So now there’s the specter of this corporate toady coming back in when clearly she is not what the public want. And despite her denial, she couldn’t help but entertain her ego in public, and thus the public rumor mill. Same shit different day. Simply not attractive anymore.
Having her about is just sowing doubt.
Clinton led Democrats… There’s nothing attractive in it except ‘not Trump’. Is that a platform?
I bet a lot of Trumps votes were votes for not-Hillary.
It’s akin to rolling Bridges out to comment on his possibly running during our next election (I scry the fools demise). He’ll only remind us why we don’t want Nats. Out of sight out of mind is the obvious smart choice for future Nats re Bridges, and today’s Democrats re Clinton.
I don’t think she is as bad as painted, and she did win the popular vote, but I don’t think she’ll seriously run again.
I think she might keep it open as long as possible to be Faux’s boogey-woman so that they have to invent hate from scratch when the actual candidates come to the podium.
As long as she’s a might-run, they’re looking at her. The far right (and sanctimonius left) have a real bugbear about the Clintons.
So heres where she says NO – twice
“Mrs. Clinton initially said “no” when asked whether she wanted to run for president again. She then paused and repeated “no.”
because she paused and said ( hypothetically) ‘Id like to be President’ the haters have gone crazy.
Merkel is like Helen Clark. A smart, good leader, but who got blinded on some issues and did not look forward to the future as well as she should have…aka now Germany divided more. NZ divided more by neoliberalism by Clark who signed the FTA with China. Nice idea, bad details left in, that is now going to make NZ a much less equal, less democratic society run to other countries agendas.
Leadership is very hard, but it is worse when maybe the leaders like the idea of something with out looking at how it can negatively impact the positives… and really looking at the fine print. Better to not sign a flawed deal than sign one and then think you will somehow get out easily. Brexit comes to mind if the UK leaders had managed the EU expansion better with policy, Brexit would not have come to pass.
Quote via Stuff: But aviation expert Neil Hansford said it was highly unlikely a technical fault within the plane’s structure had led it to plough into the ocean and the model was among the safest in the world.
While the aircraft is yet to take to Australian skies, Virgin Australia has 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes on order, with the first of the fleet due to arrive in late 2019. It is not known if the aircraft is heading to New Zealand airlines.
Have a look at flight stats in this article, either they had a serious cockpit management issue, an onboard disturbance or major technical/ systems failure. Either way it doesn’t look good especially when they were climbing out and suddenly lose altitude before nose diving into sea at high speed.
Note: this is the first serious crash of the 737 Max 8 aircraft. There is going to be a lot riding on this IRT the out come of this investigation especially Boeing, which could add fuel to the fire over Boeing’s alleged lax safety and quality control standards in which these rumours have been around for a wee while now.
When the Nacts lost the last election ….. they were bloated with millions in donations ,,,, and could easily afford to run another election campaign immediately … given the chance.
Not so for Labour and their coalition partners …… who were financially exhausted winners.
Starting From election night where they misrepresented the result … Our slanted media has been giving us bad reporting …. and bad Hosking maths …. where being the largest minority is considered more legitimate to rule …. than getting over 50% support.
There is a concerted effort to de-legitimize the new Govt … Just read bitter old Alwyns posts for the ‘attack lines’ …. making him good for something.
Reading a ‘stuff’ story on anonymous donations …. spurred by Jamies Lee Ross $100,000 dirty donations back stabbings … I was amazed by the Dirty Politics flavor as Stuff twisted the truth
And in a Wayne Mapp like way they claimed NZ first was the worst offender / biggest problem …
However the math in NZs secret political donations was roughly something like this …
National ———– 5 Million secret backhanders
Labour ———– 2 Million or so
NZ first ———— 1.2 Million or something
Now if Im looking for the worst offenders / biggest problems ….. 5 Million by the Nats stands out like dog balls ….. unlike the election results they do have the majority…. over half …. they rule when it comes to dirty donations.
I’d like Labour to do better … but i do not vote for them …. and I suppose they feel its the only way they can stay in the buying media space electioneering game.
But my point is ….. the reporting stunk …. and mislead readers ,,,,
Dirty Politics stands aligned with the dirty money….. we are buying ourselves corruption
Too true …. and double hard to find out about or prove …. when to many in our media run cover for the criminals.
Reading either a herald or stuff report …. on the single largest forfeiture that has occurred in New Zealand to date …. $43 million seized under our proceeds of crime laws.
I was struck by the language which described an ‘agreement’ between William Yan – also known as Bill Liu, Yang Liu and Yong Ming Yan … and our courts.
Other media has described it as ‘ struck a deal ‘.
Usually criminal matters uses court language like ‘ judgements ‘ or ‘ forfeiture ‘ , ‘seized’ etc.
but the criminally rich …. reach agreements.
New Zealand ………… moderately racist …… and the last 9 years growing economic apartheid
Thats Suzie Dawson, fearless self promoter and bully , Her modus operandi is to declare herself “spokesperson” and then divert resources and publicity towards supporting herself in the manner she feels she deserves IMHO. avoid , do not engage without witnesses !.
Who the fuck cares about Dawson, what about the issues, If people were less worried about individual people and more about how policy like TPPA is going to effect themselves, their families and the next generation, it might be harder to power interests to get everything through… forget about semantics and individuals and identity politics and concentrate on the results and effects of policy.
0.5% of the population cares about the TPPA in the way you do.
Its the well off people like yourself problem. And even then its a bogey that ‘might happen’.
Do you really lie awake at night thinking ‘the government is going to be sued’
Thanks for that Link, esoteric pineapples. As the commentator says you get punched with the left fist as well as the right fist.
The Green Party were the only ones who did not sell out the people. If they were in the media for that, instead of cunts, benefit frauds or woke left discourses we would have a lot more Green MP’s representing us.
Saying that the Green Party is still the best party in NZ to preserve democracy and hopefully whatever hic up going on with the Greens and how they represent their policies, they will overcome it.
Those who spoke the best against the TPP like Norman, Cunliffe, Metiria and Harawira were harassed out of parliament and big victims of dirty politics.
Now the issue is silent. Like Rogernomics though, not forgotten.
As the US commentator says we now have sham democracies…
Of course the Greens were in the media re TPPA as they were and still are staunchly opposed. You know this. Everybody who has opposed TPPA knows this. The reality is that this is not as bigger issue with most people as it is for you. We have lost this battle, but that is no reason to abandon all the social justice issues that the Greens have always stood for. Get over yourself.
Doesn’t even make the home page of the Greens website.
Seem to remember “trains for the shore” being a big headline on the Greens website during the election and ‘Te Reo’ for all…
I know crazy, how those working multiple jobs, with kids or in poverty, bad internet does not make the effort to search Green Party policy and find those 65 articles when the Greens don’t even put it on their home page website with all their other policy directives..
It’s the people’s fault, is that what the Greens tell themselves???
missing the point again Solka, with volunteers like you for Greens it explains a lot about how they languish in the polls.
BTW looked at Labour’s 355 day achievements, NO mention of TPPA, Labour knew nobody wanted it, fuckers. If it was that great for NZ, why no mention from Labour?
Saying that, strategically worse, is the Greens that were against it, but failed to have it on their home page even though there are 13 other policy directives such airport rail, Te reo and refugees.
What happened, run out of space???
Nothing about spying either… I guess after the Gutsy Greens were forced out, they wanted to ‘tone it’ down into what power interest feel more comfortable with.
Labour gave assurances on a number of points re TPPA and then reneged on the most important one, the investor category of ISDS. This was beyond the control of the Green Party. Even taking the government down would not have stopped CPTPP.
And they should be shouting they were the only honest ones on TPPA from the rooftops not hiding it from the public. NZ First publicly disagree with Labour all the time and they seem to get away with it.
As the US commentator says we now have sham democracies…
Representative Democracy was designed to keep the power in the hands of the rich.
That said, I can certainly see Representative Democracy being the only viable option prior to the present productivity, mass education and communications capabilities. Present capabilities allow us to drop from a 40 hour week down to a ~20 hour week while still maintaining a reasonable living standard and thus allow people time to engage in politics and voting directly for the policies that they want.
In other words, it’s time that we transitioned to Direct Democracy. Of course, that does mean shifting to online voting as paper voting simply isn’t responsive enough or give enough options.
It’s great that NZ councils are seriously thinking about climate change, emissions, pollution and more trucks on the road… (sarcasm) … In this case sounds like council is considering trucking rubbish 300KM’s away to save a few short term $$$$…
So much easier to do that than actually try to stop the pollution of rubbish at source by discouraging business from overproducing packaging rubbish, not enough compostable rubbish, or encouraging composting, less consumer goods and the the recycle of non recyclables back to the retailers or manufacturers…
@ Bearded Git- exactly surely not that hard… of course with TPPA our government probably can’t even tax manufacturers for packaging or they will sue, that’s the ‘new’ democracy… polluting corporations taking more and more taxpayer money to clean up after themselves and instead of money going to schools and hospitals it’s going to truck companies and rubbish dumps and lawyers.
They cant sue for local issues like that . They would have to use the locla courts not international arbitration
“We have narrowed their ambit. The last version of the agreement – for example – if you had disputes between the government and an overseas contractor building the Waterview Tunnel – they could have sued the government if they were in dispute through an international tribunal – now they can’t.”
An overseas contractor would now have to pursue the government through the New Zealand courts.
The government also had a bilaterial agreement with Australia and other countries that they would never use the ISDS clauses.” https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/348923/david-parker-defends-new-tpp-agreement
Not long term viable as Norway/Sweden(?) is now learning as they simply don’t create so much rubbish any more. Far better to simply not create so much in the first place and not need the furnaces.
“Far better to simply not create so much in the first place and not need the furnaces.”
Love your optimism !!
I believe they get paid to take other countries rubbish in Sweden . But building small should solve waste volume problems . On in every city as opposed to huge centralized ones.
We could save ourselves millions per year just banning the spam that arrives in the mail box. The fact that such rubbish wasn’t banned with the electronic form was because of tradition. Businesses had been doing it for decades (against everyone;s wishes which is why it’s called ‘junkmail’) and so the government decided that they couldn’t ban it despite it costing us so damn much more than electronic spam.
Speaking of junk mail.. from time to time when doIng the recycling in Feilding, I see the local junk mail distribution rooster emptying banana box after banana box (more than a dozen last count)into the paper bin.
Another example of a rate payer subsidy to business.
New Zealand Labour openly abandons all pretext of being a political party for the working classes in favour of defending the “deserving” middle classes…as if we didn’t already know…
Yes that centrist MF Phil Twyford made it quite clear in his RNZ interview this morning that the middle classes are the only kiwi’s who ‘deserve’ to own their own government built ‘affordable homes’ and that low wage earners can just get fucked.. that in the eyes of Labour that they are undeserving of the right to own their own government built ‘affordable home’.
Well one can only to come to this conclusion as Labour have and are doing absolutely nothing to change, modify, slowdown or in any way inhibit the hideous and obscene kiwi obsession with commodifying our homes into just another tradable commodity.
I read somewhere that only 40% of people can afford the ‘affordable’ houses. So what happens to the other 60%? No doubt some global corporate will come to the rescue with a taxpayer funded option.. after people live in cars and tents for a few years.
The only good news for renters, is that the locals and those that recently got residency here under the Natz are now leaving for better jobs and working conditions elsewhere and lower costs of living so I think there is a bit of boil off the rental market in Auckland. Had a look the other day and there seemed more rental properties on Trade me, maybe a sham, who knows.
Neoliberalism has screwed many industries now in NZ, hospitality, construction, I think they are after the teachers now with the big migration drive ramping up everyday in the MSM.
Not sure how a foreign teacher, new to NZ and without knowledge of our curriculum, is going to fair better than a local one with the amount of special needs kids, poverty, housing shortages and cost of living. But hey, lure them in, lure them in… don’t address the underlying problems on current teachers!!!
Only not hand in hand, because people are moving into houses that they will privately own on former state house land, but hey, the state house tenants are still in emergency hotels, housing, tents, cars and couch surfing. Not hand in hand at all, it is trickle down…
I know this is already linked to on TS, but this brilliant expose/analysis of the JLR affair (to date!) by Frank Macskasy needs to be read by everybody.
The extra strange part of this , and shows the medias working hand in glove with national.
When Mayor Browns extra marital affair was revealed , maybe 5 years ago, the other womans name wasnt mentioned by Slater at that time.
Very soon though NZ Herald put Bevan Chuang’s name all over its wrong page and multi page inside spread.
Currently the Herald just does exclusives from the National partys version of events in the Ross saga. Its our Pravda – and thats not news to a lot of people.
If one were to “go back through history” for a thought experiment of the type that King suggested, one would merely get confused. That’s because the idea that there is a separate and unique “Western civilization,” which King said was “rooted in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the United States of America and every place where the footprint of Christianity settled the world,” is actually only about a century old. Though the so-called Western canon is still studied and loved by many, the idea of Western civilization as something distinct from (or even superior to) the rest of the world is a product of a very specific early-20th-century moment.
Sighs … I never made it a cultural pissing contest. Still if the article wants posit that there is no such thing as “Western Civilisation”, then exactly on what basis can you argue for the existence of any other culture? Chinese? Polynesian? Amerindian? Mayan? Arabian? Persian? This is a very peculiar logic capable of erasing all these well-understood historic markers.
Nor would I be all that surprised if the specific notion of “Western Civilisation” arose quite late in the piece; for most of the post-Renaissance era everyone in Europe would have though of themselves as French, Italian, Spanish, Scottish, English, Hungarian, or one of many Germanic identities. The idea of a pan-European “Western” identity probably only arose almost in hindsight, and with the perspective lent by the distance across the Atlantic ocean.
And if you erase the idea of “Western Civilisation” and any possibility of it’s technical superiority, then you have zero explanation for the entire process of European colonisation which so transformed the planet. From it’s very early Portuguese origins, through to the extraordinary scope of the British Empire. You have no explanation for the first round of globalisation which began around the mid-1800’s and culminating in WW1. You have no explanation for the Scientific Revolution, for the multitude of intellectual discoveries by luminaries from Gallileo through to von Neuman. You have nothing on which to rest the Industrial Revolution, no explanation as to why it happened first in Europe and not say China, India or Mayan America. You don’t even have an explanation for the Treaty of Waitangi.
It was of course a highly materialistic revolution, and despite it’s transforming power, it has it’s own internal contradictions, it’s own terrible limitations we still grapple with. Nor does it mean there was not plenty of history happening everywhere else on the planet. But nonetheless the era of European colonisation was pivotal to the transformation of the world, from largely isolated groups of primarily tribal, insular peoples around say 1600, into the global world we live in today.
The whole of human history is highlighted by one group of people with better technology and social sophistication, overwhelming and subjugating their neighbours. The usual mistake people made was conflating their superior tools, with the idea of themselves being a superior people. If nothing else the post WW2 modern era should permanently put that mistake into the rubbish bin of history.
Because we are now on the cusp of being a single global people; there are no ‘others’ to invade, to conquer or imagine we are ‘superior’ to. That will soon be a notion as repugnant as we now consider the ancient practise of chattel slavery. We are stepping through a historic transition; our challenge now is to complete this globalised world we have all built, and breath a spiritual life into it. I rest my case by quoting the last sentence of your reference:
“Civilization is a worldwide phenomenon,” says Hunt, “and we have things in common with people everywhere.”
“‘Western civilization’ was invented during World War I as a way of explaining to American soldiers why they were going to fight in Europe, to stand up for the common values of our civilization, in this case against the Germans, who were seen as threatening the common values that the U.S. had with Britain and France,”
WW1 was a clash of civilization, and neo Darwinist ideals of the German Allmacht.
One of the most graphic pictures of the German attitude, the attitude which has rendered this war inevitable, is contained in Vernon Kellogg’s Headquarters Nights.’ It is a convincing, and an evidently truthful, exposition of the shocking, the unspeakably dreadful moral and intellectual perversion of character which makes Germany at present a menace to the whole civilized world.
The man who reads Kellogg’s sketch and yet fails to see why we are at war, and why we must accept no peace save that of over whelming victory, is neither a good American nor a true lover of mankind.
Interesting quote Poisson, and timely too. ” the unspeakably dreadful moral and intellectual perversion of character which makes ******* ( you choose the nation state ) at present a menace to the whole civilized world.”
History never repeats…?
As a Grey Power representative, I recently attended a meeting with board members and planning staff of the local District Health Board.
They were able to report that with a milder winter and a larger uptake of people taking influenza vaccinations, there has been far less hospital-based admissions. Another GP rep pointed out that the winter warmth payment will also have played its part in this positive outcome.
The CEO also reported that oral health plays a huge part in maintaining people’s general wellness. There have been good steps taken in this direction, too.
There would be some good results when the research is done and the figures published as to the positive effects that work and initiatives like this will have achieved.
Lets hope the era of ‘new build hospitals’ that have fewer beds than the ones they replace is over.
That was a political process where the future patient numbers were reduced to ‘make the business case work’ for the rebuild.
When you look at Goz and ChrisT’s comments and responses (above), it caused me to wonder what the best thing about the current gNatzi Party is.
All I can come up with with that none of them are ‘NEETS’ (Not in Empolyment, Education or Training).
They’re EMPLOYED – some as elected supposed representatives
They’re all in Ideological EDUCATION, some even reEDUCATION
And all are in TRAINING – whether it’s the martial and knife arts, or in media and spin, or re-imaging such as how to turn a Little Feat truck stop gal into a sophisticated leopard print gal who looks like she has some sort of authority bearing in mind her ‘colleagues’ are gaining experience day by day in the art of the knife.
xanthe, here’s one. I have a relative in Kiwirail who will be stoked by the retention of these electric trains, which is why I sought a link. Peters and the Greens also very happy.
Jami-Lee Ross
@jamileeross
I appreciate all the recent messages of support. I was well looked after by the fantastic people at Middlemore, and grateful for their care. On medical advice I remain on leave, but have given National my proxy vote to ensure Botany continues to be represented in Parliament.
1:45 PM – Oct 30, 2018
Jami-Lee Ross has broken his silence briefly today on Twitter to say that he was well treated at Middlemore Hospital and to thank people for their support.
He has also confirmed that he has given his proxy vote to National which allows him to continue to vote alongside his former party while he remains on leave from Parliament. This ensures the proportionality of Parliament is maintained thereby avoiding National being able to trigger the waka-jumping law.
In reality ,voting differently from national isnt a trigger for the waka jumping law.
Under the previous similar legislation Donna Awatere took her case to the Supreme court on the very issue of ‘voting with your former party’
the Court ruled , that voting didnt matter.
Once she was expelled left the party , as Ross is, and the Speaker recorded them as an ‘Independent’ that was the change in proportionality that the law talked about
All of the legal advice I have heard in the media (including a very clear opinion by Geddis) is that proportionality changes the moment JLR left the National Party, so in fact the WJL can be used.
I think National has to wait 21 days from the moment he resigned from the party before he can be chucked out.
The sentence on proportionality was clumsy, rushed wording on my part based on the Herald article, and also Ross’ letter. Mea cupla.
It does not reflect my personal view and IMO the whole issue of proportionality under the revised waka jumping additions to the Electoral Act is far from clear and constitutional lawyers are going to have a ball with this issue and its consequences.
Obviously no-one thought that the issue would arise quite so quickly (if at all) after the passing of the waka jumping amendments – ie IIRC the Royal Assent was only granted on 3 Oct and the changes then came into force from 4 Oct. (Checked – dates correct.)
It really is quite ironic that the Ross situation has arisen so soon – and that it pertains to the National Party in view of their absolute opposition to the changes. If it were not for the nature of the other issues involved (donations, sexual relationships, claims of harassment etc) one could almost wonder whether it was/is a conspriacy … LOL.
Newshub covered the whole situation last night in this article
The real question is whether National will seek to invoke the waka jumping provisions. Jane Patterson suggested this morning on RNZ Morning Report that indications are that they are very loathe to invoke the waka jumping law and that they had not yet decided whether they would even accept Ross’ proxy vote. (No audio yet up on RNZ website.)
Kia ora The Am Show I new that the media of the Papatuanuku were going to make a mountain out of a mole hill over the Earth Quake with the Prince and Duchess visiting
thats what the media does I did not feel the Quake.
That’s cool Duncan one must treat there guest with respect I wonder what they will name the new Kiwi chicks in Rotorua.
More mana for Te tangata whenua culture O Aotearoa culture with the Prince & Duchess speaking te reo ka pai.
Yes criminalizing abortion’s is a stupid .
Loyd looks quite happy with the new NZ chipped passport that skirts around the ques .
Amanda thats the way we cannot have people make it the noorm to be an ASS.
The US mid turm elections most mid term elections swing against the ruling party only 2 times in 80 od years has this phenomenon not happened but not to worry the Demacrats are more intelegint than the gop party they can forecast the future and care about there effects on it.
That’s a cool story of Mr Longman ABC reporter finding his grandparents photo in the New Zealand national library . Ka kite ano
Eco Maori say if they stopped sending actors and paying them thousands to do the impossible they send in 1 a fortnight and stopped escorting me were ever I go they will save a few million instead of pissing money into the wind the sandflys have at least 3 cars following me as they are scared.
Court staff at the Hastings and Napier district courts will walk off the job at 3pm today.
The PSA this afternoon advised the Ministry of Justice of strike action to take place today at the Napier and Hastings District Courts for two hours from 3pm. ana to kai Ka kite ano Link below.
Here is reality for African American farmers being bullied and ripped off by European American’s Eco Maori Tau tokos /supports all minority’s who are being treated like dirt
It’s not fair, not right’: how America treats its black farmers .
I hope big changes are going to happen in America in the next few days you all have to get up and out and vote for you childrens and grandchildren future our future Kia kaha / stand strong. Ka kite ano link below.
Kia ora Te Karea Eco Maori doesn’t agree on war so I tau toko the protesters .
The Prince and Duchess look good wearing te korowai It was good to here Chris words I watch him and his whano on Maori TV they make me proud of our culture Piripi.
Lets hope that our goverment has made the correct move on the trade agreement with the rest of the TPP Talasa.
I say all people should be aloud to vote even if you are in Prison.
I have all ready had my say on the Ngapuhi Treaty settlement im not sure about the take .
Ka kite ano Kia Kaha to the Maori All blacks
Kia ora Newshub Jo has been lucky to survive that avalanche all the best.
Its good that Galloway is reviewing his call on that immigrant in jail.
Rotorua had a bright beautiful day for the Royal couple visit and all the Maori culture people making us all proud of our culture and country.
Samantha Its atrocious what man is doing to our wild life we do need a Global Pact to STOP the sharp decline in our wild life I intend to write a post on that subject tomorrow.
That was a big show of mana in the protest against the defence arms display show in Palmerston North ka pai .
Halloween is for Te Tamariki my children went with it in my time we only seen it on TV.
Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls not to many cups of tea last nite with Grizz guys.
Maa going to play for the Blues and Marty back for Otago there is a lot of people with good skills in the Kiwi .
I ts cool that the coach of the Liverpool soccer teams coach Jurgen uses the mighty Haka some times ot motivate his player .
I say Bryce is a unreliable tomato guys lol he is shinning bright hows Rodger .
James thats cool that you acknowledge Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan visit to Rotorua .
All the best to the Breakers fingers crossed.
Ka kite ano P.S nice ties guy’s
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Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Anja Mizdrak, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael BakerThe pandemic-related lockdown is possibly the most dramatic public health intervention in NZ history. It helped achieve the elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 virus in NZ. But it was also associated with 548 fewer total ...
Reprehensible: There is much that could be said about Michael Woodhouse, but what would be the point? Any man who willingly involves himself in a situation as reprehensible as the one depicted in the above photograph has already vouchsafed all that decent people need to know about his character. That there have ...
As the debate over assisted dying rages in the run-up to the referendum at the election on September 19, a persistent problem continues to dog the discussions. That is to say, a prominent spokesperson for a particular group takes a strong public stand in opposition without acknowledging that they don’t ...
No Other Suspects? The mainstream news media was willing to print and broadcast harsh Opposition criticism of the Government, even though they knew that the source of the leaked information was a National Party MP. Even though, by pushing the story up towards the top of every news bulletin they were ...
Sacrificial Lamb: If the stories about Mr Taogaga and the unauthorised release of confidential medical data had been deliberately orchestrated by Labour’s political opponents, their deflection of the news media’s attention away from the Prime Minister’s address to the Labour Party Congress could hardly have been more successful.THE LABOUR PARTY ...
The East is Rent: The consequences of unleashing the young against the old; of elevating ideological rigor above reasoned debate; and of setting the present against the past; was a decade of unprecedented social stress and tension, interspersed with explosions of murderous mob violence and tragic material destruction. More than ...
The Green Party of Aotearoa-New Zealand could go from helping Jacinda Ardern run the country, to being turfed out of Parliament altogether in ten weeks. And that could see the end of Labour in government. Without them, Labour would likely have to do what no party has done since the ...
Remember the government's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill? Remember how it was rammed through Parliament, with a four-day submission period and a select committee process that was a democratic fraud? At the time, the government gave the impression that there was an urgent need for this legislation, that a ...
Attack journalist - Tova O'BrienWe all know that much of the mainstream media in New Zealand is terribly biased. They are in effect another branch of the National Party, and can often be even more prejudiced than their right wing bosses.In fact many right wing politicians moonlight as journalists and ...
Former National Party President - Michelle BoagAfter the complete botch job Hamish Walker made of leaking the private details of COVID-19 patients to the mainstream media last week, the best-case scenario for Todd Muller and the National Party would be if the news cycle went quiet about their involvement.But unfortunately ...
One of the challenges of working on illegal wildlife markets, is you don’t really have scope to talk about your research into illegal wildlife markets. There is some stuff though that willbe coming out on Asiatic black bears in China, and before Covid19, I was delving more into rhinos. Which ...
Some are surprised at this sudden brain implosion on the part of both Michelle Boag, former National Party President, and the National Party in general, in exposing the private, confidential details of COVID patients. Others…? Let’s be blunt: not so much. Too many of that Party have long operated with ...
Michelle Boag - Former National Party PresidentWhen Todd Muller decided not to discipline Hamish Walker for his horribly racist press release last week, you had to wonder if his lack of proper leadership had something to do with a shared belief system? After all, the whiteness of the blue “team” ...
On Twitter today, lawyer Felix Geiringer asked a good question: why are MP's exempt from the Privacy Act? The Act imposes its obligations on "agencies", and s8 of the 2020 Act states that this term does not include... a member of Parliament in their official capacity The 1993 Act, ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhat was the climate and sea level like at times ...
So now we know, beyond all doubt. The National party has no interest in joining the “team of five million” in our fight against the pandemic but its priority is to take every opportunity it can to damage the government. The cynicism is breathtaking. It was prepared to leak the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters The massive dust storm that formed over the Sahara Desert in mid-June invaded the southeastern U.S. June 25-28, bringing dangerous levels of air pollution, low visibility, and colorful sunsets. The air pollution event over parts of Texas and the Gulf ...
In 1987, as a British Labour MP, I was elected to the Shadow Cabinet by my colleagues and was asked by the party leader to direct Labour’s campaign in the general election of that year. The election was to take place at the height of Mrs Thatcher’s dominance and we ...
National MP Nicola WillisHousing, which I would argue is a fundamental human right, has long been a problem in New Zealand. Not only do we have some of the most overpriced houses in the entire world, much of the housing stock is substandard and therefore affects not just people’s health ...
If the government has not lined up behind a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum the way some reformers would have liked, one entirely laudable thing it did do was commission some science around the public's choice.That science landed today, in the form of the report from an expert ...
Associate Professor Sara WaltonAt the heart of the discussion on opening up our borders is the dichotomy of health and the economy – both of which are actually intertwined, like many things with our economy, as this epidemic has shown.If we think about our country as a system, ...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Josh Gabbatiss This year will see the largest ever drop globally in both investment and consumer spending on energy as the coronavirus pandemic hits every major sector, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The crisis is accelerating the shutdown of older fossil-fuelled ...
A short opinion piece – Friday 26th June 2020 Whilst our Government has treated many financial victims of the current Covid-19 virus with appropriate generosity, the same cannot be said for those of the two earlier “epidemics” in NZ. The “Covid-84” virus (also called “Rogernomics”) spread systemic greed, with the ...
Everyone deserves a a decent life. We know this is possible with a fairer approach to income support and tax Read the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Poverty Action Plan here ...
After a long break, the government is back inserting secrecy clauses in legislation. This time its the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill (No 3), which in its clause allowing Ministers to exempt purchasers of farm land from the usual rules also allows them to exempt an exemption from the publication requirement: ...
Over the past two years the government has repeatedly delayed a scheme to put cameras on boats to monitor Mew Zealand's pervasively criminal fishing industry. But it turns out that the industry actually wants cameras: Three of the country's biggest seafood companies have broken ranks with the rest of the ...
Louise Delany (public health lawyer)Health and emergency laws have played a critical role in this country’s successful elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog details key aspects of the legislation and comments on issues around testing, payments by incoming travellers for quarantine costs, and mask use. ...
I like Andrew Curry’s succinct and insightful futures blog The Next Wave. His most recent post is about social change. In particular, the decadal-long periods usually required for changes in values. He highlights a 2016 paper by Inglehart and Norris, who examined whether economic insecurity or a “cultural backlash” ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Stop making sense: why it's time to get emotional about climate changeThe science has been settled to the highest degree, so now ...
MONDAY JULY 6Washington (History, Sky 073, 7.30pm). The brilliant Doris Kearns Goodwin is the executive producer of this six-part series about America's first president. It combines interviews with live action and is narrated by Jeff Daniels. It's engaging, said Salon.TUESDAY JULY 7The ABC Murders (Prime, 8.30pm). Sarah Phelps has done incredible things with ...
I think we can all agree that the mainstream media in New Zealand has a very different set of rules for the right wing compared to the left. While Labour and Green Party politicians don’t seem to be able to fart without it becoming a sackable offence, National and Act ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 28 through Sat, July 4, 2020Editor's Choice'2040': A funny, entertaining, upbeat climate documentaryA timely Australian documentary takes a 'solutions' approach, with the filmmaker inspired by visions of ...
Racist National MP Hamish WalkerEven before Todd Muller's coup ousted Simon Bridges by a single vote, it was patently obvious that the National Party promotes and stands for white privilege. In fact they’ve always worked to ensure the discriminatory status quo in New Zealand doesn’t change.So it’s no surprise that ...
Dave HeatleyZero community transmission. Just a handful of active cases, all in quarantine. New Zealand is in an attractive situation, at least compared to much of the world. The situation could be robust and enduring – or it might be fragile, just one border incursion away from a “second ...
Is the consequence of the Simpson Report proposals for restructuring the health system poorer accountability to people? When in doubt, centralise‘ has been a persistent theme in New Zealand public policy throughout our history. The current government is no exception. Here are some examples. - The regional polytechs have been ...
I wrote earlier in the week about the Scientology front organisations Drug Free World and Drug Free Ambassadors and their quite prominent role in anti-cannabis reform "coalition" assembled by Family First and a newloca branch of the American prohibitionist organisation SAM.It turns out Family First aren't the only ones helping ...
Nik GreenMuch of the public debate about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on the extent to which government regulations have restricted personal and business activity.Oxford University Blavatnik School of Government Here in New Zealand, the question of when to change Alert Levels dominated the ...
James Higham, University of OtagoUnprecedented border closures and the domestic lockdown have paralysed New Zealand’s $40.9 billion a year tourism industry. In the process, the vulnerability of the sector to external shocks and the tenuous nature of tourism employment have been exposed. While New Zealand’s handling of the pandemic ...
Raising The Bar: Would that the Prime Minister and her colleagues would listen as intently to what the people – as opposed to the power elites – are saying as the Greens. Were they so disposed, the popular clamour for a transformational post-Covid reset would be loud in their ears. ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzDo you think the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown will slow or ...
A bit like a letter home. I have now been full-time at the University of Melbourne since 2019. Before that, I was 20 years at the University of Otago, Wellington. Indeed, I set up this very Public Health Expert Blog with Nick Wilson ten years ago. Now I am your ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections House Democrats have released a comprehensive report showing how – if they control the White House and both the Senate and the House of Representatives – they might move forward on climate change. Their “Climate Crisis Action Plan,” released June 30 by the ...
We're keeping New Zealand moving, one progress-packed week at a time. Read below to find out how we're creating jobs, protecting the environment, looking out for the health of New Zealanders', and upgrading our critical infrastructure - and that's only this week. ...
We're keeping New Zealand moving, one progress-packed week at a time. Read below to find out how we're creating jobs, protecting the environment, looking out for the health of New Zealanders', and upgrading our critical infrastructure - and that's only this week. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund is providing up to $19.5 million to boost innovative primary sector businesses and create training and job opportunities for Northland locals through the construction of an innovation and enterprise park at Ngawha, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones ...
The Green Party is today unveiling part one of its plan for a fossil-fuel free Aotearoa, including an immediate ban on new industrial coal boilers. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First leader Winston Peters today scoffed at suggestions that a team of six political operatives have been dispatched to New Zealand to assist his campaign. ‘As President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘there they go again.’ ‘The clickbait journos can’t ...
New Zealand First is pleased to announce Jenny Marcroft as the party’s election 2020 candidate for the Auckland Central electorate. Jenny spent years working in Auckland Central, having spent a vast proportion of her broadcasting career there. She says she, "knows the place and knows the people." Ms Marcroft says ...
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...
This week we moved into the second half of 2020 - and our Government delivered another week of big changes and major progress for New Zealanders. Read below for a wrap of the key things moments from the week - from extending paid parental leave, to making major investments in ...
The Green Party has opposed the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Bill which shortcuts normal consenting processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA), reduces public participation and narrows environmental considerations. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development A regional freight hub for the lower North Island will be built just northeast of Palmerston North, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Government is investing $40 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to designate and buy land and design ...
Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson is calling for the introduction of a Guaranteed Minimum Income to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty and prevent more families entering into further debt with the Ministry of Social Development. ...
There has been renewed focus on New Zealand First acting as a handbrake on the Government after our decision to not support Auckland light rail. We are a handbrake for bad ideas, that istrue, but our track record since 2017 has seen New Zealand First constructively also serve as an ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP New Zealand First’s Fair Residency for Superannuation Bill passed its First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill makes a significant change to NZ Super by raising the minimum residency requirement from 10 to 20 years, after age 20. “Currently, a migrant of ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill in the name of Darroch Ball introducing a six-month minimum prison sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its second reading in Parliament. The new offence of "injuring a first responder or corrections officer with ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Deputy Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First welcomes the launch of the new Criminal Cases Review Commission, gifted with the name from Waikato-Tainui - Te Kāhui Tātari Ture, announced in Hamilton today by Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealand First has long believed in and ...
The Green Party is celebrating over $800m in new funding for green projects, which will get people into jobs while solving New Zealand’s long-term challenges. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is appalled that Meridian seems to have been unnecessarily spilling water from its dams to drive up its profits."While New Zealanders have been coming together in some of our darkest hours, we don’t expect power gentailers to waste water and ...
We wrapped up the first half of 2020 with a busy month, taking additional steps to support New Zealanders as we continue with our economic recovery. We rolled out targeted packages to support key industries like tourism and construction, helped create jobs in the environmental and agriculture sectors, and set ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Infrastructure Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has welcomed the appointment of Maurice Davis and his deep infrastructure and construction experience to the board of the Infrastructure Commission. Mr Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto), is the seventh and final appointment to the board led by former Reserve Bank Governor ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand’s click bait journalism is taking a turn for the worse, with yet another example of sensationalist, wilful-misrepresentation of the facts. “New Zealand First has worked constructively with its Coalition partner on hundreds of pieces of legislation and policy, and ...
The Green Party is today unveiling its Poverty Action Plan, which includes a Guaranteed Minimum Income to ensure people have enough to live with dignity. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Rotorua Museum redevelopment and Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest projects will be accelerated thanks to a $2.09 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) boost, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Stephen Clark, Māori Land Court Judge of Hamilton has been appointed as a District Court Judge with jury jurisdiction to be based in Hamilton, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Judge Clark graduated with an LLB from Auckland University in 1988 and was admitted to the Bar in the same year. ...
The Crown will provide a loan to Hawke’s Bay Airport to ensure it can trade through COVID-19 economic impacts, support the region’s recovery and protect up to 200 jobs. The Crown has a 50 percent shareholding in Hawke’s Bay Airport Limited (HBAL), with Napier City Council holding 26 percent and ...
Four celebrated Māori and Pasifika events will receive up to $100,000 each in funding from the new Creative and Cultural Events Incubator fund, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today. The four events that were successful in the inaugural funding round are: Kia Mau Festival, Wellington Māoriland Film Festival, Otaki ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...
Wildlife institutions affected by a loss of visitor revenue during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to receive government support with nearly $15 million of funding available announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Eco-sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and wildlife rescue, hospital and rehabilitation facilities provide crucial support for the recovery ...
The Government is expanding and accelerating frontline mental health and wellbeing services at tertiary education institutes (TEI) to help students manage ongoing stresses related to COVID-19. “The lockdown has been hugely disruptive for students. Many of them have had to relocate and move to online learning, isolating them from their ...
The Minister of Police says a major operation against the Mongrel Mob in Waikato will make a big dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks. “Senior leadership of the Waikato Mongrel Mob has been taken out as a result of Operation Kingsville, which resulted in ...
The Government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on 24 August2020, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly ...
A project to support volunteer efforts to look after streams and rivers is getting a boost thanks to support from DOC’s Community Conservation Fund announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “The government is backing efforts to look after waterways with $199,400 for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust from ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter today announced that funding for the COVID-19 Community Fund for women and girls will be doubled, as the first successful funding applications for the initial $1million were revealed. “Women and girls across the country have suffered because of the effects of COVID-19, and I ...
The Government’s books were better than forecast with a higher GST take as the economy got moving again after lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the 11 months to the end of May indicate the year end results for tax revenue will be stronger than forecast. ...
A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path was unveiled today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The newly-released report - Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector - was developed by the Wool Industry Project Action Group ...
Community efforts to create a Predator Free Whangārei will receive a $6 million boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The new funding, through Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd, will create around 12 jobs while enabling the complete removal of possums over ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that the New Zealand Government is reviewing the settings of its relationship with Hong Kong. “China’s decision to pass a new national security law for Hong Kong has fundamentally changed the environment for international engagement there,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand remains deeply ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced details of a multimillion-dollar investment in Whangārei for infrastructure projects that will help it recover from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created through the $26 million investment from the Government’s rejuvenation package ...
Following a second incident in which a person escaped from a managed isolation facility, security is being enhanced, including more police presence onsite, Minister Megan Woods said. “The actions of some individuals who choose to break the very clear rules to stay within the facilities means that more resourcing is ...
Waste reduction and recycling programmes in Kaipara are set to get a boost with Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announcing a $361,447 grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) Sustainable Kaipara. “The new funding will allow Sustainable Kaipara to partner with local schools, kura, community ...
The Government will support the Southland economy in the wake of multinational mining company Rio Tinto’s decision to follow through with its long signalled closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. “This day has unfortunately been on the cards for some time now, but nevertheless the final decision is a ...
New tools being developed to help boost Aotearoa’s Predator Free 2050 effort were unveiled today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. A new rat poison, a camera with predator recognition software to detect and report predators, a new predator lure and a ...
The Coalition Government has approved the purchase of a fleet of Bushmaster vehicles to replace the New Zealand Army’s armoured Pinzgauers, Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced today. The new fleet of 43 Australian-designed and built Bushmaster NZ5.5 will provide better protection for personnel and improved carrying capacity. “The age ...
The Government’s three prevention frameworks to reduce family violence in Aotearoa were launched this week by Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams. The frameworks were developed in partnership with communities around New Zealand, and build on the work the Government has already begun with its new family violence prevention ...
The Government is pleased to confirm funding for improvements to radiology and surgical services at Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. "The Minister of Finance the Hon Grant Robertson and former Health Minister Dr David Clark approved funding for Hawke's Bay DHB’s redevelopment of their radiology facilities ...
• New funding for four beds at Napier’s Springhill Residential Addiction Centre • A new managed withdrawal home and community service, and peer support before and after residential care at Tairāwhiti DHB • A co-ordinated network of withdrawal management services throughout the South Island • Peer support in Rotorua and ...
Introduction, seafarers and POAL Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be online with you all today. Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that COVID-19 has disrupted the maritime sector on an unprecedented scale. The work of seafarers and the maritime industry is keeping many economies around the world ...
A $13 million investment from Government will create jobs and improve the resilience of the rail connection between Christchurch and the West Coast, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones and Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau say. The funding comes from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2020 for infrastructure projects ...
The Government is investing $761 million to assist local government upgrade under-pressure water services across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The announcement was made at the site of the water bore that was found to be the source of the fatal ...
Recognised Seasonal Employers and migrant seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand will be able to continue working and supporting themselves with more flexible hours and roles, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The time-limited visa changes are: Stranded RSE workers will be able to work part-time (a minimum of 15 hours ...
The Government is making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers, while also ensuring New Zealanders needing work are prioritised, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. We are: Extending temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 ...
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM has been appointed as Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Alternate Environment Court Judge Craig James Thompson as Deputy Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the newly established Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). Environment Minister David Parker today also announced the appointment of Chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook as the ...
Auckland Queen’s Counsel Neil Campbell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Campbell graduated with a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1992. He spent two years with Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Auckland before travelling to the United ...
The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to better enable the development and operation of commercial film and video facilities in Christchurch. The Proposal, developed by Regenerate Christchurch in response to a request from Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section ...
The Government has launched a bold plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade, while protecting the environment and growing jobs. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today released Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential, a 10-year roadmap to unlock greater value ...
A new approach to prevent family harm that encourages greater collaboration across government and community groups is being celebrated at the opening of a new facility in Auckland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today opened the Multi-Disciplinary Family Harm Prevention Hub Te Taanga Manawa in Lambie Road in Manukau. The facility ...
The Government has released a major new report on the options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations while deferring any decision on the issue. “That decision needs to be informed by policy analysis that is still to be completed. As a result it will be up to a ...
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today. “I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti ...
Bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into New Zealand will be managed in the short term to ensure the Government is able to safely place New Zealanders arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility, says Housing Minister Megan Woods. “Last week Air Commodore Darryn Webb and I ...
Grant Robertson has today announced the first major release of funding from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020. “Today we’re setting out how $80 million will be invested, with $54 million of that over the 2020/2021 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite ...
The Government is maintaining current levy rates for the next 2 years, as part of a set of changes to help ease the financial pressures of COVID-19 providing certainty for businesses and New Zealanders, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “New Zealanders and businesses are facing unprecedented financial pressures as a ...
Small businesses are getting greater certainty about access to finance with an extension to the interest-free cashflow loan scheme to the end of the year. The Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has already been extended once, to 24 July. Revenue and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says it will be ...
A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced today. The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara ...
The new TVNZ On Demand political comedy relies on great performances to paper over a wafer-thin story, writes Jean Sergent.The set-up is simple: Darren Bellows (Tom Sainsbury), a Colin Craig-esque political loser, is being blackmailed by his dominatrix (Kathleen Burns). The stakes are high for Darren as the leader of ...
One in eight retail businesses are struggling to negotiate rent relief and want government-assisted arbitration to help them resolve their plight, a survey shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology The sentencing of the Christchurch mosque killer was always going to be tense. Having admitted his guilt in March, his declaration that he would now represent himself at the hearing on August 24 ...
The Serious Fraud Office is investigating donations made to the Labour Party in 2017 Donations to the Labour Party in 2017 are now under the microscope of the Serious Fraud Office, the corruption watchdog said in a statement. The SFO declined to release any further details about the investigation. This ...
National Party stalwart Michelle Boag gave officials her private email address when asked where best to send a daily list of Covid-19 patients, the Director General of Health says. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Davies, Lecturer, School of the Arts & Media, UNSW Review: A Room Made of Leaves, Text Publishing Some time ago, during the renovation of a historic house in Sydney, a tin box, sealed with wax and wrapped in oiled canvas, ...
Whakamā refers to a state of personal or collective embarrassment and shame. Unabated shame can corrode the soul. Tikanga can fix and prevent it, writes Tainui Stephens.This story contains descriptions of racism and racist language.It seems to me some radio talkback hosts suffer from an empathy bypass: a quixotic condition ...
Today’s news that the mosque shooter will represent himself at his sentencing next month has raised fears he plans to use it as a platform for his hateful views. But the judge may have other ideas, write Otago University professors Danica McGovern and Andrew GeddisIn March of this year, the ...
The Say Nope To Dope campaign is slamming the government for its voting pack on the cannabis referendum, and is seeking legal advice. “We’ve been contacted by a number of families who believe that the government pamphlet is putting their own ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is throwing shade on the Green Party’s new policies to install solar panels on state houses and subsidise them for private residences, which would cost taxpayers $806,000,000 over three years. Taxpayers Union spokesperson ...
Latest from the Beehive – One of the less challenging jobs for a Minister of the Crown is dipping into a trough within his ministerial gift and hoping for favourable headlines by dishing out grants. Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford – who has fallen short of counting Kiwbuild and Auckland ...
People from immigrant backgrounds often struggle to find work in New Zealand, despite their qualifications. So why is the Office of Ethnic Communities looking for people to do its work for free, asks former race relations commissioner Joris de Bres.Last week, the Office of Ethnic Communities announced on Facebook that ...
New Zealanders can’t get enough of The Chase, so why can’t we have our own version? And what would a homegrown version of the quiz show look like anyway? If The Chase were a pandemic, we’d all have herd immunity by now. The British TV quiz show has never been ...
In less than a week, Auckland Council will vote on an emergency budget that looks set to deliver severe cuts to facilities and services across the city. And still pleas for a commitment on shovel ready projects go unheeded by government, writes councillor Desley Simpson.As a country we can feel ...
The gunman of the Christchurch mosque attacks has chosen to represent himself at his sentencing next month. In March, Brenton Tarrant made a late guilty plea to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one under the Terrorism Suppression Act. He is due to be sentenced on 24 ...
A road freight industry representative says a new announcement that negotiations will be extended - again - is further confirmation that something is not right with the project An announcement that a new cash payout will extend negotiations and 'winter works' even further than first thought is being heralded as a sign ...
By Hamish Cardwell, RNZ News Grey Power is enraged by what it says is the “stupid and dangerous” behaviour of people fleeing managed isolation facilities, and says they need the book thrown at them. A person broke a window and absconded from an Auckland hotel on Friday, the fourth such ...
Crowd entertainment at sports games is a hard task, but please let’s stick to T-shirt cannons and on-field japes instead of watching strangers smooch, eh?Funny kiss cam footage is a key element of any viral fail video compilation. A “she’s my sister” sign pulled out of a pocket as the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Clarke, Director, Monash Drone Discovery Platform, and Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Monash University This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that launched this week. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jess Marsh, Research fellow at the Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that launched this week. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Lintermans, Associate professor, University of Canberra This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that launched this week. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that launched this week. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Matisoo-Smith, Professor of Biological Anthropology, University of Otago How did the Polynesian peoples come to live on the far-flung islands of the Pacific? The question has intrigued researchers for centuries. Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl brought the topic to public attention when ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Phillips, Associate Professor, Centre for Social Research and Methods, Director, Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Australian National University New research on disadvantage in Australia has found the gap between rich and poor is very wide in Sydney, while much of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Peters, Associate Professor of Wildlife Health and Pathology, Charles Sturt University This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that launched this week. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wee Tiong Seah, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education, University of Melbourne On Sunday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced government school students in prep to Year 10 in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire will learn from home for term three. The remote ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillippa Carnemolla, Senior Research Fellow, School of the Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney The stated purpose of the Morrison government’s HomeBuilder program is to stimulate the economy and create construction jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research shows home improvements could ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Davidson, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, UNSW Suddenly, the idea of a “job guarantee” is back in vogue. Lawyer, academic, land rights activist and founder of the Cape York Institute Noel Pearson has come out of it favour of it, University of Newcastle ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ann Kayis-Kumar, Senior Lecturer and Tax Clinic Director, School of Taxation & Business Law, UNSW For some people tax time will result in no tax paid this year, and if past years are anything to go by, about 50 of them will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland From the 11th century onwards, the Legend of Barlaam and Josaphat enjoyed a popularity in the medieval West attained perhaps by no other legend. It was available ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
Investors still betting massive money-printing, despite growing fears of second wave lock-downs in America, India and Brazil, and as Australian cases spike ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Self-inflicted story puts National on the defensive, another escape attempt from managed isolation, and a series of party events ahead of election.There’s a convention in journalism called Betteridge’s law of headlines. Basically what it means is that headlines that end in ...
How authoritarian rule is applied to Hong Kong may make New Zealanders question whether closer interactions with China are necessarily desirable, writes Catherine Churchman Get ready for some in-your-face political repression, New Zealand. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has just extended its draconian rules on free speech and freedom ...
Using technology remotely to care for patients can go way beyond Zoom calls or basic telehealth measures. Professor Simon Malpas explains how tech can start to even out inequity in healthcare. Imagine you live in Ahipara, Northland. You also have early stage heart failure. It’s a 90-minute drive to your ...
Stephen Hoadley on how Donald Trump has moved the US from its decades-old role of international leadership, and why it might not be easy for a President Biden to restore that mantle. US elections and the resulting presidencies can be geopolitical turning points, whether reflecting them or causing them. Successive ...
The ACT party held its campaign launch in Auckland on Sunday and unveiled new policies, with a new team it hopes will bring a return to the days when it was more than a one man band. Mark Jennings reports. If the number of people paying to attend a political ...
Nicky Pellegrino and Stacy Gregg continue their podcast interview series with popular New Zealand writers. This week: Amy McDaid, the author of Fake Baby. Auckland’s Amy McDaid is an exciting new talent on our literary scene. Her debut novel, Fake Baby, strikes an elegant balance between dark comedy and compassion. ...
Is it finally time for Pacific rugby to come in from the cold in a new Super Rugby competition? Jim Kayes says it's time to believe. In Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, the two lead characters wait on a country road, by a tree, for Godot’s arrival. He never ...
A broken foot threatened to derail sailor Alex Maloney's second Olympic campaign. But she's back on track, with a little help from her brother and his America's Cup team-mates. From now on, Alex Maloney will always seek a second opinion. Without it, the Rio Olympics sailing silver medallist saw her ...
With an election now less than 10 weeks away, the National Party is confronting the very real prospect of a crushing defeat, writes Pattrick Smellie for BusinessDesk.Only two things can now save Todd Muller and the National Party from the growing likelihood of a crushing defeat at the September 19 ...
It’s long past time we officially recognised the Māori new year on Māori land, writes Laura O’Connell Rapira.In May, Jacinda Ardern said more public holidays for Kiwis to experience Aotearoa New Zealand is among a number of things the government is “actively considering” to encourage domestic tourism.With many small businesses ...
The Kiwi nurse working in conflict zones, helping war-wounded, and improving hospital systems was forced to do a major pivot when Covid-19 hit Afghanistan. Gail Corbett tells Laura Walters about living her life in some of the world’s most dangerous places, and what keeps her going back. Gail Corbett was ...
This is a story about a Chinese shipwreck, the Māori guardians of the bones, and the documentary maker who' has upset two cultures with his efforts to tell the tale. Is a shipwreck with the bones of 499 Chinese miners a sacred gravesite or a part of history that should be ...
From RNZ Mediawatch New Zealand children use a lot less Kiwi media than they used to. New research shows its Netflix, YouTube and TikTok engaging their eyeballs big time these days. If our kids screen out our local media, what does the future hold for them? The news media seized ...
The Tahr Foundation has released a short video that shows just what Himalayan tahr mean to Kiwis and why so many people are fighting so hard to maintain them in New Zealand. The video is a powerful reminder of the extent that tahr are now woven into ...
Introduction Thank you very much. Elections in New Zealand – like everywhere - are a very special tradition, because they are driven by you. They’re an opportunity to change your future. If you think about it, the Government doesn’t do much. It ...
“This election and Covid-19 present New Zealanders with an opportunity to change their future and create a fair, modern employment insurance scheme,” says ACT’s Employment Spokesperson, and third-ranked candidate, Nicole McKee. “Covid-19 has ...
“A new approach to mental health and addiction will reduce bureaucracy, improve patient choice, and empower New Zealanders,” says ACT’s Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Brooke van Velden. “Each year, the government spends about $2 billion ...
"Working people have signaled their commitment to do more to address the most pressing issue of our time; climate change. The energy policies that the Green Party have launched today provide a meaningful contribution to addressing climate change," ...
Climate justice organisation 350 Aotearoa welcomes the Greens' plan to transform Aotearoa’s energy system and set Aotearoa on course towards a fossil-fuel free future in which workers are supported into new jobs, and communities have the power ...
The Old Guard, new to Netflix, is a resounding success because it doesn’t focus on what makes these heroes great, it focuses on what makes them human, writes Sam Brooks.The climax of Netflix’s new movie The Old Guard shouldn’t be anything new, but it feels exhilarating. The titular old guard, ...
A new Green Party announcement heralds a fast-exit out of fossil fuels through a massive state housing solar panel installation programme, a ban on new coal boilers, and the shifting of a target for renewable energy Solar panels and batteries would be installed in 30,000 State homes to create a "virtual power plant" if ...
As yet more male-led festival lineups are announced, Shaquille Wasasala, aka halfqueen, writes an open letter to the industry.To those whose career it is booking talent for music festivals, punters, and people who listen to music.As a DJ and artist who exists at many intersections that directly inform my lens ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. This week: disgraced MP Hamish Walker.Showing promise The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is true, post on Facebook that he had been door knocking in Mataura when he hadn’t. He lied. The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is ...
It’s one of the most commonly used weedkillers in the world, but pressure to phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate could force us to come up with alternatives quickly. Listen to the full episode of Two Cents Worth below. Subscribe to Two Cents' Worth for free on Apple ...
Open Mike 30/10/2018 
The Serious Fraud Office has announced that it is investigating the Labour Party over donations it received in 2017. Which means the three largest parties in Parliament are all now either being investigated or prosecuted for donation fraud. The only parties who aren't are the Greens and ACT. As ...57 mins ago
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Dr Kim Handley, University of Auckland Just how do cyanobacteria live in their natural habitat, and how do they coexist with other bacteria and microbial life forms? And what difference will knowledge on this bacteria have on maintaining New Zealand’s water quality? One of the consequences of declining water quality ...6 hours ago
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“Well I’d like to be President” – Hillary Clinton
So now there’s the specter of this corporate toady coming back in when clearly she is not what the public want. And despite her denial, she couldn’t help but entertain her ego in public, and thus the public rumor mill. Same shit different day. Simply not attractive anymore.
Having her about is just sowing doubt.
Clinton led Democrats… There’s nothing attractive in it except ‘not Trump’. Is that a platform?
I bet a lot of Trumps votes were votes for not-Hillary.
It’s akin to rolling Bridges out to comment on his possibly running during our next election (I scry the fools demise). He’ll only remind us why we don’t want Nats. Out of sight out of mind is the obvious smart choice for future Nats re Bridges, and today’s Democrats re Clinton.
Not really putting her country first, is she.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/29/hillary-clintons-curious-comments-about/?utm_term=.a62f18218179
Hillary is finding it hard to leave politics behind. She had to swallow a dead rat in Trump being elected the president.
Hillary cannot change the past. Surely there are other ways Hillary can enjoy herself, other than politics.
@Treetops “Surely there are other ways Hillary can enjoy herself, other than politics.”
the political leaders become addicted to power. Clinton should go. There was the opportunity to work with Sanders and win, the Democrats chose not to.
Labour and Greens in NZ combined and inspite of all the issues, they did managed to win.
They owe their backers…
Clinton leaves politics when she is allowed to…not when she want to…
I can’t stand Hilary and desperately hope she doesn’t run again but she is no more or less a corporate toady than Trump.
I don’t think she is as bad as painted, and she did win the popular vote, but I don’t think she’ll seriously run again.
I think she might keep it open as long as possible to be Faux’s boogey-woman so that they have to invent hate from scratch when the actual candidates come to the podium.
As long as she’s a might-run, they’re looking at her. The far right (and sanctimonius left) have a real bugbear about the Clintons.
Yep. I worry about the hate that family get generated towards them. It’s bubbling away in the “fuck the optics. I’m going in.” crew.
I don’t want them to go the Kennedy way.
Are you worried about cause, or just the effect?
Something else perhaps…
I dont understand your question.
No its not her wanting to run.
read what it says
“offered comments that some interpreted as leaning in to a 2020 run. Clinton’s words aren’t nearly so clear, ”
Interpret all you like – but shes isnt running again.
this is what she does want
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we have a Democrat in the White House come January of 2021.”
So heres where she says NO – twice
“Mrs. Clinton initially said “no” when asked whether she wanted to run for president again. She then paused and repeated “no.”
because she paused and said ( hypothetically) ‘Id like to be President’ the haters have gone crazy.
People who know Hillary is an unpopular corporate suck-up = Haters.
Is it cheaper to run a life in black and white?
Reports Merkel to quit as party leader.
Will try to stay as Chancellor til 2021.
May be a big change for Europe?
Merkel is realistic and crafty when it comes to not being able to hold power due to instability.
Merkel has chosen to go on her own terms. Maybe were Merkel gone as leader, Britain may benefit with better terms for Brexit.
Merkel is like Helen Clark. A smart, good leader, but who got blinded on some issues and did not look forward to the future as well as she should have…aka now Germany divided more. NZ divided more by neoliberalism by Clark who signed the FTA with China. Nice idea, bad details left in, that is now going to make NZ a much less equal, less democratic society run to other countries agendas.
Leadership is very hard, but it is worse when maybe the leaders like the idea of something with out looking at how it can negatively impact the positives… and really looking at the fine print. Better to not sign a flawed deal than sign one and then think you will somehow get out easily. Brexit comes to mind if the UK leaders had managed the EU expansion better with policy, Brexit would not have come to pass.
You arent reading the story properly- Comprehension 101
“Maybe were Merkel gone as leader, Britain may benefit with better terms for Brexit.”
Merkel is letting go of being CDU party leader.( who doesnt run the country)
Shes staying on as Chancellor till 2021 or so.
I need to look up the difference in power between a chancellor and a party leader.
to be honest she should have found a successor and helped that person up rather then stay on for so long.
.
Well they do have a system where the various state leaders can have an opportunity to run for national leader.
After the documentary on the Boeing plant and the lax attitude to safety I don’t think making this claim is wise.
Doco discussion: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/2014/09/10/documentary-questions-quality-and-safety-of-boeing-787/
Quote via Stuff:
But aviation expert Neil Hansford said it was highly unlikely a technical fault within the plane’s structure had led it to plough into the ocean and the model was among the safest in the world.
While the aircraft is yet to take to Australian skies, Virgin Australia has 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes on order, with the first of the fleet due to arrive in late 2019. It is not known if the aircraft is heading to New Zealand airlines.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/108203426/aircraft-model-at-centre-of-indonesia-plane-tragedy-bound-for-australian-airline
Have a look at flight stats in this article, either they had a serious cockpit management issue, an onboard disturbance or major technical/ systems failure. Either way it doesn’t look good especially when they were climbing out and suddenly lose altitude before nose diving into sea at high speed.
Note: this is the first serious crash of the 737 Max 8 aircraft. There is going to be a lot riding on this IRT the out come of this investigation especially Boeing, which could add fuel to the fire over Boeing’s alleged lax safety and quality control standards in which these rumours have been around for a wee while now.
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/the-13-minutes-before-tragedy-struck-how-the-lion-air-disaster-unfolded/news-story/28de53a23285acd177d9f5386b6731fb
Dirty Politics donations and money ….
When the Nacts lost the last election ….. they were bloated with millions in donations ,,,, and could easily afford to run another election campaign immediately … given the chance.
Not so for Labour and their coalition partners …… who were financially exhausted winners.
Starting From election night where they misrepresented the result … Our slanted media has been giving us bad reporting …. and bad Hosking maths …. where being the largest minority is considered more legitimate to rule …. than getting over 50% support.
There is a concerted effort to de-legitimize the new Govt … Just read bitter old Alwyns posts for the ‘attack lines’ …. making him good for something.
Reading a ‘stuff’ story on anonymous donations …. spurred by Jamies Lee Ross $100,000 dirty donations back stabbings … I was amazed by the Dirty Politics flavor as Stuff twisted the truth
And in a Wayne Mapp like way they claimed NZ first was the worst offender / biggest problem …
However the math in NZs secret political donations was roughly something like this …
National ———– 5 Million secret backhanders
Labour ———– 2 Million or so
NZ first ———— 1.2 Million or something
Now if Im looking for the worst offenders / biggest problems ….. 5 Million by the Nats stands out like dog balls ….. unlike the election results they do have the majority…. over half …. they rule when it comes to dirty donations.
I’d like Labour to do better … but i do not vote for them …. and I suppose they feel its the only way they can stay in the buying media space electioneering game.
But my point is ….. the reporting stunk …. and mislead readers ,,,,
Dirty Politics stands aligned with the dirty money….. we are buying ourselves corruption
Woodhouse needed to sign for approx 100 people to avoid being deported. He did not have to disclose his reason for doing so.
Were donations made to the National party to influence the immigration minister?
Probably, but proving it is another matter.
NZ is no different than any other country, when it comes to the smell of money to sway politicians.
Too true …. and double hard to find out about or prove …. when to many in our media run cover for the criminals.
Reading either a herald or stuff report …. on the single largest forfeiture that has occurred in New Zealand to date …. $43 million seized under our proceeds of crime laws.
I was struck by the language which described an ‘agreement’ between William Yan – also known as Bill Liu, Yang Liu and Yong Ming Yan … and our courts.
Other media has described it as ‘ struck a deal ‘.
Usually criminal matters uses court language like ‘ judgements ‘ or ‘ forfeiture ‘ , ‘seized’ etc.
but the criminally rich …. reach agreements.
New Zealand ………… moderately racist …… and the last 9 years growing economic apartheid
New Zealand makes it on to the Jimmy Dore Show
Thats Suzie Dawson, fearless self promoter and bully , Her modus operandi is to declare herself “spokesperson” and then divert resources and publicity towards supporting herself in the manner she feels she deserves IMHO. avoid , do not engage without witnesses !.
And xanthe, is that your only take home from that link,
attack the person?
not actually any comment on the TPPA itself and how it came to be ratified when so many of the public were against it…
Dawson’s a self aggrandising POS who, despite being asked not to, inserted herself into a family’s grief to fulfill her own delusion of importance.
Who the fuck cares about Dawson, what about the issues, If people were less worried about individual people and more about how policy like TPPA is going to effect themselves, their families and the next generation, it might be harder to power interests to get everything through… forget about semantics and individuals and identity politics and concentrate on the results and effects of policy.
0.5% of the population cares about the TPPA in the way you do.
Its the well off people like yourself problem. And even then its a bogey that ‘might happen’.
Do you really lie awake at night thinking ‘the government is going to be sued’
Thanks for that Link, esoteric pineapples. As the commentator says you get punched with the left fist as well as the right fist.
The Green Party were the only ones who did not sell out the people. If they were in the media for that, instead of cunts, benefit frauds or woke left discourses we would have a lot more Green MP’s representing us.
Saying that the Green Party is still the best party in NZ to preserve democracy and hopefully whatever hic up going on with the Greens and how they represent their policies, they will overcome it.
Those who spoke the best against the TPP like Norman, Cunliffe, Metiria and Harawira were harassed out of parliament and big victims of dirty politics.
Now the issue is silent. Like Rogernomics though, not forgotten.
As the US commentator says we now have sham democracies…
Of course the Greens were in the media re TPPA as they were and still are staunchly opposed. You know this. Everybody who has opposed TPPA knows this. The reality is that this is not as bigger issue with most people as it is for you. We have lost this battle, but that is no reason to abandon all the social justice issues that the Greens have always stood for. Get over yourself.
Searching the Greens website for “TPPA” provides 65 articles and press releases: https://www.greens.org.nz/search/content/TPPA
Searching for “CPTPP” provides a further 6: https://www.greens.org.nz/search/content/CPTPP
Doesn’t even make the home page of the Greens website.
Seem to remember “trains for the shore” being a big headline on the Greens website during the election and ‘Te Reo’ for all…
I know crazy, how those working multiple jobs, with kids or in poverty, bad internet does not make the effort to search Green Party policy and find those 65 articles when the Greens don’t even put it on their home page website with all their other policy directives..
It’s the people’s fault, is that what the Greens tell themselves???
All press releases go on the front page as they come out and stay there in chronological order. The last on CPTPP was a week ago:
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/green-party-continues-oppose-cptpp-puts-amendments
missing the point again Solka, with volunteers like you for Greens it explains a lot about how they languish in the polls.
BTW looked at Labour’s 355 day achievements, NO mention of TPPA, Labour knew nobody wanted it, fuckers. If it was that great for NZ, why no mention from Labour?
Saying that, strategically worse, is the Greens that were against it, but failed to have it on their home page even though there are 13 other policy directives such airport rail, Te reo and refugees.
What happened, run out of space???
Nothing about spying either… I guess after the Gutsy Greens were forced out, they wanted to ‘tone it’ down into what power interest feel more comfortable with.
Labour gave assurances on a number of points re TPPA and then reneged on the most important one, the investor category of ISDS. This was beyond the control of the Green Party. Even taking the government down would not have stopped CPTPP.
And they should be shouting they were the only honest ones on TPPA from the rooftops not hiding it from the public. NZ First publicly disagree with Labour all the time and they seem to get away with it.
Representative Democracy was designed to keep the power in the hands of the rich.
That said, I can certainly see Representative Democracy being the only viable option prior to the present productivity, mass education and communications capabilities. Present capabilities allow us to drop from a 40 hour week down to a ~20 hour week while still maintaining a reasonable living standard and thus allow people time to engage in politics and voting directly for the policies that they want.
In other words, it’s time that we transitioned to Direct Democracy. Of course, that does mean shifting to online voting as paper voting simply isn’t responsive enough or give enough options.
It’s great that NZ councils are seriously thinking about climate change, emissions, pollution and more trucks on the road… (sarcasm) … In this case sounds like council is considering trucking rubbish 300KM’s away to save a few short term $$$$…
So much easier to do that than actually try to stop the pollution of rubbish at source by discouraging business from overproducing packaging rubbish, not enough compostable rubbish, or encouraging composting, less consumer goods and the the recycle of non recyclables back to the retailers or manufacturers…
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/369743/rubbish-offer-forces-councils-to-reconsider-42m-landfill-plan
The QLDC trucks all of Wanaka’s rubbish over to the Wakatipu Basin, about 80km.
There has to be a better way. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
@ Bearded Git- exactly surely not that hard… of course with TPPA our government probably can’t even tax manufacturers for packaging or they will sue, that’s the ‘new’ democracy… polluting corporations taking more and more taxpayer money to clean up after themselves and instead of money going to schools and hospitals it’s going to truck companies and rubbish dumps and lawyers.
TPPA?
They cant sue for local issues like that . They would have to use the locla courts not international arbitration
“We have narrowed their ambit. The last version of the agreement – for example – if you had disputes between the government and an overseas contractor building the Waterview Tunnel – they could have sued the government if they were in dispute through an international tribunal – now they can’t.”
An overseas contractor would now have to pursue the government through the New Zealand courts.
The government also had a bilaterial agreement with Australia and other countries that they would never use the ISDS clauses.”
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/348923/david-parker-defends-new-tpp-agreement
Burn in a furnace to make power .
Not long term viable as Norway/Sweden(?) is now learning as they simply don’t create so much rubbish any more. Far better to simply not create so much in the first place and not need the furnaces.
In Qtown it just might work. Tourists aren’t going to stop with the rubbish any time soon.
“Far better to simply not create so much in the first place and not need the furnaces.”
Love your optimism !!
I believe they get paid to take other countries rubbish in Sweden . But building small should solve waste volume problems . On in every city as opposed to huge centralized ones.
I believe so as well.
Problem: Other countries are also reducing the trash that they produce.
As I say – not feasible long term.
Works for Seoul. Doesn’t meet all their energy needs of course – but still worth doing.
Really, all the facility needs to do is cover its costs minus whatever trucking and tip fees would have been.
Why waste the energy and resources to create the waste in the first place?
“Burn in a furnace to make power”
What century do you live in???
Sounds like you are still back in the 1900’s…
We could save ourselves millions per year just banning the spam that arrives in the mail box. The fact that such rubbish wasn’t banned with the electronic form was because of tradition. Businesses had been doing it for decades (against everyone;s wishes which is why it’s called ‘junkmail’) and so the government decided that they couldn’t ban it despite it costing us so damn much more than electronic spam.
Speaking of junk mail.. from time to time when doIng the recycling in Feilding, I see the local junk mail distribution rooster emptying banana box after banana box (more than a dozen last count)into the paper bin.
Another example of a rate payer subsidy to business.
So much waste.
Yeah, that too.
New Zealand Labour openly abandons all pretext of being a political party for the working classes in favour of defending the “deserving” middle classes…as if we didn’t already know…
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018668919/collins-kiwibuild-criticism-mean-spirited-twyford
Yes that centrist MF Phil Twyford made it quite clear in his RNZ interview this morning that the middle classes are the only kiwi’s who ‘deserve’ to own their own government built ‘affordable homes’ and that low wage earners can just get fucked.. that in the eyes of Labour that they are undeserving of the right to own their own government built ‘affordable home’.
Well one can only to come to this conclusion as Labour have and are doing absolutely nothing to change, modify, slowdown or in any way inhibit the hideous and obscene kiwi obsession with commodifying our homes into just another tradable commodity.
Turn Labour Left!
well the ‘deserving middle class’ may well have just been gifted negative equity…..something many who missed out may be quite happy not to receive
I read somewhere that only 40% of people can afford the ‘affordable’ houses. So what happens to the other 60%? No doubt some global corporate will come to the rescue with a taxpayer funded option.. after people live in cars and tents for a few years.
The only good news for renters, is that the locals and those that recently got residency here under the Natz are now leaving for better jobs and working conditions elsewhere and lower costs of living so I think there is a bit of boil off the rental market in Auckland. Had a look the other day and there seemed more rental properties on Trade me, maybe a sham, who knows.
Neoliberalism has screwed many industries now in NZ, hospitality, construction, I think they are after the teachers now with the big migration drive ramping up everyday in the MSM.
Not sure how a foreign teacher, new to NZ and without knowledge of our curriculum, is going to fair better than a local one with the amount of special needs kids, poverty, housing shortages and cost of living. But hey, lure them in, lure them in… don’t address the underlying problems on current teachers!!!
Thats because you havent been doing any reading.
Twyford has made clear , Kiwibuild and more State house build go hand in hand in the future plans
Yeah, shut and wait poor people, you we’re told!!!
Actually, if you look at the HNZ stock between March and June 2018, it increased by almost 500 homes in those three months.
Kiwibuild homes completed in that time? Somewhere around zero?
It seems Labour made the middle class wait…
Kiwbuild owners middle class?
They included a warehouse worker, concrete worker , nurses etc..
Find another grievance to have a whinge about….. to spare us all , maybe not.
lol true, I should have guessed the nats would be pulling the most extreme case they can bullshit from, as well.
But it’s also nice to see the HNZ stock increasing again. HNZ stock dropped 9.5% from 2011 to 2017.
Your link is crap – what am i supposed to look at – the ministry massaging figures? *sigh* you labour party hacks are almost as bad as the Tory scum.
Nice example of wilful blindness there. Reality doesn’t suit your fixation, therefore the figures must be wrong even if you can’t explain how.
never mind Flock, hes just a local jumped up left wing Trump type. let him wallow in his ignorance
Oh look dukeofurl, brefet of actual ideas to discuss a point so does their usual – abuse the commentator.
As for the trump rib, you might want to examine your behaviour – your the one who acts like trump not me.
If the NZH stock increase why is the waiting list for state housing increasing. More poverty perhaps or just dodgy figures???
There’s a certain drug lord who needs a place when he comes out of prison whose recently been granted residency.
Only not hand in hand, because people are moving into houses that they will privately own on former state house land, but hey, the state house tenants are still in emergency hotels, housing, tents, cars and couch surfing. Not hand in hand at all, it is trickle down…
I know this is already linked to on TS, but this brilliant expose/analysis of the JLR affair (to date!) by Frank Macskasy needs to be read by everybody.
https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/some-troubling-questions-about-the-ross-affair/
The extra strange part of this , and shows the medias working hand in glove with national.
When Mayor Browns extra marital affair was revealed , maybe 5 years ago, the other womans name wasnt mentioned by Slater at that time.
Very soon though NZ Herald put Bevan Chuang’s name all over its wrong page and multi page inside spread.
Currently the Herald just does exclusives from the National partys version of events in the Ross saga. Its our Pravda – and thats not news to a lot of people.
You reckon if a gnats backbencher wanted to get her version of events out there, the hibbled would just sit on it dukky? Ok..
Myth busting. This is one for you red.
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/4413537/steve-king-subgroup-western-civilization
Sighs … I never made it a cultural pissing contest. Still if the article wants posit that there is no such thing as “Western Civilisation”, then exactly on what basis can you argue for the existence of any other culture? Chinese? Polynesian? Amerindian? Mayan? Arabian? Persian? This is a very peculiar logic capable of erasing all these well-understood historic markers.
Nor would I be all that surprised if the specific notion of “Western Civilisation” arose quite late in the piece; for most of the post-Renaissance era everyone in Europe would have though of themselves as French, Italian, Spanish, Scottish, English, Hungarian, or one of many Germanic identities. The idea of a pan-European “Western” identity probably only arose almost in hindsight, and with the perspective lent by the distance across the Atlantic ocean.
And if you erase the idea of “Western Civilisation” and any possibility of it’s technical superiority, then you have zero explanation for the entire process of European colonisation which so transformed the planet. From it’s very early Portuguese origins, through to the extraordinary scope of the British Empire. You have no explanation for the first round of globalisation which began around the mid-1800’s and culminating in WW1. You have no explanation for the Scientific Revolution, for the multitude of intellectual discoveries by luminaries from Gallileo through to von Neuman. You have nothing on which to rest the Industrial Revolution, no explanation as to why it happened first in Europe and not say China, India or Mayan America. You don’t even have an explanation for the Treaty of Waitangi.
It was of course a highly materialistic revolution, and despite it’s transforming power, it has it’s own internal contradictions, it’s own terrible limitations we still grapple with. Nor does it mean there was not plenty of history happening everywhere else on the planet. But nonetheless the era of European colonisation was pivotal to the transformation of the world, from largely isolated groups of primarily tribal, insular peoples around say 1600, into the global world we live in today.
The whole of human history is highlighted by one group of people with better technology and social sophistication, overwhelming and subjugating their neighbours. The usual mistake people made was conflating their superior tools, with the idea of themselves being a superior people. If nothing else the post WW2 modern era should permanently put that mistake into the rubbish bin of history.
Because we are now on the cusp of being a single global people; there are no ‘others’ to invade, to conquer or imagine we are ‘superior’ to. That will soon be a notion as repugnant as we now consider the ancient practise of chattel slavery. We are stepping through a historic transition; our challenge now is to complete this globalised world we have all built, and breath a spiritual life into it. I rest my case by quoting the last sentence of your reference:
“Civilization is a worldwide phenomenon,” says Hunt, “and we have things in common with people everywhere.”
“‘Western civilization’ was invented during World War I as a way of explaining to American soldiers why they were going to fight in Europe, to stand up for the common values of our civilization, in this case against the Germans, who were seen as threatening the common values that the U.S. had with Britain and France,”
WW1 was a clash of civilization, and neo Darwinist ideals of the German Allmacht.
One of the most graphic pictures of the German attitude, the attitude which has rendered this war inevitable, is contained in Vernon Kellogg’s Headquarters Nights.’ It is a convincing, and an evidently truthful, exposition of the shocking, the unspeakably dreadful moral and intellectual perversion of character which makes Germany at present a menace to the whole civilized world.
The man who reads Kellogg’s sketch and yet fails to see why we are at war, and why we must accept no peace save that of over whelming victory, is neither a good American nor a true lover of mankind.
Theodore Roosevelt .
https://archive.org/details/headquarters00kell/page/30
Interesting quote Poisson, and timely too. ” the unspeakably dreadful moral and intellectual perversion of character which makes ******* ( you choose the nation state ) at present a menace to the whole civilized world.”
History never repeats…?
Such a good song.
Positive news.
As a Grey Power representative, I recently attended a meeting with board members and planning staff of the local District Health Board.
They were able to report that with a milder winter and a larger uptake of people taking influenza vaccinations, there has been far less hospital-based admissions. Another GP rep pointed out that the winter warmth payment will also have played its part in this positive outcome.
The CEO also reported that oral health plays a huge part in maintaining people’s general wellness. There have been good steps taken in this direction, too.
There would be some good results when the research is done and the figures published as to the positive effects that work and initiatives like this will have achieved.
Thats good to hear.
Lets hope the era of ‘new build hospitals’ that have fewer beds than the ones they replace is over.
That was a political process where the future patient numbers were reduced to ‘make the business case work’ for the rebuild.
Excellent news.
🙂
When you look at Goz and ChrisT’s comments and responses (above), it caused me to wonder what the best thing about the current gNatzi Party is.
All I can come up with with that none of them are ‘NEETS’ (Not in Empolyment, Education or Training).
They’re EMPLOYED – some as elected supposed representatives
They’re all in Ideological EDUCATION, some even reEDUCATION
And all are in TRAINING – whether it’s the martial and knife arts, or in media and spin, or re-imaging such as how to turn a Little Feat truck stop gal into a sophisticated leopard print gal who looks like she has some sort of authority bearing in mind her ‘colleagues’ are gaining experience day by day in the art of the knife.
Can anybody else see anything to redeem them?
Great to see Peters and Twyford overrule Kiwirail to keep the electric trains on North Island main trunk line.
Good refurb work for the Hutt workshops as well as good sustainability outcomes.
Thats wonderful news ..stoked!! gota link?
xanthe, here’s one. I have a relative in Kiwirail who will be stoked by the retention of these electric trains, which is why I sought a link. Peters and the Greens also very happy.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1810/S00286/government-saves-electric-trains.htm
Yay! so we do now actually have a functioning government , who woulda thunk it.
yippie 🙂
Here’s another link to the reasoning of Dr Roger Blakeley who supported this move in September this year.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/106777341/will-electric-locomotives-on-main-trunk-line-be-scrapped
I guess the Chinese train builder that national had lined up wont be too happy
Perhaps national will return their donation
Thanks Ad for that good, news indeed.
Perhaps it is time for a change or three iin Kiwirail’s board.
Twitter
Jami-Lee Ross
@jamileeross
I appreciate all the recent messages of support. I was well looked after by the fantastic people at Middlemore, and grateful for their care. On medical advice I remain on leave, but have given National my proxy vote to ensure Botany continues to be represented in Parliament.
1:45 PM – Oct 30, 2018
Jami-Lee Ross has broken his silence briefly today on Twitter to say that he was well treated at Middlemore Hospital and to thank people for their support.
He has also confirmed that he has given his proxy vote to National which allows him to continue to vote alongside his former party while he remains on leave from Parliament. This ensures the proportionality of Parliament is maintained thereby avoiding National being able to trigger the waka-jumping law.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/108219413/disgraced-mp-jamilee-ross-still-voting-alongside-national
In his absence, Ross’s office has been moved from the National Party quarters in the Beehive to Bowen House.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12151346
In reality ,voting differently from national isnt a trigger for the waka jumping law.
Under the previous similar legislation Donna Awatere took her case to the Supreme court on the very issue of ‘voting with your former party’
the Court ruled , that voting didnt matter.
Once she was
expelledleft the party , as Ross is, and the Speaker recorded them as an ‘Independent’ that was the change in proportionality that the law talked abouthttp://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/richard-prebble-and-ken-shirley-v-donna-awatere-huata-1/@@images/fileDecision
But of course a Supreme court could rule differently if the new law is worded differently, or even if the current judges think differently
Keeping all his options open!
All of the legal advice I have heard in the media (including a very clear opinion by Geddis) is that proportionality changes the moment JLR left the National Party, so in fact the WJL can be used.
I think National has to wait 21 days from the moment he resigned from the party before he can be chucked out.
The sentence on proportionality was clumsy, rushed wording on my part based on the Herald article, and also Ross’ letter. Mea cupla.
It does not reflect my personal view and IMO the whole issue of proportionality under the revised waka jumping additions to the Electoral Act is far from clear and constitutional lawyers are going to have a ball with this issue and its consequences.
Obviously no-one thought that the issue would arise quite so quickly (if at all) after the passing of the waka jumping amendments – ie IIRC the Royal Assent was only granted on 3 Oct and the changes then came into force from 4 Oct. (Checked – dates correct.)
It really is quite ironic that the Ross situation has arisen so soon – and that it pertains to the National Party in view of their absolute opposition to the changes. If it were not for the nature of the other issues involved (donations, sexual relationships, claims of harassment etc) one could almost wonder whether it was/is a conspriacy … LOL.
Newshub covered the whole situation last night in this article
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/10/jami-lee-ross-gears-up-for-return-to-parliament.amp.html
Some of the related issues were also covered previously in these two articles prior to the waka jumping bill going through.
https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/news-and-communications/news/waka-jumping-bill-raises-constitutional-concerns
https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/politics/waka-jumping-bill-brouhaha-not-clear-cut/
The real question is whether National will seek to invoke the waka jumping provisions. Jane Patterson suggested this morning on RNZ Morning Report that indications are that they are very loathe to invoke the waka jumping law and that they had not yet decided whether they would even accept Ross’ proxy vote. (No audio yet up on RNZ website.)
On behalf of the Tax Payers
It is amazing how Hateful the females of National are. They use every opportunity to display their viciousness.
One of the most vile is Judith Collins who has been in Parliament for nearly forever. Earned a hell of a lot of easy money from the Tax Payers.
But achieved absolutely nothing. ! Nothing.
Just a grumpy old frumpy waste of time. The usual national aggressive female.
Kia ora The Am Show I new that the media of the Papatuanuku were going to make a mountain out of a mole hill over the Earth Quake with the Prince and Duchess visiting
thats what the media does I did not feel the Quake.
That’s cool Duncan one must treat there guest with respect I wonder what they will name the new Kiwi chicks in Rotorua.
More mana for Te tangata whenua culture O Aotearoa culture with the Prince & Duchess speaking te reo ka pai.
Yes criminalizing abortion’s is a stupid .
Loyd looks quite happy with the new NZ chipped passport that skirts around the ques .
Amanda thats the way we cannot have people make it the noorm to be an ASS.
The US mid turm elections most mid term elections swing against the ruling party only 2 times in 80 od years has this phenomenon not happened but not to worry the Demacrats are more intelegint than the gop party they can forecast the future and care about there effects on it.
That’s a cool story of Mr Longman ABC reporter finding his grandparents photo in the New Zealand national library . Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
It’s cool having a vip escort were ever I go some ECO MAORI music for the minute https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=usN-pKfw6Q8
Eco Maori say if they stopped sending actors and paying them thousands to do the impossible they send in 1 a fortnight and stopped escorting me were ever I go they will save a few million instead of pissing money into the wind the sandflys have at least 3 cars following me as they are scared.
Court staff at the Hastings and Napier district courts will walk off the job at 3pm today.
The PSA this afternoon advised the Ministry of Justice of strike action to take place today at the Napier and Hastings District Courts for two hours from 3pm. ana to kai Ka kite ano Link below.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12151493
Here is reality for African American farmers being bullied and ripped off by European American’s Eco Maori Tau tokos /supports all minority’s who are being treated like dirt
It’s not fair, not right’: how America treats its black farmers .
I hope big changes are going to happen in America in the next few days you all have to get up and out and vote for you childrens and grandchildren future our future Kia kaha / stand strong. Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/america-black-farmers-louisiana-sugarcane
Kia ora Te Karea Eco Maori doesn’t agree on war so I tau toko the protesters .
The Prince and Duchess look good wearing te korowai It was good to here Chris words I watch him and his whano on Maori TV they make me proud of our culture Piripi.
Lets hope that our goverment has made the correct move on the trade agreement with the rest of the TPP Talasa.
I say all people should be aloud to vote even if you are in Prison.
I have all ready had my say on the Ngapuhi Treaty settlement im not sure about the take .
Ka kite ano Kia Kaha to the Maori All blacks
Kia ora Newshub Jo has been lucky to survive that avalanche all the best.
Its good that Galloway is reviewing his call on that immigrant in jail.
Rotorua had a bright beautiful day for the Royal couple visit and all the Maori culture people making us all proud of our culture and country.
Samantha Its atrocious what man is doing to our wild life we do need a Global Pact to STOP the sharp decline in our wild life I intend to write a post on that subject tomorrow.
That was a big show of mana in the protest against the defence arms display show in Palmerston North ka pai .
Halloween is for Te Tamariki my children went with it in my time we only seen it on TV.
Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls not to many cups of tea last nite with Grizz guys.
Maa going to play for the Blues and Marty back for Otago there is a lot of people with good skills in the Kiwi .
I ts cool that the coach of the Liverpool soccer teams coach Jurgen uses the mighty Haka some times ot motivate his player .
I say Bryce is a unreliable tomato guys lol he is shinning bright hows Rodger .
James thats cool that you acknowledge Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan visit to Rotorua .
All the best to the Breakers fingers crossed.
Ka kite ano P.S nice ties guy’s