, health etc. Thence why we as a nation takes the easy route of less fiction, less money on defence by relying on our allies.
Yes I understand your concerns about the USA atm and I all think that everyone here on is concern about what is happening in the US atm. But until both sides of the house, the policy wonks, treasury and the rest of NZ wake up IRT to Defence, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Aid Development etc then the status quo will prevail every time there is change.
The Greens Defence Policy is not an option either as it doesn’t reflect reality on the ground and again written by someone or persons who are either policy wonks or read to much into Peacekeeping theory in University or out of book instead of looking at lessons learnt from pass Peacekeeping missions amd understanding the environment that NZDF operates in.
Do the Greens understand what the average sea state around NZ and SP? As Landing Ship with a Docking Well can operate up to sea state 6, where as the Landing Ship with a ramp like the current in service RNZN Landing Ship can only operate in sea state or less while conducting Ship to Shore Transfer. Or-
Do the Greens really understand what Defensive Operations is and mean Military POV? I sure do and I have been doing it for the last 19yrs Airbase /Airfield Ground Defence operator in warlike and Peacetime along with my time in NZ Army in NZ Scots (RNZAC) in the 90’s.
Nor is the National Party much chop either Defence and like US Military DFAT food it look’s like ass and tastes like ass.
American soldiers are good at cleaning up locker rooms.
Shame about their less than stellar efforts everywhere else.
This morning I was watching a bit of college football: Baylor University at Oklahoma. Towards the end of the third quarter, during one of the interminable breaks in the game, the commentators drew attention to a picture of a gleaming locker room, after the Army football team had used it the week before. The picture was captioned: “Leave it how you found it.”
This nifty little P.R. exercise by the Army football team had just the effect they no doubt calculated it would have. Any citizen of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Cuba, Central America, Iraq, Afghanistan would have reflected bitterly that the U.S. Army does anything but leave things how they found them. And any U.S. citizen with an I.Q. above room temperature who was watching that Baylor-Oklahoma game would have thought something similar.
Such scruples didn’t seem to afflict the fellows commentating the game, however. One of them burbled:
If only the U.S. Army treated everywhere like a stadium locker-room. If only….
https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Fallujah,_the_information_war_and_U.S._propaganda
Fly Ryanair – (Wryanair?) – Why?
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/09/30/airline-workers-take-on-ryanairs-reign-of-fear/
Those recruited by Ryanair usually work there for a few years, either on a temporary basis or on an Irish employment contract that grants hardly any rights. A regime of repression and fear has so far been able to keep workers submissive.
Ryanair cuts every corner
There is a world of difference between the work of a stewardess in the 1980s and the situation of the cabin crew at Ryanair today. The downgrading of this group of workers is the result of a relentless price war following the deregulation of the airline industry in the 1990s. Ryanair became Europe’s largest airline during this period because of the radical savings made at every turn, most notably in the wages of cabin crews whose work was transformed into that of a flying corps of pushers of snacks and scratch tickets – a major source of revenue for the airline and an essential criterion for promotion.
In order to reduce costs, the airline is exploiting the plight of young people in Southern and Eastern Europe. During the euro crisis, Italy, Spain and Portugal in particular experienced a wave of emigration due to high youth unemployment. Young and often highly qualified migrant workers are welcome cheap labourers in the catering trade, in delivery services – and even in the aviation industry. The wage of around 1200 EUR per month at German Ryanair locations seems generous at first glance, as it is twice as high as an entry-level salary in the countries of origin. However, what many of the young workers do not include in their calculations is the cost of living in the countries in which they are stationed without a say in where they want to go.
The dream of independence quickly fizzles out when the only housing option is a small shared flat near a remote airport. Local social security contributions also have to be paid. Meanwhile, Ryanair’s profits have exploded – tripling between 2014 and 2016. “Ryanair acts cleverly in the interests of its shareholders”, says a Polish flight attendant with many years of experience with the company, “but it’s all on our shoulders”.
Like trying to exist in Auckland or in Queenstown!
Grumpy graffiti – Competition Rules OK!
The airline industry is a haven for the terminally stupid and irresponsible. Michael O’Leary, the boss of Ryanair, is one of the worst people in the whole world—but he’s no worse than one dipstick that we’ve produced ourselves. A few days after the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011, the Air New Zealand boss Rob “Fuckwit” Fyfe appeared on television to assure New Zealanders that the fuss over so-called nuclear leaks was a beat-up, and there was nothing to worry about. He advised us to do as he did, which was to accept the word of the Japanese government’s PR people, and not to trust the word of so-called “experts”.
At the same time as the Fuckwit was making that infamous appearance, the Japanese government was seriously contemplating the evacuation of Tokyo.
Here’s a picture of the great man, characteristically deep in thought…
http://www.iata.org/iata/sites/agm/2009/file/agm2009-02.jpg
@Savenz and one or two others.
I’ve been thinking (and so far it hasn’t really hurt that much, although I might need a bit of a lay down soon)
Kind of a bit of a yea/nah moment in terms of responses to that Brian Easton contribution on Pundit, and then ….. what was that running joke about recruiters?.
Something about what do you do when you’re not very good at [insert profession here (such as prgrammer/web developer/entrepreneur)]?. Answer: become a recruitment agency ticket clipper specialising in your failed field. Alternatively, a real estate agent or even immigration advisor (or maybe even a gNat politician). No credentials or sense of morality required.
And then I was thinking about the growing ‘tribal’ phenomenon – the label in and of itself a bit problematic. The difference between a tribe and it’s preparedness for a co-operative approach .v. one of uber-competitiveness, ego and a desire for dominance.
And then I was thinking that the co-alition ekshully have quite a few things that COULD earn them a few brownie points that even the dysfunctional MSM (Garners and DuplicityAirheads and grumpy old men and others) could get ‘on board with going forward’.
Actually they should be ‘positioning’ themselves now. OR is that ‘pivoting’? I think it’s the latter.
One such ‘populist’ ussue (in light of the MSM’s increasing reportage of gun related crime) would be the creation of a proper register – i.e. not just gun owners, but the weaponry they own.
Another might actually be to stop paying lip service to open government and to provide us with one or two examples that matter.
But you know …… incrementailsm, Rome wasn’t built in a day, Hope and Change, and its a FUCKING sight better than what we had before.
I can’t cope! Anyone got a pill for me? Never mind …. I’ll sleep it off
Don’t be Rip van Winkle though Once was Tim. We need the thinking ones with a desire for positive outcomes good for us all to counter the trolls. (And I apologise to any of Terry Pratchett’s trolls who now live in a relatively mixed society and feel the freedom blowing across their lichen.)
Helllo
“The Daily Blog” bombastic as always, has declared Jacinda “Shallow”.
The Standard
Fills its escarpment with reams of strange retarded Trolls .
Micky Savage being almost the only defender.
But I suppose it keeps the wealthy amused and on top of the greed game.
I thought that our PM had worked in the office of Helen Clark in when she was PM.
Did she learn nothing?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12134068
So we, the taxpayer, had to pay for a professional 3 person crew from a US Ad Agency to film propaganda that would be used, according to Ms Ardern, in her Political campaigning.campaign material. The money comes out of the Labour Party Leaders fund.
Does she not remember Helen doing exactly the same thing in 2005 when they used the funds to pay for the Pledge Card? Highly illegal according to the Auditor-General. However Ardern, like Clark, appears to believe that she is above the law.
As with Ardern’s stuff up when she didn’t even know what GDP is her office has come out and announced that “She didn’t really mean” what she so clearly said she meant.
Is she really as dumb as she appears, or is it that she simply doesn’t give a damn about obeying the law?
I wonder if it was these professional Ad agency staff who told her to try and get her daughter into every public appearance?
We deserve better from our Peters’ led Government.
Sure beats spending money from Bill English’s Leaders fund to pay off the complainant in the Todd Barclay scandal though eh?
I have no idea what if anything was spent there and what might have gone on.
This is illegal.
Was that?
And do you agree that this is disgraceful, or is this all hunky-dory?
Also, one must remember that Barclay is no longer an MP.
Do you propose that Ms Ardern should quit?
We don’t know how much of the Leaders Fund was spent on the Barclay scandal because National went to great lengths to keep that information from the public.
Using the Leaders Fund for comms purposes is not illegal and whatever Paula Bennett might say won’t make it illegal. Anyway the Claire Trevett piece in the Herald points out that Embassies would sometimes hire local photographers to film Key in exactly the same way.
Let’s face it the Leaders Fund is basically a slush fund used for a myriad of dodgy purposes by all participants. Your hypocrisy on the issue is a tad distasteful though.
Barclay was eventually thrown under the bus by his political masters and that’s the only reason he’s no longer an mp. He used to be my mp and believe me if he could still have his nose in the trough he surely would.
I propose that Ms Ardern just keep trucking along, she’s doing great.
It’s ok the PM’s office has said Ardern “misspoke” and the photo’s / movie will not be used for electioneering purposes…which is illegal.
“I propose that Ms Ardern just keep trucking along, she’s doing great.”
So do I ScottGN. At this rate, she will run out of ministers before 2020.
That is of course the “But they did it to, defence”.
Did National really steal more than $800,000?
And then claim that it should be legal and pass a law to validate the theft?
Well no, but that doesn’t seem to bother you. Your heroine can clearly do no wrong.
I’ll bet that you supported that little fraudster Meteria T in her little fraud as well.
And you have the gall to accuse me of hypocrisy! You really are the prime example of hypocrisy in todays examples, aren’t you?
You are losing it you rwnj – all you’ve got is lies and putrid putdowns of everyone especially women. Are you a sad lonely little man or are you just a sicko?
Oh dear.
Forgot to take your pills I see.
You really are going to have to find a better system to remind you.
Whine harder! Come on you can do it. Whine harder!
It really is time you joined AA isn’t it Barfy?
It might prevent this effect of your gross overindulgence in alcohol.
https://www.google.com/search?q=barf&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-NZ:IE-Address&ie=&oe=
Why Are Some on the Left Falling for Fake News on Syria?
Sonali Kolhatkar – Common Dreams, September 20, 2018
Take your pick:
Common Dreams
Truth Dig
The Guardian
Democracy Now
Fact Checker
Bellingcat
Snopes
Vs Bill and Ed and Mike Smith’s favourite pro-Assad sources
Liberty Report
RT
Fox News
Mint Press
The Canary
Jimmy Dore
meanwhile in secular liberal syria at the footie match.
https://twitter.com/ahmadalissa/status/1045791651858448389
Is this the same Latakia football stadium, where in scenes reminiscent of the Pinochet regime, the Assad regime herded Palestinian refugees, before disappearing some of them and driving the rest out of the city?
And then went on to level the Al Ramel refugee camp?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/15/syria-palestinians-latakia-assault
Wow Jenny
An unattributed report from a newspaper that publishes “Like” diatribes of Luke Harding and is 7 years dated – give us some FACTS !
Um – So Assad is Hezbollah friendly – but targets Palestinian refugees ?
I did some thinking, and – consequently – thought otherwise.
Still pushing snopes – frightening.
what’s wrong with them?
You mean apart from their relationship with facebook?
The one we are have no access to assess, review or criticise – do you mean apart from that?
Well if they are your issues so be it. Seems small time to me.
The largest censorship program in modern times is small time to you.
Good to know.
Which sites do you use that allow you to “assess, review or criticise” ?
Not sure about the censorship thing – like what you’re actually talking about.
Hey Jenny
I take these daily, in addition to “some of yours” and all the MSM;
sputnik.abkhazia.ru
sputniknews.com
craigmurray.org.uk
antiwar.com
zerohedge.com
rt.com
salisburyjournal.co.uk
wiltshiretimes.co.uk
presstv.ir
dninews.com (deprecated)
qanon.pub
Assume the prescription – then your ascription will be only what is prescribed !
Kiwibuild homes in Wanaka?
OMG pass me the smelling salts it can’t be true.
It most certainly is, and I’m waiting for them to be announced in Queenstown too.
Next one for Mr Twyford down here will be the airport problem. A new regional airport and associated transport infrastructure?
https://crux.org.nz/community/air-nz-says-its-time-for-a-bigger-bolder-braver-conversation-about-a-new-regional-airport/
truth hurts eh gnats lol
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/367608/peters-calls-national-leaderless-moribund-and-vacuous
and the big slam back by si?
“Mr Bridges said he wouldn’t dignify the comments with a response.”
Ha ha classic
Another quote from Winnie’s speech: (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107491740/winston-peters-attacks-simon-bridges-and-national-in-conference-speech)
“Peters said his party was formed in opposition to neoliberalism and trickle-down economics, and it still held that position.
“To quote Clint Eastwood, don’t piddle on me and tell me it’s raining.”
With Labour and the Greens, he had found two parties who agreed with this.”
Is opposition to neoliberalism now coalition policy?
Pretty childish comments from the PM.
You’d expect a bit more gravitas
He’s wearing the Leader of NZ First hat at this Party event, don’t you think?
I 100% agree with you. The acting PM, Peters should have been more direct and called a spade a spade:
If I was calling the shots I’d say fuck the old prick and rule out NZ first.
Tell the voters, you want a centre-right government your only option is to vote National.
2020 could be the first one-party MMP government we’ve had.
Think you are on the wrong platform BM if you seriously want anybody here to vote for National, whatever the faults of the Coalition. Anyway, Winnie said he’d still be around in 25 years time, so National may have a long time to wait!
Winnie said he’d still be around in 25 years time, so National may have a long time to wait!
Good one, the pickled old fuck could be dead tomorrow.
But anyway, look at the way he’s treating Labour/Greens, they’re his bitches, they’re only there to do his bidding.
Why the fuck would National want to sign up to that?
oh deary getting sweary, try being left and you might be merry
mate you are on the wrong side of history – the gnats are useless and si is even worse – what a rabble lol
Yep Winston and NZF definitely dodged a bullet by going into a Coalition with Labour & the Greens.
she just ignores simon – seems to work cos nobody rates him do they?
Its classic Winston, he is currently in Governing mode however come election time he will change over to survive mode.
classic Winston – skewering si that’s for sure – he’ll never come back from that roasting – his whole caucus is laughing behind his back I bet.
National need to Bring Back Don Brash if they want any hope of winning the 2020 Election, time for another Orewa Speech perhaps ?
Brash is a bigoted hate monger imo so most of his speech is vile.
Winston reckons Bridges will be gone burger b4 the 2020 General Election ?
“Winston Peters had harsh words for National, saying the party had become ‘bitter and jealous’.”
National: ‘bitter and jealous’.”
Bitter and jealous.
Kia ora The Am Show the people who got riped off Duncan are the common people for the last nine year’s billion’s flowing up to the % 0.1 .
The young people from Gisborne deserved the win I say the Auction worked out I seen people make no money on some of the other Block episodes Is Mark hung over lol off to Anura Bay you did good with the young one’s kia kaha it is a good show Mark all the best to all the contestants.
simon how does petrol and diesel prices affect electricity prices or rent we know that government’s don’t throw out new revenue stream’s when they first get elected I see a few bitter move’s made by national . I think it’s a good idea to vet our new resident’s so we get people with the same values as us respect all .
I tau toko Andrew Becroft approach to our problem children a local community Marae based care that teaches them morels and there culture.
Sam the League man its been a good season for League .
Kia Kaha Marama you advocate for the people who have lost the most over the last 9 years ka pai Did you know that the mokopuna’s are the ones who suffer when the state cut’s or freezes benefits.
Duncan if Marama had of given you figures you would have attracted her with them do you still need a tisue.
I say the neutral tax plan is a way of re balancing our tax to be more fairer to all.
The tax system’s of the last 150 year’s has been un fair as it is Te tangata whenua who have been TAX THE MOST.
Ka kite ano P.S I back the advocating for councils to bad advertising alcohol in public places.
I don’t believe in luck Duncan its all skills thank’s to my tipuna’s genetic gift’s
Some Music from Eco Maori
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8A9Y1Dq_cQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn-AB78kvvE
Kia ora Newshub I will have to be more care full but I have my reasons for my statements one will have to check my old post to figure that out.
The housing market is going up in provincial Aotearoa and that is opposite to the reality national are trying to paint .
Alfred I think its a little dumb for a brown person to back national when one can see what has happened to a lot of brown people under the bridge I could say more about your reality but I have my morels .
I wonder if our teacher’s have read the book golden goose I hope they got the story line.
The Right whales coming to Aotearoa is a good sign that there populations are the up .
That albino calf was cute.
I have read on the amount of whaling stations we had in Aotearoa there were a lot in the 1800 we had a lot of whales to .
trump will cheat on the Kavanaugh investigation hes a cheat he can’t help himself.
Tesla will be fine there is a new report from the World scientist about human caused climate change I can see it won’t be good for us the lobbyist briber’s money has stop people seeing reality .
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls you wiped the big smile off Mulls face James we spent a couple of years in Hams
The Golf was good in Europe this weekend E hoa enough said .
T J 50 a congrats E hoa .
The Rosters won the grand final. Eco a Roster so I’m quite happy with that out come.
The Wahine Rugby and League player’s have some good tackles. Yes the Ausses are still trying to get there heads around that subject .
Ka kite ano P.S that’s a good battle wound James
Kia ora I say get rid of the Sugar thats the way to lose weight when one can not afford the expensive fresh vegetables .
I’m not going to pick a favorite bird Eco favors all bird’s this is a good way to promote our bird’s I can here them singing at the minute.
I say that a 4 day week would work for some forestry silver culture keep the van’s full mo to thur 3 days off ad a xtra hour a day for production so you will only lose 4 hours but save a days costs and have happy workers .
Red light cameras will slow down our vehicle accident rate . I say reducing the speed in Auckland central city is a good thing .
I see Massey University is promoting te tangata whenua at its 3 sites the first in Australasia to do this Ka pai
Ka kite ano
Here is another solution to our rivers pollution problem’s .
Our Awa has problems from 150 years ago were our tipuna were scared of unproductive land being taken they clear felled all the trees the whenua slipped into the river now the river floods often this has eroded thousands of acres of good land into the river. The manuka has grown all around the whenua now Ka pai ka kite ano.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/10/01/260029/another-approach-to-our-freshwater-crisis
The Block 2018 was a great season Giss greats won .
I remember the Australian first block they renovated a block of brick 2 story flat’s .
I enjoy watching people renovating building house’s I would be good at it the wife is the artist good with colors well I’m color blind so that’s not my job but I can fix most things don’t give up is Eco Maori moto I won’t say never one has to leave room for negotiation Kia kaha Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/107498406/the-block-ratings-was-season-7-a-success
Here we go some more disturbing fact’s on inequality for tangata whenua health .
Our bowel cancer screening we need a big push to extend maori & Pacific tangata life expectancy up to European New Zealanders .
A lot of us die before we reach retirement age we are dieing way to young for my liking’s .
All that has to happen is early screening and treatment of this cancer ka kite ano.
Link is below .
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367705/health-officials-under-pressure-for-earlier-bowel-cancer-screening-for-maori
The drug companies have twisted the system to buy drugs in their favour .
Rebate have grown to over $500 million this system will be used by the companies to manipulate Pharmac into buy there old lines of drugs which will not be the best drugs for the people at the best price link is below ka kite ano P.S see how fast these rebates have grown under shonky’s rule
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2018/10/drug-deals/
There has been a break through for cancer treatment drugs will the browns get access to these drugs well we will be last once again .
There is more information on how these rip off drug companies behave.
One cure to this is to make campany’s charters law so they have to have humane intentions before profits quite simple solution for a lot of Papatuanuku ill’s .
But no the power full company’s won’t let the worlds governments make these change’s link below
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/10/1/17923720/immunotherapy-cancer-cost
Kia ora Newshub the someone has taken over the teacher’s union’s that’s clear for me to see who ever in charge deliberately stiring up a storm in a tea cup.
Does any one else see that there were troubles with the Wellington Bus services now Auckland some one is deliberately interfering with these service’s .
All the other ex prime ministers except shonky stayed out of the media for at least 3 years so why is shonky still hanging around. He has made a lot of money and he is still interfering with our political seen . I heard some one say they are bitter Eco got a sore face.
Tegel mega chicken farm it looks like it was going to be built on flood prone land .
I say that new neighbors should not be aloud to affect the lives of the people in a negative way so good that its been stopped in Kaipara.
That Waikato Ruakura transport hub is huge.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls yes it would be cool if they brought the trophy to Tokoroa I smell some thing with Greg .
Its the amazing powers of mans best friend the drug sniffer dog the drug some sport people use will STUFF U up.
Yes James I’m not into all the hiking evolved in hunting all tho it was a 8 hour walk in and 8 out packing a pig and stag in the Matawai between 3 of us I was unfit and stuffed after that hunt
The Irish no how to get the fan’s attention Fury likes the jab
Ka kite ano