When opened a month ago, voluminous streams of similar rhetoric about this numinous thing called community. Bounteous cornucopia of mana whenua partnership.
But within days of it opening, it was in reality an unsafe, unlit, no-camera dead end encouraging any lowlife to party hearty and fuck things up. Community formation, sure. A community of antisocial crime.
And who is going to be held responsible? The Council? The designers? The builders? The paper shufflers and beaurocrats who signed it off? The politicians? (Like The all the others around the country on so many projects).
We are in the middle of an election for Auckland Council and its local boards, both of whom had plenty of input. Those locals who have their voting papers should get them in.
Alternatively the central government elections are next year, and here's one influential view of the government performance on transport:
It looks like some extra policing on Friday and Saturday nights coupled with, maybe, a few new bollards or other minor design modifications, and this problem would be largely alleviated.
There is no perfect world out there-this is a societal problem not a transport design problem.
There is an on-going design practice that assesses new builds and public builds for the encouragement or discouragement that these give to opportunities to commit crime (however we define it) It has been around since at least the mid 1980s. It was part of the 'broken windows' campaign.
My view is that perhaps these new builds, public spaces builds need to be formally assessed for encouragement to commit crimes rather than just being monitored through a guideline. 'Shock, horror,' yet another central govt intervention like the Housing Intensification/Zoning and Three Waters for the fans of hands-off miniscule Govt to get their teeth into
It is rather obvious that the vast majority, if not all, of those declared elected soon after October 8 will be there on minority votes of a minority turnout, including the Supercity and Wellington Mayors.
The causes imo…
–Increasing shift from public participation in community affairs and collectivism generally, to individualism since the 80s. Including all the neo lib contracting out and LATE fiascos etc. which basically pummelled County Councils previous roles as providers of full time employment and responsibility for local infrastructure.
–Successive Govt.s make it quite clear that Local Government is pretty well despised by Central Govt. which plays into the hands of parochialism as 3 Waters illustrates.
–Local Govt. in the provinces is often seen by locals as crony based and full of local blowhards and reactionaries, the usual response for those trying to get by is to avoid, the comfortable vote for status quo.
–sinking lid postal system, removal of post boxes, shorter hours, apart from Couriers for online shopping. Who under 35 has ever mailed a letter except for student loans etc.?
–Transient renters–less likely to enrol or receive papers, alienated/switched off ditto.
What to do?
–Reverse the above!
–Online voting, and or a voting day public holiday. Cynics have decryed online voting on technical or potential tampering grounds, and given the last Census who could blame them in a way. But if online is good enough for finance capital to zing billions around the globe, surely it can be used for local democracy.
–Restore a Public Works Dept. with local depots, restore the mana of local Govt.
I think this should be used at general elections too though I'm aware of considerable pushback on this on TS, especially with regard to vote data security, which personally I don't see as a problem with the right safeguards/checks in place.
Another big issue with online voting is accessibility.
Access to Internet, computer literacy, disabilities, ID verification. All barriers to online-only.
Yes, there are ways around this. No, these are not reliably in place for everyday living, let alone once-every-3-years voting.
I'd say a hybrid solution (opt for online or print) might be a better way to go – but given that apparently they can't get voting papers to people reliably when there is only one option, it seems to be a recipe for disastrous voter exclusion.
Yes. However, given the reported failure in delivery of physical voting papers when that's the only option; I don't have confidence that a dual option will have a better success rate.
I have had a regular engagement with individual Auckland Councillors, a number of local boards, and the council bureaucracy over the past 3 years. With a few notable exceptions, I have found the 'machine' to be an oppressive beast.
Council itself uses it's enormous powers to fight against it's own citizens, rather than engaging in authentic conversations with them. There is an unhealthy level of 'tethering' of councillors (this is described by this piece by Chris Trotter) by the ironically named 'democracy services' division of Auckland Council (and I'm sure others). And then there's the 'consultation' process, that Aucklanders now realise is nothing more than a box ticking exercises designed to achieve a particular predetermined outcome.
I have found the LGOIMA process is one way to hold Council to account, but this is a time consuming and laborious process, particularly when some parts of the 'machine' (notably the Tūpuna Maunga Authority) behave in a secretive and belligerent manner. What is reassuring is that our current Ombudsman is very effective in unlocking the subterfuge.
I get the sense that Aucklanders are sick of being ignored by their own elected leadership, and are disengaging from the democratic process as a result. It's an irrational response, to be sure, but there it is.
We live in a low decile part of Papakura. We didn't receive our voting papers. Neither did our neighbours. My partner was convinced it was a voting suppression conspiracy. He phoned every agency he could, to find out what happened to our voting papers and could get no answers.
In the end we both went down to the Papakura Marae where a walk in voting booth had been set up. After showing our driver licence to prove who we were, the election official checked that our names were on the electoral roll. (And sure enough they were). Nothing had changed from last Local Body elections. But we both still had to fill out the forms to cast a 'Special Vote'.
Nanaia Mahuta didn’t receive her voting papers?
Half the people I saw diligently going to the effort to enroll to make a special vote were Maori.
Not just in Papakura. Family friends in Northcote – husband and wife, both in their 70s, lived in the same house for the last 40 years (so clearly electoral details haven't changed). He received his voting pack in the mail; her one never arrived.
Phone calls got nowhere. Finally, she had to go down and register for a special vote.
Luckily she's in active good health, and has the time and energy to follow up – as well as being a committed voter (no idea for what party, but believes it's her civic duty to vote).
I agree, Jenny, many people simply won't have bothered.
I actually prefer Urzilla Carson to Guy Williams. I think Paul Ego, Dai Henwood and Ben Hurley are quite good but I agree we do not have a great talent pool of comedians.
Try watching 8 out of 10 Cats do Countdown to see the British comedians. IMO they are far funnier and cleverer than our comedians.
But when the guy bought the pass in 2016 we'd already had 25 years of warnings about climate change. Was he about 12 at the time? If so, I'd sympathise. This morning – shock and horror about what's happening with the record hurricane in Florida – by now we've had 30 years of warnings. What the hell does it take?
In Whangārei recently 37 new homes and apartments will soon ready for occupation in Puriri Park Rd. An open day was held recently for neighbours to have a look. Local Labour MP Emily Henderson says 500 more are planned by Kainga Ora.
Even worse if last week you were a 52 year old tubby tractor driver from Tyuman who gets puffed walking up the stairs to his second floor apartment thinking of nothing more than how to mash the potatoes for dinner and this week you are sitting in a muddy hole in the rain in a dark forest with a rusty AK-47 that you haven't used in thirty years and with a whole bunch of battle hardened Ukrainians less than 200m away…
I think that (if you look at the map in the article below) the Russians were not over-run in Kharkiv as were led to believe by the western propaganda, but that they (largely) strategically withdrew. Putin seems to have decided to annex just the 4 provinces along the Russian frontier (see map-I think these are largely Russian speaking?) and call it a day. Peace talks to follow next year?
The problem is he still has to keep the war going to finish off conquering Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia-he has probably moved forces from Kharkiv to attack these.
Putin seems to have decided to annex just the 4 provinces along the Russian frontier
Minsk outcome? but with much bloodshed and continuing outbreaks of violence into the future. Not to mention economic damage to EU.
Some people look at Ukraine today and see a rousing success for US policy. I see more than six months of propaganda like the world has never seen, of death and destruction, of economic fiasco in the EU, a vast military-industrial boondoggle, scary nuclear brinksmanship and escalatory spiral with the recent destruction of gas lines in international waters. The EU in particular is between a rock and a hard place.
‘
Now here’s a great Idea. Even better, how about a permanent Climate War Crimes Tribunal, to hear evidence against all alleged climate war criminals for crimes against the climate?
I could think of a some New Zealanders who could be arraigned on this charge.
The call from Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson came as a fourth Nord Stream leak was discovered, intensifying fears of an unprecedented release of planet-heating methane emissions.
…..Since the leaks were first detected earlier this week, scientists have voiced alarm about the climate disaster that could result, given the quantity of gas pouring out of the pipelines and the planet-warming potency of methane.
Danish authorities have estimated that the two pipelines contained a combined 778 million cubic meters of gas when they were breached—and gas is still flowing out of the pipelines days after the leaks were detected.
In comparison New Zealand's annual CO2 equivalent emissions are over 82.3 million tonnes, year in, year out. Those responsible for this shocking statistic would definitely be in the dock.
In 2019 New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas emissions were 82.3 million tonnes of CO₂-e, 0.2 percent lower than 2005 and 26.4 percent higher than 1990.
Russia has just lost its leverage over an energy hungry Germany in particular.
Previously it had the option of turning gas on or off, (citing technical problems to give itself plausible deniability) now its lost that , probably for ever
Germany has lost, probably for ever , the cheapest form of presently available energy to fuel its economy
The US has just bolstered its expensive LNG sales and dealt a blow to both the Russian economy and the Eu.
No surprise that long time deniers of Assad's genocideand Putin's mass murder in Syria also support Putin's slaughter in Ukraine.
Denial and distortion: Obscuring Assad's genocide in Syria
7 min read
Sam Hamad 28 Feb, 2018
If there was one word, apt to summarise the speeches of both Bashar Jaafari, Assad's envoy to the UN, and his former Russian counterpart Vasily Nebenzya's speeches to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) regarding their current murderous efforts in Ghouta, it would be "denial"….
It's a cliché to say that truth is the first casualty of war, but the simple act of denying truth is an extremely effective weapon not merely of war, but of genocide and mass murder…..
Well I'm going for the Swedish Assessment atm, who said that there were 2-3 Russian Special Operations Vessels (A more fancy/ upmarket name for a spy/covert ship) design for Grey Warfare Operations.
Who were in close proximity to were gas pipelines ruptures as they had their Transponders turned off & were caught/ spotted inside the Swedish EEZ.
Every other Tom, Dick & Harry had their Nav Transponders on apart from these larrikins.
Heck even the Norwegian's in the last 72hrs have picked up some dodgy shit since they've stepped up their Maritime Security/ Defence Posture in the Nth Sea which they can't explain either.
Just waiting for the Dane's & Finn's now who are more on ball than the Boxheads these days. IRT the coming & going on's in the Baltic To build up the intelligence picture.
Also there is not alot they can do about either, unless they catch whatever country in the act as most of what has or is happening is international waters & not ones EEZ where a Nation does have the right to search suspect vessels.
It occurred a long way from Russia.Would have thought submarines would be employed.
Not sure how Russia benefits from this.
Of course—-'
ABC News (2/7/2022): Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since…the project is in Germany's control?" Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."
That is quite a definitive statement from the U.S President.
You need to bush up on your geography sport & while you are doing that read up on the USSR Covert activities in Baltic during the Cold War in-particular in the Swedish EEZ including inside it's 12m limit.
The Swedish Military weren't dropping live depth charges for shits & giggles either.
You need to bush up on your geography sport & while you are doing that read up on the USSR Covert activities in Baltic during the Cold War in-particular in the Swedish EEZ including inside it's 12m limit.
The Swedish Military weren't dropping live depth charges for shits & giggles either.
Oh btw the Baltic Sea is just as busy as the Channel in terms of Shipping Volume. Turning off your Navigation Transponder is a rather a idiotic & stupid thing to do in Peacetime as it has the potential to put countless lives at risk & let alone the potential environmental damage within the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream 2 was developed and is operated by Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of the Russian state energy company Gazprom. Nord Stream 2 AG filed for bankruptcy on 1 March 2022. Half the costs of Nordstrom Stream 2 was financed via a loan from Uniper, Wintershall Dea, OMV, Engie, and Royal Dutch Shell.
Presumably Gazprom will not being paying the loan back. And presumably they are now looking to supply gas to others via other pipelines.
ABC News (2/7/2022): Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since…the project is in Germany's control?" Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."
That is quite a definitive statement from the U.S President.
For my own part, I would expect a mine. Easier to place by a static target, I think, though there may be a bit of current through there.
Motives are curious things – I'm sure Putin didn't invade Ukraine to destroy his army and force himself out of power – history may attribute just such a motive to him however, because it seems to be what he has achieved.
Well I tryed must best to use other avenues to get a message to the sandflys bosses but one cannot get a direct ph to contact them.
As I can see there are consequences from using Eco Maori blog??????.
Sandflys bosses this is my message tell your boys to stop stuffing with my Daughters and my mokopuna.
You see whanau they don't care that they are affecting my mokopuna negatively just some bloody Maori in their small minds i can see the negative effects on all 3 of my daughter so get your boys to heel or there will be consequences.
I know how they work cheat do what ever they want they know the bosses will cover it all up can't have negative news about the popo.
Just have as much negative as much news about Tangata Whenua as they can get away with.
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
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Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
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How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
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A really bad case of design hitting reality: Old Mangere Bridge replacement.
When designed a few years ago it was all about 'Safe, welcoming spaces", bringing together "the Onehunga and Mangere communities"
Investing in New Zealand: Old Māngere Bridge replacement | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (nzta.govt.nz)
When opened a month ago, voluminous streams of similar rhetoric about this numinous thing called community. Bounteous cornucopia of mana whenua partnership.
Ngā Hau Māngere connects communities across the harbour | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (nzta.govt.nz)
But within days of it opening, it was in reality an unsafe, unlit, no-camera dead end encouraging any lowlife to party hearty and fuck things up. Community formation, sure. A community of antisocial crime.
Fearful, frustrated Māngere Bridge locals block night traffic (1news.co.nz)
Now sure, many projects don't get design right first time. You adjust.
But this has got to be one of the larger 'why didn't we expect that' design disasters on a major new asset.
And who is going to be held responsible? The Council? The designers? The builders? The paper shufflers and beaurocrats who signed it off? The politicians? (Like The all the others around the country on so many projects).
Funny you mention accountability.
We are in the middle of an election for Auckland Council and its local boards, both of whom had plenty of input. Those locals who have their voting papers should get them in.
Alternatively the central government elections are next year, and here's one influential view of the government performance on transport:
The government's performance on transport – 5 years on – Greater Auckland
To call this a "disaster" is well over the top.
It looks like some extra policing on Friday and Saturday nights coupled with, maybe, a few new bollards or other minor design modifications, and this problem would be largely alleviated.
There is no perfect world out there-this is a societal problem not a transport design problem.
It is precisely the transport design that has caused it.
Whether it is rectified fast enough to get it off the TV1 news remains to be seen.
This is what local politics is.
You don't build community top down by constructing nice spaces. You let it evolve bottom up by making sure there is financial security for all.
Even worse the antisocial behavior was a feature of the old bridge so it's no suprise it returned as soon as the new one opened.
Massive planning fail.
There is an on-going design practice that assesses new builds and public builds for the encouragement or discouragement that these give to opportunities to commit crime (however we define it) It has been around since at least the mid 1980s. It was part of the 'broken windows' campaign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory
Now a little discredited.
https://news.northeastern.edu/2019/05/15/northeastern-university-researchers-find-little-evidence-for-broken-windows-theory-say-neighborhood-disorder-doesnt-cause-crime/#:~:text=Do%20more%20broken%20windows%20mean,encourages%20further%20crime%20and%20disorder.
There are other elements that do have an effect on crime.
Wellington City Council has a design guideline against crime
https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/your-council/plans-policies-and-bylaws/district-plan/volume02/files/v2crime.pdf?la=en&hash=91AC90EF71E9FE2F0D0AE4693F2A88DED1BB9197
My view is that perhaps these new builds, public spaces builds need to be formally assessed for encouragement to commit crimes rather than just being monitored through a guideline. 'Shock, horror,' yet another central govt intervention like the Housing Intensification/Zoning and Three Waters for the fans of hands-off miniscule Govt to get their teeth into
Yes Minister…
Heh, what can you say…even Minister Nanaia has not received her Local Govt. Election voting papers!
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/09/local-government-minister-nanaia-mahuta-issues-please-explain-after-voting-papers-for-local-election-fail-to-turn-up.html
If we don't get to 20% of registered voters this election, there will need to be a ministerial inquiry.
It could start off with:
That's just a start.
If anyone can remember what Councils were actually accountable for prior to 1989, that's what it would take to bring democracy back.
It is rather obvious that the vast majority, if not all, of those declared elected soon after October 8 will be there on minority votes of a minority turnout, including the Supercity and Wellington Mayors.
The causes imo…
–Increasing shift from public participation in community affairs and collectivism generally, to individualism since the 80s. Including all the neo lib contracting out and LATE fiascos etc. which basically pummelled County Councils previous roles as providers of full time employment and responsibility for local infrastructure.
–Successive Govt.s make it quite clear that Local Government is pretty well despised by Central Govt. which plays into the hands of parochialism as 3 Waters illustrates.
–Local Govt. in the provinces is often seen by locals as crony based and full of local blowhards and reactionaries, the usual response for those trying to get by is to avoid, the comfortable vote for status quo.
–sinking lid postal system, removal of post boxes, shorter hours, apart from Couriers for online shopping. Who under 35 has ever mailed a letter except for student loans etc.?
–Transient renters–less likely to enrol or receive papers, alienated/switched off ditto.
What to do?
–Reverse the above!
–Online voting, and or a voting day public holiday. Cynics have decryed online voting on technical or potential tampering grounds, and given the last Census who could blame them in a way. But if online is good enough for finance capital to zing billions around the globe, surely it can be used for local democracy.
–Restore a Public Works Dept. with local depots, restore the mana of local Govt.
Tiger-agree that online voting is the way to go.
I think this should be used at general elections too though I'm aware of considerable pushback on this on TS, especially with regard to vote data security, which personally I don't see as a problem with the right safeguards/checks in place.
Another big issue with online voting is accessibility.
Access to Internet, computer literacy, disabilities, ID verification. All barriers to online-only.
Yes, there are ways around this. No, these are not reliably in place for everyday living, let alone once-every-3-years voting.
I'd say a hybrid solution (opt for online or print) might be a better way to go – but given that apparently they can't get voting papers to people reliably when there is only one option, it seems to be a recipe for disastrous voter exclusion.
Actually Belladonna, online voting as a Special Vote enabled me to vote in the last two General Elections as I have a disability.
I'm glad that online voting works for you.
However, digital exclusion is a real issue – and many disabled people are disproportionally affected by it.
https://www.digital.govt.nz/dmsdocument/170~digital-inclusion-user-insights-for-disabled-people/html
The idea is that you have the option to vote online OR by posting your vote. It is not an either/or.
Yes. However, given the reported failure in delivery of physical voting papers when that's the only option; I don't have confidence that a dual option will have a better success rate.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/475774/local-body-elections-undelivered-voting-papers-will-deter-some-official
Where do you get 20% from Ad? Sources please.
Most aren't yet at 10% turnout.
'Abysmal' early voter turnout raises questions around approach to local elections | RNZ
Hi Ad.
I have had a regular engagement with individual Auckland Councillors, a number of local boards, and the council bureaucracy over the past 3 years. With a few notable exceptions, I have found the 'machine' to be an oppressive beast.
Council itself uses it's enormous powers to fight against it's own citizens, rather than engaging in authentic conversations with them. There is an unhealthy level of 'tethering' of councillors (this is described by this piece by Chris Trotter) by the ironically named 'democracy services' division of Auckland Council (and I'm sure others). And then there's the 'consultation' process, that Aucklanders now realise is nothing more than a box ticking exercises designed to achieve a particular predetermined outcome.
I have found the LGOIMA process is one way to hold Council to account, but this is a time consuming and laborious process, particularly when some parts of the 'machine' (notably the Tūpuna Maunga Authority) behave in a secretive and belligerent manner. What is reassuring is that our current Ombudsman is very effective in unlocking the subterfuge.
I get the sense that Aucklanders are sick of being ignored by their own elected leadership, and are disengaging from the democratic process as a result. It's an irrational response, to be sure, but there it is.
I worked inside the machine for 5 years.
Elected members are less than .5% of what occurs there.
The disengagement is very strong.
Killing off democracy was in the design and very, very hard to bring back.
Thanks Ad.
We live in a low decile part of Papakura. We didn't receive our voting papers. Neither did our neighbours. My partner was convinced it was a voting suppression conspiracy. He phoned every agency he could, to find out what happened to our voting papers and could get no answers.
In the end we both went down to the Papakura Marae where a walk in voting booth had been set up. After showing our driver licence to prove who we were, the election official checked that our names were on the electoral roll. (And sure enough they were). Nothing had changed from last Local Body elections. But we both still had to fill out the forms to cast a 'Special Vote'.
Nanaia Mahuta didn’t receive her voting papers?
Half the people I saw diligently going to the effort to enroll to make a special vote were Maori.
Not just in Papakura. Family friends in Northcote – husband and wife, both in their 70s, lived in the same house for the last 40 years (so clearly electoral details haven't changed). He received his voting pack in the mail; her one never arrived.
Phone calls got nowhere. Finally, she had to go down and register for a special vote.
Luckily she's in active good health, and has the time and energy to follow up – as well as being a committed voter (no idea for what party, but believes it's her civic duty to vote).
I agree, Jenny, many people simply won't have bothered.
Impressive effort. Sacred right.
Does NZ have any funny comedians?
Watched a stand up comedy show last night on T.V….nothing.
Guy Williams can be amusing at times but 'names' like Urzilla Carson,Rhys Darby,Tom Sainsbury seem mediocre at best.
Well Blazer, you do pretty well here on The Standard, put some Converses on and give it a go!
“Funny Comedians”–think about it…
I actually prefer Urzilla Carson to Guy Williams. I think Paul Ego, Dai Henwood and Ben Hurley are quite good but I agree we do not have a great talent pool of comedians.
Try watching 8 out of 10 Cats do Countdown to see the British comedians. IMO they are far funnier and cleverer than our comedians.
Yup, they call themselves the National Party, led by a clown who thinks he can fly.
that was worth a chuckle
I know a few people that bought lifetime Ruapehu ski passes.
The ski pass that is the worst $4000 I've ever spent | Stuff.co.nz
Sic transit gloria mundi.
yay, sarcasm in Latin.
So do I. However, most have had their money's worth over 5-6 years. They live locally (or within a 3 hour drive) – so head down for weekends.
A reporter who bought her pass 6 years ago, and has lived overseas ever since – what did she expect?
But when the guy bought the pass in 2016 we'd already had 25 years of warnings about climate change. Was he about 12 at the time? If so, I'd sympathise. This morning – shock and horror about what's happening with the record hurricane in Florida – by now we've had 30 years of warnings. What the hell does it take?
I know someone who's well into a multi-unit chalet development in Ohakune.
Looking for an admirable, eloquent candidate in these local body elections?
This guy is genius!
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=426114809631081
Yes We need more like him!!
Primo linking 👍
Can't find much about Robert Guyton's election campaign online. Do you have a link to something?
For those who suggest not much is happening with housing and that they are just building ghettos for gang members.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/video/local-focus-more-social-housing-is-on-the-way/M77F2JEQW43I2JFFJV2H4BSP5Y/
That is uplifting and reaffirming. D.O.S. Thank you.
Nice.
In Whangārei recently 37 new homes and apartments will soon ready for occupation in Puriri Park Rd. An open day was held recently for neighbours to have a look. Local Labour MP Emily Henderson says 500 more are planned by Kainga Ora.
Yes, they are a nice selection of houses, all different sizes, complimentary but not cookie cutter.
Tough time to be a Russian soldier, surrounded in Lyman.
Maybe they hold out for a week, maybe they are overrun.
Either ain't pretty.
Even worse if last week you were a 52 year old tubby tractor driver from Tyuman who gets puffed walking up the stairs to his second floor apartment thinking of nothing more than how to mash the potatoes for dinner and this week you are sitting in a muddy hole in the rain in a dark forest with a rusty AK-47 that you haven't used in thirty years and with a whole bunch of battle hardened Ukrainians less than 200m away…
I think that (if you look at the map in the article below) the Russians were not over-run in Kharkiv as were led to believe by the western propaganda, but that they (largely) strategically withdrew. Putin seems to have decided to annex just the 4 provinces along the Russian frontier (see map-I think these are largely Russian speaking?) and call it a day. Peace talks to follow next year?
The problem is he still has to keep the war going to finish off conquering Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia-he has probably moved forces from Kharkiv to attack these.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/29/putin-to-sign-treaty-annexing-territories-in-ukraine-kremlin-says
Minsk outcome? but with much bloodshed and continuing outbreaks of violence into the future. Not to mention economic damage to EU.
Some people look at Ukraine today and see a rousing success for US policy. I see more than six months of propaganda like the world has never seen, of death and destruction, of economic fiasco in the EU, a vast military-industrial boondoggle, scary nuclear brinksmanship and escalatory spiral with the recent destruction of gas lines in international waters. The EU in particular is between a rock and a hard place.
Well said AJ
Serve him right for being a Putin supporter ( if he is of course, but at 98% approval the odds are good).
‘
Now here’s a great Idea. Even better, how about a permanent Climate War Crimes Tribunal, to hear evidence against all alleged climate war criminals for crimes against the climate?
I could think of a some New Zealanders who could be arraigned on this charge.
In comparison New Zealand's annual CO2 equivalent emissions are over 82.3 million tonnes, year in, year out. Those responsible for this shocking statistic would definitely be in the dock.
The capability to sabotage these pipelines narrows down the suspects.
My pick either the U.S Navy or the RN.
What about the motives?
Who gains?
Russia has just lost its leverage over an energy hungry Germany in particular.
Previously it had the option of turning gas on or off, (citing technical problems to give itself plausible deniability) now its lost that , probably for ever
Germany has lost, probably for ever , the cheapest form of presently available energy to fuel its economy
The US has just bolstered its expensive LNG sales and dealt a blow to both the Russian economy and the Eu.
I dunno,I just can't make my mind up …lol
No surprise that long time deniers of Assad's genocide and Putin's mass murder in Syria also support Putin's slaughter in Ukraine.
Well I'm going for the Swedish Assessment atm, who said that there were 2-3 Russian Special Operations Vessels (A more fancy/ upmarket name for a spy/covert ship) design for Grey Warfare Operations.
Who were in close proximity to were gas pipelines ruptures as they had their Transponders turned off & were caught/ spotted inside the Swedish EEZ.
Every other Tom, Dick & Harry had their Nav Transponders on apart from these larrikins.
Heck even the Norwegian's in the last 72hrs have picked up some dodgy shit since they've stepped up their Maritime Security/ Defence Posture in the Nth Sea which they can't explain either.
Just waiting for the Dane's & Finn's now who are more on ball than the Boxheads these days. IRT the coming & going on's in the Baltic To build up the intelligence picture.
Also there is not alot they can do about either, unless they catch whatever country in the act as most of what has or is happening is international waters & not ones EEZ where a Nation does have the right to search suspect vessels.
It occurred a long way from Russia.Would have thought submarines would be employed.
Not sure how Russia benefits from this.
Of course—-'
ABC News (2/7/2022): Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since…the project is in Germany's control?" Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."
That is quite a definitive statement from the U.S President.
It occurred in the vicinity of Baltic Fleet bases in Kaliningrad, Leningrad and Saint Petersburg.
You need to bush up on your geography sport & while you are doing that read up on the USSR Covert activities in Baltic during the Cold War in-particular in the Swedish EEZ including inside it's 12m limit.
The Swedish Military weren't dropping live depth charges for shits & giggles either.
You need to bush up on your geography sport & while you are doing that read up on the USSR Covert activities in Baltic during the Cold War in-particular in the Swedish EEZ including inside it's 12m limit.
The Swedish Military weren't dropping live depth charges for shits & giggles either.
Oh btw the Baltic Sea is just as busy as the Channel in terms of Shipping Volume. Turning off your Navigation Transponder is a rather a idiotic & stupid thing to do in Peacetime as it has the potential to put countless lives at risk & let alone the potential environmental damage within the Baltic Sea.
Pretty short. short list there Blazer. What are you trying to say?
That Russia doesn't have this capability?
Or just venting your one eyed partisan support for the Russian aggressor?
Not sure I understand the tactical advantage of Russia attacking it’s own pipeline which was its biggest bargaining chip with the EU
Does this not make the US the largest LNG producer?
Machiavelli was Italian, not Russian.
Nord Stream 2 was developed and is operated by Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of the Russian state energy company Gazprom. Nord Stream 2 AG filed for bankruptcy on 1 March 2022. Half the costs of Nordstrom Stream 2 was financed via a loan from Uniper, Wintershall Dea, OMV, Engie, and Royal Dutch Shell.
Presumably Gazprom will not being paying the loan back. And presumably they are now looking to supply gas to others via other pipelines.
Numerous Gazprom connected businessmen have met sticky ends this year.
Trashing assets and walking away from debt would tidy things up rather nicely.
Read this and…w..
ABC News (2/7/2022): Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since…the project is in Germany's control?" Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."
That is quite a definitive statement from the U.S President.
Probably not as hard as you think – they're only 500m down – any modern trawler could drop gear on them.
More likely torpedoed, as the shock wave from some sort of underwater detonation, was picked by onshore seismic monitoring.
Why would Russia torpedo the gas pipeline?
For the same reason Russia would use a tactical nuclear weapon
Because they can.
Thrashing around like some wounded monster the Russian Federation is lashing out where ever they can however they can.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/swedish-seismic-network-registers-blasts-near-baltic-natgas-pipeline-leaks-01664292442
Scotland Today online
https://scotlandtoday.online/gas-leaks-in-russian-pipelines-to-europe-point-to-possible-sabotage-by-the-united-states
For my own part, I would expect a mine. Easier to place by a static target, I think, though there may be a bit of current through there.
Motives are curious things – I'm sure Putin didn't invade Ukraine to destroy his army and force himself out of power – history may attribute just such a motive to him however, because it seems to be what he has achieved.
Ki te aha whano.
Well I tryed must best to use other avenues to get a message to the sandflys bosses but one cannot get a direct ph to contact them.
As I can see there are consequences from using Eco Maori blog??????.
Sandflys bosses this is my message tell your boys to stop stuffing with my Daughters and my mokopuna.
You see whanau they don't care that they are affecting my mokopuna negatively just some bloody Maori in their small minds i can see the negative effects on all 3 of my daughter so get your boys to heel or there will be consequences.
I know how they work cheat do what ever they want they know the bosses will cover it all up can't have negative news about the popo.
Just have as much negative as much news about Tangata Whenua as they can get away with.
Ka kite Ano