Despite motorists having a $630 million expressway, new figures show the rush-hour crawl along State Highway 1 between Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast is moving slower than before the new road was built.
A colossal waste of money, based on rhetoric that has been known to be false since at least 1930. Oh, and it’s already falling apart too.
It should be the lead story on TV1 tonight. Something like “National blew two-thirds of a billion dollars on roads where public transport would have sorted-out the problem.”
If we get back our RNZ/TVNZ from the lingering national trolls running our RNZ/TVNZ Media network; – we should/could hear/see more public affairs stories aired then.
Go Minister of broadcasting Claire Cullan take our RNZ back please!!!!!!
Wonder if the recent revelations that Key lied about spying get traction.
It is a concern so many NZers fell for the spell of such a conman and others actually admired his brazen dishonesty.
35 years of neoliberalism poisons people’s minds .
“…….as I try to write in my own voice for a change.” What exactly does that mean ? That he will assume a voice not his own ? For personal gain ? In contrast Ghahraman performed a prosecution and defence function in a transparent, formalised process which no one, not even Paul Quin, challenges. A different quantity entirely from that of the paid propagandist…….a status which with his own words Paul Quin seems to acknowledge.
A couple of thoughts having read that digitaldjeli article;
It’s important to know what people’s motivations are and take that into account when listening to their ‘message’.
In Phil Quin’s case he has acted directly (and probably still does indirectly) in PR consultancy for the Paul Kagame government and at one point specifically for Rwanda Police.
It’s worth noting the Kagame regime and its police and military are heavily criticised for human rights abuses including the use of torture.
In reality Phil’s work in Rwanda involves actively and in current time defending the regime for contemporary abuses and advising them on how to paint any opposition as ‘genocide deniers’. This what he did to Ghahraman.
Interestingly while his website does say he did consultancy work in Rwanda, it doesn’t say it was for the Rwanda police who seem to be indulging in torture. Absolute clarity of course is something he and other RWNJs demand of Ghahraman.
Oddly though the media tells us he is a saint who ‘worked with genocide victims’.
Sorry folks……”Paul” means “Phil”. Don’t want to be unkind to former National Party list MP Paul Quinn whom from my Barrett’s drinking days in Wellington 40 years ago I recall as a pretty convivial character.
I bet he’s been fending off confused media for days. I thought initially it was him – glad it’s not though im not a quin/n fan although I did name my newfy quinn but that was after the dylan song.
I don’t listen to any sort of talkback or bother much with the NZ MSM, so I may be living in a bit of a bubble.
But I have got the distinct feeling from reading social media feedback that the shock jock onslaught on Golriz has fallen flat on it’s face. The “scandal” just refused to develop any legs. The dirty politics machine that feeds the coterie of angry middle aged white male shock jocks & their assorted hangers on like Quinn and Soper never got the wider breakout it was after in it’s attempted character assassination.
I see the old man defeatist of the left Chris Trotter is wringing his hands again at the fecklessness of the Greens political management, but I am wondering a question.
Is the power of the corporate MSM – almost every opinion writer in the Herald, all the “senior correspondents”, Garner, Hoskings, Soper, et al – seriously on the wane in the face of millennial disinterest in the anger and misogyny they are peddling? Are they actually becoming old men waving their fists at clouds as the zeitgeist leaves them behind?
To me, the election outcome indicated that a decisive number of Kiwis no longer get their news from MSM sources. Perhaps the real story of Golriz is the decisive victory of the left’s twitter and FB army over the the attempted smearers?
I think your right, social media is replacing the old style, and it is very effective and also allows interaction by way of commenting directly to the article and with other participants.
The oldies (us) tend to watch or listen to the news, but the level of bias and disregard for true journalism has turned it into a lottery as to is accuracy.
Yes, it’s a paradigm shift in how we consume news. Traditional news services might report ‘The bank was robbed’. We often find out about the robbery via traditional sources but more of us are spending more time with a medium that allows us to function as the social emotionally driven animals we are and articulate how we feel about the robbery.
You’re right Sanctuary……fashioning myself (falsely of course) as young, vibrant, wickedly ‘potent’ and attractively devilish, I don’t give a fuck about Hosking’s Maserati/Ferrari penis-extension, or Garner’s strutty ass, or Soper’s so ‘Gloss’ stubble……they’re old and boring! Of course they get a whiff of my styles and they’ll get very nasty. Mock the fuck out of the boring self-loving fools I reckon.
Don’t know what the outcome was re Rafael and Federico Grozovsky – who bought Onetai Station in 2014?
“The Labour Party revealed last week the brothers had been found criminally responsible for dumping chemicals from their Argentine tannery.
The brothers are linked with Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is at the centre of the Panama Papers revelations about how the rich hide their wealth in overseas trusts.”
Hardly a misdemeanour and all I read was his side plus him saying women tried to touch him up all the time when getting selfies so, you know, what’s the problem with touching a woman’s bare back eh.
Time you trusted someone other than a voice on a radio you know ad.
In a gripping account punctuated by sobs, the Arkansas woman told “Dateline NBC” that in her Little Rock hotel room, Clinton suddenly “turned me around and started kissing me, and that was a real shock. I first pushed him away. I just told him ‘no.’ . . . He tries to kiss me again. He starts biting on my lip. . . . And then he forced me down on the bed. I just was very frightened. I tried to get away from him. I told him ‘no.’ . . . He wouldn’t listen to me.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/broaddrick022599.htm
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Why do I always feel the need to go and have a shower after listening to a Guyon Espiner interview on Morning Report ? Is it because of his ill concealed political bias towards the Right ? Is it the, I don’t know, slimy way he tries to undermine the thought train of the interviewee? His constant interrupting ? There is so much I just feel is creepy.
His interview with David Parker this am. was a classic example of his style. Or lack of it !
Guyon always strikes me as the deputy head prefect of Scots College about 40 years ago…..the one who puzzled everybody on account of his frequent disappearances into the admin block (read headmaster’s office) during periods. Suspected but no one knew for sure that he was in there tittle-tattling on everyone. With those ever so earnest slappy little wettish ‘public’ schoolboy lips. Nothing against him mind ‘cept he’s basically a well fed, well housed, well warmed Tory. Who just cannot keep his fucking mouth shut as subjects attempt to answer questions he’s put to them. Very naughty !
I think sky TV just wants to domanate our sports broad casting and squeeze more money out of us so a big no to there actions to ban some Internet sites.
I take offence to the statement of of William Gallagher. If I examine what happened in the 18th century with NZ Maori and the settlers the way I see it is that Maori did not have any concept of land being sold traded we were part of mother earth. Maori had no notion of assets and that assets appreciated in price so Maori had no concept of the value of land or assets. So does one think that all Maori land was traded in a fair and just way we’ll no because that would be like I played a game of scrabble against my 10 year old granddaughter. You no that at the end of the game I will own all the assets and my granddaughter will have non because she doesn’t no the value of assets and how money works. So you no that my hiperthetal game with my granddaughter would be un fair and this is a fact being ignored by the other cultures of NZ. The neo liberals drilibritly leave a lot of fact out of OUR treaty settlement process like the 1¢ in the dollar reparation Maori are getting. So please don’t let national play the racial card to divide and conquer us left voters . I have had someone say your people sold there land for blankets and wanted more money later on. They in reality thought that they were leasing Maori land out not selling it out right. Well that’s my opinion Kai kaha
Why are the MSN not picking up the story on shonky key and the NSA Speargun project this was a massive attempt by key to control everything in NZ WTF Come on people we need this story out there in the public view so this can never be imposed on us I got a bad feeling when I first seen shonky key. Ana tou kai
I think there are enough confusing stories about this that it is not unreasonable to think that some people have tried to rewrite history (or at least have deliberately confused the situation at certain times).
(Yes – I got this link from Kiwi blog – but that does not change the words or the misleading nature of Shaws speech.
It’s true James you are just a spinner with real true rginal thinking – oh deary the right are very scared and desperate now – soon they’ll have you sniffing through rubbish bins for dirt James lol that’s opposition for ya.
Actually it was not an incorrect statement. She has worked as a prosecutor for the UN’s International Criminal Tribunals around the world – as well as defence counsel.
I am proud of many of my former students, but the one I am most proud of is Golriz Ghahraman, who took my international criminal law course many years ago at the University of Auckland and is still a dear friend. In the years since my course, Golriz has worked on the Karadzic case, earned an MSt in human rights from Oxford, served as a prosecutor at the Cambodia tribunal, and developed a glittering legal practice representing the powerless and disenfranchised in New Zealand. Most impressive of all, though, just a few weeks ago Golriz became the first refugee MP in New Zealand history — she and her family fled Iran when she was a young girl — as a member of the Green Party.
Golriz’s success is a tribute to hard work and commitment, and I can only imagine how inspirational her story must be for refugees and women in New Zealand and elsewhere. Which is why I am furious — absolutely furious — about an attack on Golriz written by “a former Labour staffer in New Zealand and Australia” named Phil Quin that is as mendacious as it is shameless.
Golriz’s sin, in Quin’s eyes? Having the temerity to work as a defence attorney on the Nzirorera and Bikindi cases at the ICTR:
She said it was “incredibly important” even genocide-accused had a sound defence.
In the Rwandan example, the nation had been marred by “generations of prejudice and hate” feeding into outbursts of violence and “this was the worst case of it in 1994”.
“But if you leave it, or you perpetrate victor’s justice then you leave this legacy of groups blaming each other as groups and people coming around to a vendetta generations later,“
I don’t know why you bother James. From what I can see you’ve stated only facts and quotes from the people involved. You’re wasting your time trying to defend yourself against those who either have a case of cognitive dissonance or are simply unable to admit they are wrong.
The point, James, is that Shaw (by the words you attribute to him) was absolutely correct in what he said. She worked in prosecution teams.
Anyway. Apart from the bullshit being peddled by some (eg – yourself James), I’m left wondering if some of the angst coming from others is rooted in some bullshit notionof morality that would have us believe the UN always prosecutes for the good, and therefore to be good, someone must be on the side of the prosecution.
You get the kerfuffle that human rights lawyers ensure the human rights of everyone, right?
You get the point that even though the system might be adversarial, the same organisation ensured everyone got fair representation, because that’s how human rights work, right?
“Golriz is now a human rights lawyer who worked as a prosecutor”
I answered to that.
I don’t understand the kerfuffle. The UN is an institution that exercises power. And just like any other institutional power, it’s not intrinsically benevolent or any such like.
Which is why I wrote the second part to my previous comment (maybe you missed it).
Boiling it all down a bunch of stinking misogynistic Tories don’t like a woman like Golriz because she has what all of them and theirs, and that fumes-spewing D10 Caterpillar Bennett, don’t have……brains, elan, and guts.
Whilst I know I am just feeding a troll who already knows this, I have decided to actually engage you in this.
Having read the link finally (your link doesn’t work, and I wouldn’t trust anything from Kiwiblog unless i can find it via google), it does appear to be an error by James Shaw. I don’t think he deliberately lied, but merely got it wrong (or at least his speech write got it wrong and no one picked it up). The focus of the speech was not on the new candidates, but on the Green’s commitment to change the government for the betterment of everyone. The bits about Golriz Ghahraman seems a bit of a last minute(ish) inclusion, due to releasing the party list that morning.
I do think that most of this (the greater Ghahraman mud-slinging) has been blown up because of a lack of understanding on what the court systems are actually like, as well as a desire to be concise by PR people (hence the wording on the website). It would appear that the speech writer for this speech also misunderstood the words used, and that Ghahraman was to polite to correct her leader on a minor point in a public forum.
Sorry re link – for some reason it dropped the .pdf off at the end.
“it does appear to be an error by James Shaw. I don’t think he deliberately lied, but merely got it wrong (or at least his speech write got it wrong and no one picked it up).”
This may well be true – but it seems unusual that several papers have gotten it wrong, and each time she ends up prosecuting. And then she never reads the articles (or her greens party bio) and corrects the mistake.
It appears to me that the only time she was said to be a prosecutor on the trials was this speech by Shaw. Any other time was just saying he was a part of the trial, and any time she was asked she said she was part of the defense. The only issue is people like you with a bone to pick not understanding what the words actually mean and choosing a different interpretation of the slightly ambiguous original statement on the greens website (which was a true account of what happened, just keeping things concise). Also the mudslinging by someone with skin in the game who seems to be someone who had conflicts of interest (and opinion)
I am not sure what cover up or conspiracy you think is happening.
Also re link… even putting the .pdf on didn’t open the file.
It appears the guardian got it wrong in the original article and have now amended once someone noticed. I still don’t see a conspiracy, other than lazy people making assumptions about someone else without clarifying.
…it seems unusual that several papers have gotten it wrong, and each time she ends up prosecuting.
Doesn’t seem unusual to me. Lazy buggers jump to conclusions and don’t check them, in this case the assumption that a human rights lawyer working on war crimes cases would be prosecuting. DPF based this whole dirty-politics hit on that assumption, so it’s hardly surprising there are journos who make the same assumption. Fact is, we know she did mention to interviewers that she was involved in defence as well as prosecution – if lazy bastards reported it otherwise, that’s their mistake, not hers.
Come on, be fair – you guys have to work really hard to feel misled over this.
to do so you have to ignore everything she’s said, and her CV, and assume that she personally vetted the wording used by every reporter, editor, and speechmaker who felt compelled to say/write a couple of sentences about her background.
“Fact is, we know she did mention to ONE interviewer”.
Well, if you’re counting, we know she mentioned it to two: Kirsty Johnston and whoever did the Vice interview.
But so what? Do you have some basis to suspect she might have been happy to talk about her defence role to one or two interviewers, but to others she decided to give the misleading impression she’d only worked as a prosecutor? Because that sounds laughable to me.
Now, upthread you accused James Shaw of telling a lie because of a mistake he made in a speech. In your mind mistakenly saying something untrue = telling a lie. You just made a mistake in what you said about Golriz so I think it appropriate from now on we call you a liar.
Today I’m going to call you a fucking liar, because you’ve obviously not bothered to follow the story even in the MSM but are quite happy to spread lies about Ghahraman from a place of being ill informed. That looks like out and out prejudice to me. That you are doing so in a clear dirty politics context makes you a dirty politics apologist (at the least).
If none of that is true, if you’re not a fucking liar, bigot and dirty politics apologist, don’t @ me here, demonstrate it in your behaviour over the next week and month and year. Because the shit that is going on right now in NZ is dangerous for democracy and the well being of this country and you are going to have to pick a side. I’m not talking left right here, I’m talking right and wrong in terms of ethics.
James – never have I known someone to spend so much time and effort claiming they were right when the leader of a political party later openly admitted it was so, but in such a non-issue of irrelevance.
You have succeeded, I think, in helping NZ to understand that the empty diatribes directed at Golriz are nothing more than that.
Thanks for your help, James. Legal experts who universally exonerate Golriz (find one who condemns her) would probably also like to thank you.
You seem to be over-investing in this Golriz bizo James. what’s up ? Maybe you should give it a break and try Bitcoin. Sir john Key’s running seminars you know….
That whole “Quin back-tracking and apologising” thing must have hurt, James! You’d backed him to the hilt, invested in his claims and suddenly, gosh, sorry everyone, I was wrong; you must have felt a right git!
No – he backtracked on calling her a genocide denyer (something that I did not mention at all in my post – I doubt anyone could be involved in any side of this and be one).
But – the rest continue to raise legitimate questions about people being misled.
Good that it’s across media but they still won’t say what exactly Phil Quin did in Rwanda.
As described above and in the other thread he worked directly for the undemocratic Kagame regime and the Rwandan Police force. Apart from the imprisonment of opposition figures, there are serious questions about brutality and the use of torture by that government and its machinery in order to hold onto power.
Phil Quin appears to have facilitated that and advised them on how to shut down dissent.
I’d like to see the media get to the bottom of his story too instead of calling him a former Labour staffer and portraying him as some sort of missionary figure.
This (hopefully) my final tweet on all this – Phil Quin repeatedly said Peter Robinson, co-author of article with @golrizghahraman, was a genocide denier. Never gave evidence when I asked for it. Another int'l law academic rejects another Phil Quin claim: https://t.co/8SlKikvzSd— Max Harris (@mdnharris) November 28, 2017
Dov Jacobs is an Assistant Professor of International Law at Leiden University (one of the best universities in Europe for international law). More on him if you want to check his background here: https://t.co/ipJdPFD1vA. /2— Max Harris (@mdnharris) November 28, 2017
The part of the program where the Vice Chancellor has her turn is a classic tirade of un – punctuated corporatespeak.
I seriously believe it was a robot speaking as barely was there any pause for breath.
Impressive, and disturbing that again Kiwi science (and surprisingly, nursing) will take yet another hit.
Ryan did eventually get the VC to stop speaking and tried to get a couple of salient questions to her …but sadly….only succeeded in pushing ‘play’ again.
It was bloody painful to listen to the woman!
I almost felt embarassed for her.
But when all said and done, her and her ilk are the natural consequence of commoditising education. The business of business, everything costed and fuck all valued.
This is her last line of defence.
If the leader coming out with a mea culpa doesn’t shift the media narrative, I can’t see her surviving.
Pretty starkly obvious that the Beehive media team are intent on solely protecting their government, otherwise they would have put a fresh story out there to compete with the Gharaman one.
Robertson will change the narrative with the 6 monthly budgetary review set peice tomorrow, but a week is a long, long time to swing in the cold media air.
No Ad. Shaw has apologised about what he said about Ghahraman.
I admit to being somewhat aghast at the pathetic handling of all this. It does. not. bode well. That said, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why she won’t “survive” (as you put it).
Looks to me like normal GP response. Seeing a mistake and acknowledging it. It’s what adults do. Hardly putting one’s body on the line to say yep there’s a mistake in one line of a speech I gave 6 months ago, my bad.
Well Ad, if your take is correct, and given this wee doozy in the piece you linked, it ain’t working…
Ghahraman worked in the defence team as an unpaid intern at the Rwanda Tribunal for Joseph Nzirorera, who died before he could be convicted of genocide…
The rest of that para goes on to mention that Simon Bikindi (the guy beside her in the photo doing the rounds) was convicted of “incitement to genocide”.
Doesn’t mention that the prosecution was seeking conviction on the weightier charges of genocide, or that they tried to use his fucking song lyrics as evidence!
In December 2008, Bikindi was sentenced to 15 years in prison with credit for 7 years already served, for incitement to commit genocide. The conviction stemmed from the fact that the court considered it proved beyond reasonable doubt that towards the end of June 1994 he had made a speech from an Interahamwe vehicle equipped with a Public address system, urging and subsequently reminding the Hutu population to exterminate all Tutsis, whom he referred to as “snakes”.[17] All the other charges were dismissed; in particular, the court considered that while some songs had an inciting character, they had all been written before 1994, thus before the genocide, and that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that Bikindi had played a role in the dissemination of his songs on radio during the genocide, or that he had personally engaged in killings or organising of militias
Those journalists involved in Winston Peters complaint re his alleged leaked personal superannuation overpayment details, are now quite agitated. RW journalists have approached their union for assistance, claiming Peters is harassing them, interfering with the right of freedom of speech!
WTF!!!!!
In the past nine years, journalists of the right wing persuasion, have never acted as the proxy of the people, giving Key and Natz a smooth run all the way through! In fact they still are playing Natz’s game of dirty politics. Golriz being a very recent prime example of their biased sewer tactics!
Draining of that cesspit of squalor, is proving to be not such an easy task!
Anyway as old Jonesy would have said “they don’t like it up ’em!” Too bloody right they don’t. I hope Winston wins his case.
“Anyway as old Jonesy would have said “they don’t like it up ’em!” Too bloody right they don’t. I hope Winston wins his case.”
Fair enough – everyone is entitled to their views . But can you please state one thing in Winstons case against the journalists that they should be sued for?
Should Journo’s be able to be sued for publishing something that is true?
I think that will come down to Winston’s lawyers being able to prove that a man that was asking the nation to vote for him had his prospects hobbled by a published manipulation of the truth.
I guess it’s going cost Winston 1000’s to have that question explored James. Days of chewing it over in court. A bet that wiley old fox is unlikely to be making unless the trainer has had a word in his ear. My 2 bob are on Winston’s horse.
And my bet is that this case of Winnies will be paid for by the taxpayer.
I wonder if the agreement for the Crown to pay for all the costs of Winnies’ Court Cases was one of the items in the 38 pages that JA is insisting on hiding from the New Zealand public?
Along with the instructions that no-one from the Green Party is to be allowed into any position of power in the Government.
He’s not sueing journalists. He’s asking for the communication, if any, between them and senior government figures.
In this case it’s the apparent collusion between the government of the day and the media to do an expose on a political rival. You say the media decides the public interest but when the leak came from government offices it’s all a bit murky.
Uninformed about a two day old development? Guilty!
As the article says this was not in the original claim. The original claim asked for information on communications between ministers, senior public servants, and the media in oder to get to the bottom of what Peters considers an illegal leak.
Looks like the judge wants Peters to state his further intentions now if a case for civil action can be made against some or all of these parties. For what reason I don’t know – I’m not a lawyer. But if a case can be made that these two members of the media colluded with government ministers or staff on the release of Peters’ confidential information and that the action is unlawful then yes, sue them for damages.
Now, it looks like you’ve gotten yourself into trouble for calling people liars all day. Perhaps you just need to wind your neck in.
James (19.1) … Winston Peters’ superannuation details are private and confidential. The journalists concerned breached confidentiality, which is or should be sacrosanct.
True or not, the disclosure of Winston’s overpayment was obviously done with malice, to hit NZF at the last election.
I have not had time to keep up with everything on TS in the last few days, so sorry if this is repeating information elsewhere here, but here are a few statements on the criticism of Golriz Ghahraman from various NZ legal organisations
No doubt, the Greens can be irritatingly sanctimonious at times. But so can Steven Joyce. And Ghahraman’s frankness about her past career has made for an interesting contrast with another politician – former PM Bill English – whose own party also packaged him in glowing personal terms. Throughout 2017, we all heard a great deal about Honest Bill, the no frills, straight shooter from Dipton etc even while English peddled patent untruths about the Barclay affair, and Labour’s tax plans. Ultimately, if the likes of David Farrar and Jordan Williams want to campaign for political truth in packaging, maybe they should start closer to home. Because in that regard, Golriz Ghahraman seems to be the least of our problems.
Theresa May condemns addled dotard for promoting far right hate, addled dotard replies to the wrong Theresa May.
Theresa @theresamay, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017
lol!
🙄 gezz that man is an idiot, bigot, xenophobe and sexual predator and he just gets worse.
HTF anyone could have voted for him – Oh I know! He’s the most popular President ever – with the alt right.
This week in the house,the opposition have been baiting the speaker about his ruling impartiality.Listening from day one, of our coalition government,the speaker has introduce simple rules,that fairly access those on both sides a supplementary question add on,if one or other side stepped out of line.Today being Thursday,home time for the polo!s,was simple SIMON,looking for a quick exit from the house,as he belligerent challenged the speaker,who has been serious fair,and not ejected anyone yet.
Your assuming that surveys of business confidence are a meaningful measure of something, and that that ‘something’ is important.
These are contentious assumptions.
Also, say I went to a group of people and asked “are you happy that the party you didn’t vote for is in government?” Would I then make great play of the fact that they said “no” – as though that told me something new?
Society is not an appendage of business – get used to it.
The evidence shows business leaders are naturally less confident about the wider economy when there’s a Labour Government in charge, yet they remain relatively more confident about their own businesses. Hence any slump in wider business confidence is more a reflection of business leaders’ pro-National bias than a genuine slide in confidence linked to conditions on the ground.
Interestingly the town talk here is that things are quiet…
Can’t say I have noticed it – the usual summer rush is upon us now with the supermarket queues increasing in length, and parking spaces becoming tighter by the day. But you know – consumerism has to be alive and well.
I guess the hype for Black Friday which really is a north american thing didn’t result in a rush to the special bins – oh dear! Long faces. Let’s blame it on the Govt.
I suspect that nine years of the “right wing bonfire” has produced a predictable result. Treasury’s been saying for a while that the economy’s sustained by immigration, as opposed to innovation.
Duck,put away the book you,have cherished this seat you hold,get your shit together and get on with it.Or is the other side correct challenging your competence.
On one hand
“Peters plans to ignore the advice of top officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and will introduce the royalty which was promised in the Labour-New Zealand First coalition agreement.”
On the other
“But Parker backed Vitalis. He told reporters export taxes were prohibited by all of New Zealand’s trade agreements “so we have got to find a remedy that is consistent with those obligations.”
and what was promised:
“Labour and New Zealand First’s coalition agreement specifically includes a provision to “introduce a royalty on exports of bottled water.”
Despite the number of well-written and accurate responses, the howls of outrage regarding Golriz Ghahraman continue. All howls and no ears.
A pack of pseudo- alphas running round in circles claiming to be another one who managed to draw blood.
When you have someone who considers themselves not only a self-made man, but a well-made man, the mere existence of people who go through life concerned about such abstract issues as human rights, equality or environment make them extremely uncomfortable.
The self-image of such people requires a narrow mirror, (and the necessary absence of any comparative value systems.)
Otherwise:
– next to a compassionate person they appear vindictive,
– next to a truthful person they look deceitful,
– next to a honorable person, they look soulless,
– next to a thoughtful person, they look witless,
– next to a kind person, they look venal,
– next to a whole person, they look piecemeal.
It is so much simpler to believe that they are the top of the heap, even if it is a vindictive, deceitful, soulless, witless, venal, piecemeal heap. (The thought that not everyone cares to climb that particular pile is particularly galling, and is dismissed as soon as it occurs.)
The delight to discover – or create – a perceived link in the chainmail of a shining knight!
The passionate dismantling of words, punctuation marks and edited articles shows a discernment for clarity and fullness not often exhibited by those who are currently engaging in such a dazzling display of wordplay gymnastics.
I’ve been reading the comments by some of our own Standard rightwingers, and I find it hard to give them any credit at all, as they wilfully disengage when responses show their logic failures, and their stated standard of accuracy and reality is so far removed from their usual lassez-faire approach to truth and honesty that it is pitiful.
And despite it all, the truth is one that Ghahraman does not have to apologise for.
We are once again witnessing an example of deliberately, and falsely representing facts in order to diminish someone – in order to ignore their voice.
Also given published papers that confirm the falseness of our last PM, a suspiciously timed case of DP, or at very least a prime example of bullying. By grown adults who should know better.
I do feel a kind of embarrassment for them, which does not make a difference in the scheme of things but does make me wonder: Do they have such low standards for themselves that these actions are supposedly elevating them?
…and why the hell are we still giving them an audience?
The evangelical nut jobs gotta have Jews to fulfill their end times body count so they can get themselves raptured AF.
The Israeli gov't says Trump is going to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital shortly, probably by this coming Sunday, on the back of Evangelist pressure. Also: moving the embassy to Jerusalem. https://t.co/YHIS5aXlX7— Lisa Goldman (@lisang) November 29, 2017
We shall be thankful for the Parlamentry break.A break bleating,do i need another three years.Who shall lead our hope.Bingo number, crusher,number basher,number blond.Desporation,is in the wind.
Winston is entitled to search for the truth about who leaked his private information, it is our rights to seek justice and if anyone has an issue with this then we have a real problem as when justice is not done the society will break down as we all bekieve in justice being served.
Date for court is 7th December so come on you two Journalists!! let us see them if you have nothing to hide whats the issue? do you want to impeade justice being sought?
James, James, James…….. the material Hagar included in his book has been proven to be of benefit to the pubic interest/good. If you don’t recall or didn’t read the book it clearly outs the whole machine behind Dirty Politics, names names and uses the “stolen” emails as proof as to the characters hard at work.
Yes, we all acknowledge there was a hack, and the hacker realising the material he obtained outlined nasty behavior by shitty people passed that material on in what I would call a whistle blower action.
The hacking of the oily one was an action that was illegal.
The whistle blowing and publishing of the material was not………… else Hagar would have been dragged through the courts or sued by people named in the book ( funny thing that not a single person named in the book has brought any proceedings against Hagar…………… wonder why that is???)
This was found to be in the public interest/good.
The invasion of privacy of a citizen (who was also a politician) revealed no information that was in the public interest/good, the initial mistake which lead to the overpayment was a MSD error (some 50,000 others also were overpaid in the same period) and clearly was a leak with the aim to discredit Winston and have a negative impact on NZF come polling day.
So Clean Green and others are not being hypocritical about this issue and your whole argument is tosh same as the BS you peddled with Golriz.
Oh and how bout that John Key fella being found out lying to NZ about Speargun?? Maybe he’ll keep his word and resign.
We had a Prime Minister who for years lied about many things large and small. More of those lies come to be known as time marches on.
And on a site like this I find someone accusing of James Shaw of lying and acting as if it is one the crime of the century or at least he is unfit for the job he is in.
I personally don’t think he did lie, but say he did. What would be the real import of what he did? Is democracy at risk? Did a Government get to be in power because of it?
One thing the past few years has taught us is that lying is okay. It’s what you do. Well it’s what people like John Key and Bill English were accustomed to doing and accomplished at.
The outrage by the champions of Key, English, McCully, Collins and Co. at the thought of politicians other than National lying at once makes me want to laugh, to spew and also say, “Fuck off.”
Ever hear the saying “don’t vote, it just encourages them”? What about “they’re all as bad as each other”? Or maybe “they’re all liars, just out for the money”?
All of those lines that are used to discourage people from voting, to get them to opt-out of following what’s being done to them and in their name.
That’s what lets 47% tories win government.
There’s only one side that has habitual and orchestrated liar, and they want everyone to think all the parties are as bad as they are. Because then they win.
Thanks for the video escort to Auckland but you have to tell the people in front of me to drive a bit faster or at least 90klm lol. We are visiting my daughter and mokos while Iv got a couple of days off. Could see they were trying to drum up some drama they must behave like this to make up for there other inadequacy. lol Kia kaha
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
2024 is now officially my best-ever year for short stories. My 1,850-word dark fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens, has been accepted for the upcoming solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/), thereby making that six published short stories for the calendar year. As always, see the Bibliography page for ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
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As predicted…
A colossal waste of money, based on rhetoric that has been known to be false since at least 1930. Oh, and it’s already falling apart too.
Monument to the folly of the National Govt
A.
It’s curious you sign off each comment with “A”.
Do you think it add legitimacy to your opinion? To me it’s a form of ego projection.
M.
One should have the decency to put one’s name to what one writes (*)
A.
(*) Even if it isn’t actually one’s name
Well done Stuff for highlighting this
It should be the lead story on TV1 tonight. Something like “National blew two-thirds of a billion dollars on roads where public transport would have sorted-out the problem.”
BG.
100% BG.
If we get back our RNZ/TVNZ from the lingering national trolls running our RNZ/TVNZ Media network; – we should/could hear/see more public affairs stories aired then.
Go Minister of broadcasting Claire Cullan take our RNZ back please!!!!!!
National = road rogues
National = rail destroyers.
Wonder if the recent revelations that Key lied about spying get traction.
It is a concern so many NZers fell for the spell of such a conman and others actually admired his brazen dishonesty.
35 years of neoliberalism poisons people’s minds .
The PM and Ed Sheehan’s twittering will get far more hits.
There needs to be some in-depth enquiry into Paul Quin’s ‘consultancy’ activities given the mention of him in this article: http://digitaldjeli.com/2012/amnesty-international-denounces-use-of-torture-in-rwandan-military-detention-rwandan-pr-reacts/
Particularly when out of his own mouth – (see post https://thestandard.org.nz/phil-quin-our-medias-goto-dogwhistling-aussie/) – “……I’m on an indefinite sabbatical, roaming between Wellington, Vietnam, Europe and the U.S., as I try to write in my own voice for a change.”
“…….as I try to write in my own voice for a change.” What exactly does that mean ? That he will assume a voice not his own ? For personal gain ? In contrast Ghahraman performed a prosecution and defence function in a transparent, formalised process which no one, not even Paul Quin, challenges. A different quantity entirely from that of the paid propagandist…….a status which with his own words Paul Quin seems to acknowledge.
From the Quin thread
A couple of thoughts having read that digitaldjeli article;
It’s important to know what people’s motivations are and take that into account when listening to their ‘message’.
In Phil Quin’s case he has acted directly (and probably still does indirectly) in PR consultancy for the Paul Kagame government and at one point specifically for Rwanda Police.
It’s worth noting the Kagame regime and its police and military are heavily criticised for human rights abuses including the use of torture.
In reality Phil’s work in Rwanda involves actively and in current time defending the regime for contemporary abuses and advising them on how to paint any opposition as ‘genocide deniers’. This what he did to Ghahraman.
Interestingly while his website does say he did consultancy work in Rwanda, it doesn’t say it was for the Rwanda police who seem to be indulging in torture. Absolute clarity of course is something he and other RWNJs demand of Ghahraman.
Oddly though the media tells us he is a saint who ‘worked with genocide victims’.
Dolt45 tries using a visual layout from “The Apprentice” for his “presidential” messaging.
https://www.salon.com/2017/11/29/the-chilling-proof-trump-is-treating-the-presidency-just-like-the-apprentice_partner/
It goes over about how you’d expect.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-empty-chairs_us_5a1e4d97e4b0dc52b02a33db
Sorry folks……”Paul” means “Phil”. Don’t want to be unkind to former National Party list MP Paul Quinn whom from my Barrett’s drinking days in Wellington 40 years ago I recall as a pretty convivial character.
A mere detail, but you have raised a good issue this morning-who is paying Phil Quin? I think we should be told.
I bet he’s been fending off confused media for days. I thought initially it was him – glad it’s not though im not a quin/n fan although I did name my newfy quinn but that was after the dylan song.
I don’t listen to any sort of talkback or bother much with the NZ MSM, so I may be living in a bit of a bubble.
But I have got the distinct feeling from reading social media feedback that the shock jock onslaught on Golriz has fallen flat on it’s face. The “scandal” just refused to develop any legs. The dirty politics machine that feeds the coterie of angry middle aged white male shock jocks & their assorted hangers on like Quinn and Soper never got the wider breakout it was after in it’s attempted character assassination.
I see the old man defeatist of the left Chris Trotter is wringing his hands again at the fecklessness of the Greens political management, but I am wondering a question.
Is the power of the corporate MSM – almost every opinion writer in the Herald, all the “senior correspondents”, Garner, Hoskings, Soper, et al – seriously on the wane in the face of millennial disinterest in the anger and misogyny they are peddling? Are they actually becoming old men waving their fists at clouds as the zeitgeist leaves them behind?
To me, the election outcome indicated that a decisive number of Kiwis no longer get their news from MSM sources. Perhaps the real story of Golriz is the decisive victory of the left’s twitter and FB army over the the attempted smearers?
Trotter hates the Greens-he is old school Labour.
Sanctuary
I think your right, social media is replacing the old style, and it is very effective and also allows interaction by way of commenting directly to the article and with other participants.
The oldies (us) tend to watch or listen to the news, but the level of bias and disregard for true journalism has turned it into a lottery as to is accuracy.
Yes, it’s a paradigm shift in how we consume news. Traditional news services might report ‘The bank was robbed’. We often find out about the robbery via traditional sources but more of us are spending more time with a medium that allows us to function as the social emotionally driven animals we are and articulate how we feel about the robbery.
You’re right Sanctuary……fashioning myself (falsely of course) as young, vibrant, wickedly ‘potent’ and attractively devilish, I don’t give a fuck about Hosking’s Maserati/Ferrari penis-extension, or Garner’s strutty ass, or Soper’s so ‘Gloss’ stubble……they’re old and boring! Of course they get a whiff of my styles and they’ll get very nasty. Mock the fuck out of the boring self-loving fools I reckon.
With the alledged allegations of Sexual Misconduct againt Matt Lauer,
http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/29/media/matt-lauer/index.html
I wonder if the lease of Hunter Valley Station will be revoked under the OIO… for failing the test of Good character…
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/american-tv-host-buys-13m-otago-property
https://www.linz.govt.nz/regulatory/overseas-investment/applying-for-consent-purchase-new-zealand-assets/preparing-your-application-oio/investor-test/good-character
Yes I saw and wondered that too. He wouldn’t pass at this stage so revoke the deal and give the land back to tangata whenua. Sorted ☺
Great Solution!
Don’t know what the outcome was re Rafael and Federico Grozovsky – who bought Onetai Station in 2014?
“The Labour Party revealed last week the brothers had been found criminally responsible for dumping chemicals from their Argentine tannery.
The brothers are linked with Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is at the centre of the Panama Papers revelations about how the rich hide their wealth in overseas trusts.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/302966/oio-apologises-over-taranaki-farm-sale
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/302988/labour-to-reveal-more-foreign-buyer-%27mistakes%27
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/oio-failed-show-ministers-all-good-character-info-argentinian-brothers-b-188927
Another day, another prominent Trump morality critic turning out to be just as bad. Gawsh.
OMG Garrison Keillor goes down on workplace misdemeanours as well.
No!!! Really?
Leading thinker Rush Limbaugh has all the answers…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx_lfFwrw5E
https://www.politico.com/story/2012/03/boehner-limbaugh-slut-remark-inappropriate-073546
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/garrison-keillor-fired_us_5a1ee935e4b017a311ebcad2?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Here you go.
Hardly a misdemeanour and all I read was his side plus him saying women tried to touch him up all the time when getting selfies so, you know, what’s the problem with touching a woman’s bare back eh.
Time you trusted someone other than a voice on a radio you know ad.
Use the term you like.
It’s there in the HuffPost link supplied.
I re-read it and couldn’t find that word.
GROPERS
No. 13: WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/10/11/joy-behar-calls-bill-clinton-accusers-tramps-on-view.html
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden; No. 8 Rolf Harris; No. 9 Harold Bloom; No. 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; No. 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; No. 12 Prince Harry, AKA “The Big H”
Interesting. Independent, trust run NZ public TV, free online.
Bryan Bruce is CEO – in the video
If Labour has any sense at all, it will support and fund this.
Why do I always feel the need to go and have a shower after listening to a Guyon Espiner interview on Morning Report ? Is it because of his ill concealed political bias towards the Right ? Is it the, I don’t know, slimy way he tries to undermine the thought train of the interviewee? His constant interrupting ? There is so much I just feel is creepy.
His interview with David Parker this am. was a classic example of his style. Or lack of it !
Agree, and I dislike his weasel-way of subtly inserting his insinuations into his victims’ mouth. He deserves to be limited to interviewing Winston.
Guyon always strikes me as the deputy head prefect of Scots College about 40 years ago…..the one who puzzled everybody on account of his frequent disappearances into the admin block (read headmaster’s office) during periods. Suspected but no one knew for sure that he was in there tittle-tattling on everyone. With those ever so earnest slappy little wettish ‘public’ schoolboy lips. Nothing against him mind ‘cept he’s basically a well fed, well housed, well warmed Tory. Who just cannot keep his fucking mouth shut as subjects attempt to answer questions he’s put to them. Very naughty !
I think sky TV just wants to domanate our sports broad casting and squeeze more money out of us so a big no to there actions to ban some Internet sites.
I take offence to the statement of of William Gallagher. If I examine what happened in the 18th century with NZ Maori and the settlers the way I see it is that Maori did not have any concept of land being sold traded we were part of mother earth. Maori had no notion of assets and that assets appreciated in price so Maori had no concept of the value of land or assets. So does one think that all Maori land was traded in a fair and just way we’ll no because that would be like I played a game of scrabble against my 10 year old granddaughter. You no that at the end of the game I will own all the assets and my granddaughter will have non because she doesn’t no the value of assets and how money works. So you no that my hiperthetal game with my granddaughter would be un fair and this is a fact being ignored by the other cultures of NZ. The neo liberals drilibritly leave a lot of fact out of OUR treaty settlement process like the 1¢ in the dollar reparation Maori are getting. So please don’t let national play the racial card to divide and conquer us left voters . I have had someone say your people sold there land for blankets and wanted more money later on. They in reality thought that they were leasing Maori land out not selling it out right. Well that’s my opinion Kai kaha
Why are the MSN not picking up the story on shonky key and the NSA Speargun project this was a massive attempt by key to control everything in NZ WTF Come on people we need this story out there in the public view so this can never be imposed on us I got a bad feeling when I first seen shonky key. Ana tou kai
More and more is coming out about Golriz
Giving a speech (and Golriz was there) James Shaw very clearly said that she was a prosecutor –
“Golriz is now a human rights lawyer who worked as a prosecutor at the United Nations tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.”
Pretty clear there. Was he mistaken? Was he trying to mislead us? Was he misled?
http://www.nziia.org.nz/Portals/285/documents/lists/259/Speech%20-%20NZIIA%20(James%20Shaw)%20-%2030%20May%2017%20(Final).pdf
top of page 2
I think there are enough confusing stories about this that it is not unreasonable to think that some people have tried to rewrite history (or at least have deliberately confused the situation at certain times).
(Yes – I got this link from Kiwi blog – but that does not change the words or the misleading nature of Shaws speech.
You don’t need to say Kiwiblog is where you got the link.
It’s well known that’s where you get all your opinions from!
“It’s well known that’s where you get all your opinions from!”
you state this as fact – yet it is incorrect.
But try commenting on the substance of the point – and not trying to make it a personal attack.
Or do you have no defence for James Shaws comments
It’s true James you are just a spinner with real true rginal thinking – oh deary the right are very scared and desperate now – soon they’ll have you sniffing through rubbish bins for dirt James lol that’s opposition for ya.
The Greens could run a tighter ship for sure. It was a wrong statement but unintentional as far as I’m concerned.
Not to mention irrelevant.
Actually it was not an incorrect statement. She has worked as a prosecutor for the UN’s International Criminal Tribunals around the world – as well as defence counsel.
http://opiniojuris.org/2017/11/28/a-shameless-attack-on-golriz-ghahraman/
I see Quin has now backtracked and apologised. He might had thought a little more carefully before he bad mouthed this incredible young woman
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99390271/phil-quin-apologises-for-calling-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier
Shaw said she was a prosecutor in the Rwanda trials. I think that’s the mistake, she was on the defence team.
Is he going to tell us all about the panama papers/ barclay/afgfanistan/who leaked Winstons private details?
Guess not so we will at least await for a court to find out eh?
ffs James, mate…can you give it a rest?
You’ve done enough for a mallowpuff, or whatever it is you’re paid in.
How about you try to debate the point – and niot making it a personal attack.
Or are you happy with James Shaw telling lies (for whatever reason).
And it is a lie – because what he said is untrue.
James..its all over red rover…see 15.1
james –you have not got your BA in trolling yet!!
No – but I take it from your comments in this blog calling women ‘Blond Bimbos’ that you have your Masters in misogynistic studies.
https://thestandard.org.nz/invisibill/#comment-1418846
now – can we drop the useless comments and start debating the points.
James! James has not been telling lies
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99390271/phil-quin-apologises-for-calling-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier
She has worked both as a prosecutor and on occasion as defence counsel. Both are important – as you will find in your law studies if Justice is to be served. And: I shall let her explain it to you:
Well he could have done a ponyboy and misheard, misspoke, but did not lie….
She worked in a court that prosecutes people for human rights abuses did she not?
But thats not what he said.
Here – let me break it down to less words for you:
“Golriz is now a human rights lawyer who worked as a prosecutor”
“Golriz worked for United Nations Tribunals as part of both defence (Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia) and prosecution (Cambodia) teams.”
Meaning James, that she has been on prosecution and defense teams, right?
Where are you quoting that from – is it in the same speech that we are talking about?
No point letting truth get in the way of your hit job, ah james.
adam – I can only think you are having trouble reading.
I quoted directly from James Shaw speech.
He has since apologised for being wrong in what he said – so name one “non-truth” that I have said in this.
So the only one playing with the truth is you – either that or you are unable to work it out for yourself
No james, as you always do, you twist things to fit your personal agenda.
Which in this case, is to do a hit job on a MP.
So the truth, like many of your brethren on the right is political, hence why you can not see the wood – for the trees.
I don’t know why you bother James. From what I can see you’ve stated only facts and quotes from the people involved. You’re wasting your time trying to defend yourself against those who either have a case of cognitive dissonance or are simply unable to admit they are wrong.
It’s from her bio on the Green Party web page.
https://www.greens.org.nz/candidates/golriz-ghahraman-mp
The point, James, is that Shaw (by the words you attribute to him) was absolutely correct in what he said. She worked in prosecution teams.
Anyway. Apart from the bullshit being peddled by some (eg – yourself James), I’m left wondering if some of the angst coming from others is rooted in some bullshit notionof morality that would have us believe the UN always prosecutes for the good, and therefore to be good, someone must be on the side of the prosecution.
“The point, James, is that Shaw (by the words you attribute to him) was absolutely correct in what he said. She worked in prosecution teams.”
He said:
““Golriz is now a human rights lawyer who worked as a prosecutor at the United Nations tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.”
You get that the whole kerfuffle is that she worked on the DEFENCE TEAM right?
You get the kerfuffle that human rights lawyers ensure the human rights of everyone, right?
You get the point that even though the system might be adversarial, the same organisation ensured everyone got fair representation, because that’s how human rights work, right?
You said he’d said
“Golriz is now a human rights lawyer who worked as a prosecutor”
I answered to that.
I don’t understand the kerfuffle. The UN is an institution that exercises power. And just like any other institutional power, it’s not intrinsically benevolent or any such like.
Which is why I wrote the second part to my previous comment (maybe you missed it).
Boiling it all down a bunch of stinking misogynistic Tories don’t like a woman like Golriz because she has what all of them and theirs, and that fumes-spewing D10 Caterpillar Bennett, don’t have……brains, elan, and guts.
If Shaw was “absolutely correct” as you’ve stated, then why has he apologized for his mistake?
Although in saying that, having to apologize even though you are absolutely correct is not necessarily uncommon these days..
A little mind, looking for jollies on a blog site..
Time for some self reflection Jimbo…long overdue…
And yet – here is James Shaw all over the news websites having to explain how he got it wrong over Golriz in his speech.
and the insults, and not adding anything to the conversation really dosnt make you look the smartest. Esp when I was right !
Nope you were/are just a prat in carrying on a hit job. At least everyone here now knows you don’t support human rights or a fair trial.
Yep that’s about right he appears to be a support hit for the past Government alraight so belongs on Kiwiblog not here.
I am now left wing there I have said it, can he?
I side with ‘You Fool; as he/she said only that Shaw got it wrong, not that he lied.
I heard this on RNZ news myself too.
(I am not a green party member I just believe in honesty.
I voted every election Labour/NZF.
Whilst I know I am just feeding a troll who already knows this, I have decided to actually engage you in this.
Having read the link finally (your link doesn’t work, and I wouldn’t trust anything from Kiwiblog unless i can find it via google), it does appear to be an error by James Shaw. I don’t think he deliberately lied, but merely got it wrong (or at least his speech write got it wrong and no one picked it up). The focus of the speech was not on the new candidates, but on the Green’s commitment to change the government for the betterment of everyone. The bits about Golriz Ghahraman seems a bit of a last minute(ish) inclusion, due to releasing the party list that morning.
I do think that most of this (the greater Ghahraman mud-slinging) has been blown up because of a lack of understanding on what the court systems are actually like, as well as a desire to be concise by PR people (hence the wording on the website). It would appear that the speech writer for this speech also misunderstood the words used, and that Ghahraman was to polite to correct her leader on a minor point in a public forum.
Sorry re link – for some reason it dropped the .pdf off at the end.
“it does appear to be an error by James Shaw. I don’t think he deliberately lied, but merely got it wrong (or at least his speech write got it wrong and no one picked it up).”
This may well be true – but it seems unusual that several papers have gotten it wrong, and each time she ends up prosecuting. And then she never reads the articles (or her greens party bio) and corrects the mistake.
It appears to me that the only time she was said to be a prosecutor on the trials was this speech by Shaw. Any other time was just saying he was a part of the trial, and any time she was asked she said she was part of the defense. The only issue is people like you with a bone to pick not understanding what the words actually mean and choosing a different interpretation of the slightly ambiguous original statement on the greens website (which was a true account of what happened, just keeping things concise). Also the mudslinging by someone with skin in the game who seems to be someone who had conflicts of interest (and opinion)
I am not sure what cover up or conspiracy you think is happening.
Also re link… even putting the .pdf on didn’t open the file.
Thats the point – that was not the only time.
Here is another:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/17/the-refugee-mp-golriz-ghahraman-on-why-she-had-to-enter-new-zealand-politics
edit – that link works 😉
It appears the guardian got it wrong in the original article and have now amended once someone noticed. I still don’t see a conspiracy, other than lazy people making assumptions about someone else without clarifying.
I also see the guardian typo’d “prosector”.
Somehow the Greens will get blamed for that, too…
…it seems unusual that several papers have gotten it wrong, and each time she ends up prosecuting.
Doesn’t seem unusual to me. Lazy buggers jump to conclusions and don’t check them, in this case the assumption that a human rights lawyer working on war crimes cases would be prosecuting. DPF based this whole dirty-politics hit on that assumption, so it’s hardly surprising there are journos who make the same assumption. Fact is, we know she did mention to interviewers that she was involved in defence as well as prosecution – if lazy bastards reported it otherwise, that’s their mistake, not hers.
“Fact is, we know she did mention to ONE interviewer”.
I do not think it has been established that she has mentioned it to more than one.
Happy to be corrected if you have any evidence
lol
Happy to be corrected if you have any evidence of anything other than people running their own abridged (and slightly wrong) versions of her CV.
Yeah – she makes it so clear – and everyone else gets it wrong. Thats a TUI billboard right there.
Come on, be fair – you guys have to work really hard to feel misled over this.
to do so you have to ignore everything she’s said, and her CV, and assume that she personally vetted the wording used by every reporter, editor, and speechmaker who felt compelled to say/write a couple of sentences about her background.
‘Let it go michael’ ‘james’ – (credit to Vogels bread advert’)
“Fact is, we know she did mention to ONE interviewer”.
Well, if you’re counting, we know she mentioned it to two: Kirsty Johnston and whoever did the Vice interview.
But so what? Do you have some basis to suspect she might have been happy to talk about her defence role to one or two interviewers, but to others she decided to give the misleading impression she’d only worked as a prosecutor? Because that sounds laughable to me.
“Fact is, we know she did mention to ONE interviewer”.
I do not think it has been established that she has mentioned it to more than one.
Happy to be corrected if you have any evidence
Here you go,
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/five-times-golriz-ghahraman-was-open-about-her-defence-work.html
Now, upthread you accused James Shaw of telling a lie because of a mistake he made in a speech. In your mind mistakenly saying something untrue = telling a lie. You just made a mistake in what you said about Golriz so I think it appropriate from now on we call you a liar.
Today I’m going to call you a fucking liar, because you’ve obviously not bothered to follow the story even in the MSM but are quite happy to spread lies about Ghahraman from a place of being ill informed. That looks like out and out prejudice to me. That you are doing so in a clear dirty politics context makes you a dirty politics apologist (at the least).
If none of that is true, if you’re not a fucking liar, bigot and dirty politics apologist, don’t @ me here, demonstrate it in your behaviour over the next week and month and year. Because the shit that is going on right now in NZ is dangerous for democracy and the well being of this country and you are going to have to pick a side. I’m not talking left right here, I’m talking right and wrong in terms of ethics.
Weka,
Wrote a long reply – decided to delete. But things are obv getting heated in here.
I will apologise for anything that I said on this matter that may have been incorrect, and will not comment on this matter further.
Peace out !
James – never have I known someone to spend so much time and effort claiming they were right when the leader of a political party later openly admitted it was so, but in such a non-issue of irrelevance.
You have succeeded, I think, in helping NZ to understand that the empty diatribes directed at Golriz are nothing more than that.
Thanks for your help, James. Legal experts who universally exonerate Golriz (find one who condemns her) would probably also like to thank you.
You seem to be over-investing in this Golriz bizo James. what’s up ? Maybe you should give it a break and try Bitcoin. Sir john Key’s running seminars you know….
Apparently on John Key – there are indeed a few people dumb enough to fall for that.
On Golriz – Im simply stepping out of the conversation on that one.
Wise decision. It looks like you guys have lost that one as well as the GE.
That whole “Quin back-tracking and apologising” thing must have hurt, James! You’d backed him to the hilt, invested in his claims and suddenly, gosh, sorry everyone, I was wrong; you must have felt a right git!
No – he backtracked on calling her a genocide denyer (something that I did not mention at all in my post – I doubt anyone could be involved in any side of this and be one).
But – the rest continue to raise legitimate questions about people being misled.
No. Not “legitimate questions”, James. Low-brow mud-slinging is all and you lapped it up like spit milk, Tory kitten that you are.
Some serious backtracking by Quin here. When you start deleting tweets, it’s all over.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/guy-who-called-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier-denies-calling-her-a-genocide-denier.html
Well, bugger me…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99390271/phil-quin-apologises-for-calling-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier
https://m5.paperblog.com/i/105/1052423/eating-crow-L-aHdZc3.jpeg
Good that it’s across media but they still won’t say what exactly Phil Quin did in Rwanda.
As described above and in the other thread he worked directly for the undemocratic Kagame regime and the Rwandan Police force. Apart from the imprisonment of opposition figures, there are serious questions about brutality and the use of torture by that government and its machinery in order to hold onto power.
Phil Quin appears to have facilitated that and advised them on how to shut down dissent.
I’d like to see the media get to the bottom of his story too instead of calling him a former Labour staffer and portraying him as some sort of missionary figure.
Seems Phil Quin is an idiot.
https://dovjacobs.com/2017/11/28/a-ridiculous-attack-on-peter-robinson/
https://twitter.com/mdnharris/status/935649043358904320
For those of us concerned about Science in New Zealand…this from Natrad this morning is well worth a listen…http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018623630/loss-of-top-scientists-will-damage-uni-research
The part of the program where the Vice Chancellor has her turn is a classic tirade of un – punctuated corporatespeak.
I seriously believe it was a robot speaking as barely was there any pause for breath.
Impressive, and disturbing that again Kiwi science (and surprisingly, nursing) will take yet another hit.
Ryan did eventually get the VC to stop speaking and tried to get a couple of salient questions to her …but sadly….only succeeded in pushing ‘play’ again.
It was bloody painful to listen to the woman!
I almost felt embarassed for her.
But when all said and done, her and her ilk are the natural consequence of commoditising education. The business of business, everything costed and fuck all valued.
James Shaw has had to come out and apologise about Ghahraman:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11950392
This is her last line of defence.
If the leader coming out with a mea culpa doesn’t shift the media narrative, I can’t see her surviving.
Pretty starkly obvious that the Beehive media team are intent on solely protecting their government, otherwise they would have put a fresh story out there to compete with the Gharaman one.
Robertson will change the narrative with the 6 monthly budgetary review set peice tomorrow, but a week is a long, long time to swing in the cold media air.
No Ad. Shaw has apologised about what he said about Ghahraman.
I admit to being somewhat aghast at the pathetic handling of all this. It does. not. bode well. That said, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why she won’t “survive” (as you put it).
Fuckers have to get their shit together though.
This is Shaw putting his political body on the line to stop the story.
Her boss.
Replay this under Clark and shed be gone already.
They’re a small set of mps with a small agenda to make happen. Can’t afford another big hit.
Shaw is gutsy to do it, but it better work.
Looks to me like normal GP response. Seeing a mistake and acknowledging it. It’s what adults do. Hardly putting one’s body on the line to say yep there’s a mistake in one line of a speech I gave 6 months ago, my bad.
Well Ad, if your take is correct, and given this wee doozy in the piece you linked, it ain’t working…
The rest of that para goes on to mention that Simon Bikindi (the guy beside her in the photo doing the rounds) was convicted of “incitement to genocide”.
Doesn’t mention that the prosecution was seeking conviction on the weightier charges of genocide, or that they tried to use his fucking song lyrics as evidence!
cut and paste of verdict according to wiki
My goodness Ad……you’re sounding cynical and sly to match Steven Joyce……”I can’t see her surviving”. Get a grip man.
She just needs to hang in there and I really hope she does. She has done nothing wrong.
This is just a Dirty Politics hatchet job and must be resisted. This shit has got to stop!
Kia kaha Golriz!
Now here’s a turn up for the books …
Those journalists involved in Winston Peters complaint re his alleged leaked personal superannuation overpayment details, are now quite agitated. RW journalists have approached their union for assistance, claiming Peters is harassing them, interfering with the right of freedom of speech!
WTF!!!!!
In the past nine years, journalists of the right wing persuasion, have never acted as the proxy of the people, giving Key and Natz a smooth run all the way through! In fact they still are playing Natz’s game of dirty politics. Golriz being a very recent prime example of their biased sewer tactics!
Draining of that cesspit of squalor, is proving to be not such an easy task!
Anyway as old Jonesy would have said “they don’t like it up ’em!” Too bloody right they don’t. I hope Winston wins his case.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99380954/winston-peters-called-on-to-abandon-harassment-of-journalists
“Anyway as old Jonesy would have said “they don’t like it up ’em!” Too bloody right they don’t. I hope Winston wins his case.”
Fair enough – everyone is entitled to their views . But can you please state one thing in Winstons case against the journalists that they should be sued for?
Should Journo’s be able to be sued for publishing something that is true?
It was also confidential.
Or do you think everyone’s private information should be available to be published?
If it is in the public interest then – why not.
There were plenty on here that were happy when other journalist published confidential information in the public interest.
And who decides what’s in the public interest? The National party ministers doing the hit-job?
The person who publishes it.
Can you please state one thing in Winstons case against the journalists that they should be sued for?
I think that will come down to Winston’s lawyers being able to prove that a man that was asking the nation to vote for him had his prospects hobbled by a published manipulation of the truth.
and what was this ” manipulation of the truth”?
Nobody as far as I have read has said any of what was published was untrue.
I guess it’s going cost Winston 1000’s to have that question explored James. Days of chewing it over in court. A bet that wiley old fox is unlikely to be making unless the trainer has had a word in his ear. My 2 bob are on Winston’s horse.
And my bet is that this case of Winnies will be paid for by the taxpayer.
I wonder if the agreement for the Crown to pay for all the costs of Winnies’ Court Cases was one of the items in the 38 pages that JA is insisting on hiding from the New Zealand public?
Along with the instructions that no-one from the Green Party is to be allowed into any position of power in the Government.
He’s not sueing journalists. He’s asking for the communication, if any, between them and senior government figures.
In this case it’s the apparent collusion between the government of the day and the media to do an expose on a political rival. You say the media decides the public interest but when the leak came from government offices it’s all a bit murky.
“He’s not sueing journalists. He’s asking for the communication, if any, between them and senior government figures.”
Really – what do you call it when he seeks monetary damages form journalist?
You are either a liar – or sadly uninformed.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99333558/deputy-prime-minister-winston-peters-seeks-monetary-damages-from-journalists
Uninformed about a two day old development? Guilty!
As the article says this was not in the original claim. The original claim asked for information on communications between ministers, senior public servants, and the media in oder to get to the bottom of what Peters considers an illegal leak.
Looks like the judge wants Peters to state his further intentions now if a case for civil action can be made against some or all of these parties. For what reason I don’t know – I’m not a lawyer. But if a case can be made that these two members of the media colluded with government ministers or staff on the release of Peters’ confidential information and that the action is unlawful then yes, sue them for damages.
Now, it looks like you’ve gotten yourself into trouble for calling people liars all day. Perhaps you just need to wind your neck in.
Perhaps then you should not make a statement of fact without looking into it. Else you look stupid.
At least you’ve walked back from ‘liar’. Even the slow learners get it eventually.
James (19.1) … Winston Peters’ superannuation details are private and confidential. The journalists concerned breached confidentiality, which is or should be sacrosanct.
True or not, the disclosure of Winston’s overpayment was obviously done with malice, to hit NZF at the last election.
I have not had time to keep up with everything on TS in the last few days, so sorry if this is repeating information elsewhere here, but here are a few statements on the criticism of Golriz Ghahraman from various NZ legal organisations
NZ Law Society – http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1711/S00326/implied-criticism-of-defence-lawyers-unacceptable.htm
NZ Criminal Bar Association – http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1711/S00347/nz-criminal-bar-association-defends-golriz-ghahraman.htm
New Zealand Bar Association – https://www.nzbar.org.nz/news/nzba-responds-criticism-lawyers-defending-war-criminals
h/t Felix Geiringer https://twitter.com/BarristerNZ
Also here is Gordon Campbell’s (excellent as always) take on the situation (and other topical matters)
http://werewolf.co.nz/2017/11/gordon-campbell-on-journalism-peters-and-ghahraman/
Liked this bit
No doubt, the Greens can be irritatingly sanctimonious at times. But so can Steven Joyce. And Ghahraman’s frankness about her past career has made for an interesting contrast with another politician – former PM Bill English – whose own party also packaged him in glowing personal terms. Throughout 2017, we all heard a great deal about Honest Bill, the no frills, straight shooter from Dipton etc even while English peddled patent untruths about the Barclay affair, and Labour’s tax plans. Ultimately, if the likes of David Farrar and Jordan Williams want to campaign for political truth in packaging, maybe they should start closer to home. Because in that regard, Golriz Ghahraman seems to be the least of our problems.
“Phil Quin apologises for calling Green MP Golriz Ghahraman a ‘genocide denier’
Sort of. He denies it at first but his tweets exist still. Pity the other hunters cannot or will not recant.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99390271/phil-quin-apologises-for-calling-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier
Theresa May condemns addled dotard for promoting far right hate, addled dotard replies to the wrong Theresa May.
lol!
🙄 gezz that man is an idiot, bigot, xenophobe and sexual predator and he just gets worse.
HTF anyone could have voted for him – Oh I know! He’s the most popular President ever – with the alt right.
Yes he’s a dick, but he has actually got a point regarding the radical Islamic terrorism in the UK.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11950439
A fuel tax for Auckland.
This wont hurt struggling families in the slightest.
This week in the house,the opposition have been baiting the speaker about his ruling impartiality.Listening from day one, of our coalition government,the speaker has introduce simple rules,that fairly access those on both sides a supplementary question add on,if one or other side stepped out of line.Today being Thursday,home time for the polo!s,was simple SIMON,looking for a quick exit from the house,as he belligerent challenged the speaker,who has been serious fair,and not ejected anyone yet.
Well it didn’t take very long to reach this state did it?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/99402320/business-sector-most-downbeat-since-early-2009-anz-survey
Business confidence is at its lowest level since early 2009. And we’ve only had this Government for about 6 weeks.
Why can’t they get things under control. They had 9 years to come up with some plans and projects and they wasted it all.
Your assuming that surveys of business confidence are a meaningful measure of something, and that that ‘something’ is important.
These are contentious assumptions.
Also, say I went to a group of people and asked “are you happy that the party you didn’t vote for is in government?” Would I then make great play of the fact that they said “no” – as though that told me something new?
Society is not an appendage of business – get used to it.
While I know you just love working yourself up into a frenzy, It would be unfair to let you remain ignorant.
Interestingly the town talk here is that things are quiet…
Can’t say I have noticed it – the usual summer rush is upon us now with the supermarket queues increasing in length, and parking spaces becoming tighter by the day. But you know – consumerism has to be alive and well.
I guess the hype for Black Friday which really is a north american thing didn’t result in a rush to the special bins – oh dear! Long faces. Let’s blame it on the Govt.
I suspect that nine years of the “right wing bonfire” has produced a predictable result. Treasury’s been saying for a while that the economy’s sustained by immigration, as opposed to innovation.
The economy needs a solid dose of Keynes.
The country needs an ethical correction.
Thug bro’s
Duck,put away the book you,have cherished this seat you hold,get your shit together and get on with it.Or is the other side correct challenging your competence.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11950585
This is going to be comical.
On one hand
“Peters plans to ignore the advice of top officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and will introduce the royalty which was promised in the Labour-New Zealand First coalition agreement.”
On the other
“But Parker backed Vitalis. He told reporters export taxes were prohibited by all of New Zealand’s trade agreements “so we have got to find a remedy that is consistent with those obligations.”
and what was promised:
“Labour and New Zealand First’s coalition agreement specifically includes a provision to “introduce a royalty on exports of bottled water.”
So lets do this and see what happens….
Just raise the permit for bottlers which use artesian or river sources.
Just put a tax on taking water for bottling and don’t call it an export tax..problem solved
Despite the number of well-written and accurate responses, the howls of outrage regarding Golriz Ghahraman continue. All howls and no ears.
A pack of pseudo- alphas running round in circles claiming to be another one who managed to draw blood.
When you have someone who considers themselves not only a self-made man, but a well-made man, the mere existence of people who go through life concerned about such abstract issues as human rights, equality or environment make them extremely uncomfortable.
The self-image of such people requires a narrow mirror, (and the necessary absence of any comparative value systems.)
Otherwise:
– next to a compassionate person they appear vindictive,
– next to a truthful person they look deceitful,
– next to a honorable person, they look soulless,
– next to a thoughtful person, they look witless,
– next to a kind person, they look venal,
– next to a whole person, they look piecemeal.
It is so much simpler to believe that they are the top of the heap, even if it is a vindictive, deceitful, soulless, witless, venal, piecemeal heap. (The thought that not everyone cares to climb that particular pile is particularly galling, and is dismissed as soon as it occurs.)
The delight to discover – or create – a perceived link in the chainmail of a shining knight!
The passionate dismantling of words, punctuation marks and edited articles shows a discernment for clarity and fullness not often exhibited by those who are currently engaging in such a dazzling display of wordplay gymnastics.
I’ve been reading the comments by some of our own Standard rightwingers, and I find it hard to give them any credit at all, as they wilfully disengage when responses show their logic failures, and their stated standard of accuracy and reality is so far removed from their usual lassez-faire approach to truth and honesty that it is pitiful.
And despite it all, the truth is one that Ghahraman does not have to apologise for.
We are once again witnessing an example of deliberately, and falsely representing facts in order to diminish someone – in order to ignore their voice.
Also given published papers that confirm the falseness of our last PM, a suspiciously timed case of DP, or at very least a prime example of bullying. By grown adults who should know better.
I do feel a kind of embarrassment for them, which does not make a difference in the scheme of things but does make me wonder: Do they have such low standards for themselves that these actions are supposedly elevating them?
…and why the hell are we still giving them an audience?
I should have put this here
“Phil Quin apologises for calling Green MP Golriz Ghahraman a ‘genocide denier’
Sort of. He denies it at first but his tweets exist still. Pity the other hunters cannot or will not recant.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99390271/phil-quin-apologises-for-calling-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-a-genocide-denier
Debate,why the notes.
The evangelical nut jobs gotta have Jews to fulfill their end times body count so they can get themselves raptured AF.
https://twitter.com/lisang/status/935939813915676673
Wains in the parliament house,its time to say,we are changing our humanity care,do you wish your child to be a media ridicule of your political care.
We shall be thankful for the Parlamentry break.A break bleating,do i need another three years.Who shall lead our hope.Bingo number, crusher,number basher,number blond.Desporation,is in the wind.
Is James really Mike Hosking in drag ? I understand James is his third given name.
Nope.
Not very convincing James, try a bit harder.
Winston is entitled to search for the truth about who leaked his private information, it is our rights to seek justice and if anyone has an issue with this then we have a real problem as when justice is not done the society will break down as we all bekieve in justice being served.
Date for court is 7th December so come on you two Journalists!! let us see them if you have nothing to hide whats the issue? do you want to impeade justice being sought?
On those grounds I assume you did not approve of the book Hagar did with the private correspondence of Whaleoil that was stolen.
Or are you a hypocrite. Yeah thought so.
James, James, James…….. the material Hagar included in his book has been proven to be of benefit to the pubic interest/good. If you don’t recall or didn’t read the book it clearly outs the whole machine behind Dirty Politics, names names and uses the “stolen” emails as proof as to the characters hard at work.
Yes, we all acknowledge there was a hack, and the hacker realising the material he obtained outlined nasty behavior by shitty people passed that material on in what I would call a whistle blower action.
The hacking of the oily one was an action that was illegal.
The whistle blowing and publishing of the material was not………… else Hagar would have been dragged through the courts or sued by people named in the book ( funny thing that not a single person named in the book has brought any proceedings against Hagar…………… wonder why that is???)
This was found to be in the public interest/good.
The invasion of privacy of a citizen (who was also a politician) revealed no information that was in the public interest/good, the initial mistake which lead to the overpayment was a MSD error (some 50,000 others also were overpaid in the same period) and clearly was a leak with the aim to discredit Winston and have a negative impact on NZF come polling day.
So Clean Green and others are not being hypocritical about this issue and your whole argument is tosh same as the BS you peddled with Golriz.
Oh and how bout that John Key fella being found out lying to NZ about Speargun?? Maybe he’ll keep his word and resign.
Who makes you the arbitrator of what is or is not in the public interest?
” initial mistake which lead to the overpayment was a MSD error”
Do you have a citation for this statement of ‘fact’? Because I have not see this at all?
As you cannot seem to be able to use a web search engine:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/98422219/thousands-of-overpaid-pensions-superannuation-no-more-an-issue-than-tax-refunds
Trouble for James is if he doesn’t do the research he looks a bit stupid.
You really are a crap troll.
We had a Prime Minister who for years lied about many things large and small. More of those lies come to be known as time marches on.
And on a site like this I find someone accusing of James Shaw of lying and acting as if it is one the crime of the century or at least he is unfit for the job he is in.
I personally don’t think he did lie, but say he did. What would be the real import of what he did? Is democracy at risk? Did a Government get to be in power because of it?
One thing the past few years has taught us is that lying is okay. It’s what you do. Well it’s what people like John Key and Bill English were accustomed to doing and accomplished at.
The outrage by the champions of Key, English, McCully, Collins and Co. at the thought of politicians other than National lying at once makes me want to laugh, to spew and also say, “Fuck off.”
Ever hear the saying “don’t vote, it just encourages them”? What about “they’re all as bad as each other”? Or maybe “they’re all liars, just out for the money”?
All of those lines that are used to discourage people from voting, to get them to opt-out of following what’s being done to them and in their name.
That’s what lets 47% tories win government.
There’s only one side that has habitual and orchestrated liar, and they want everyone to think all the parties are as bad as they are. Because then they win.
Run, Jamesy, run!
Robert my old stalker. Hope you are well.
Thanks for the video escort to Auckland but you have to tell the people in front of me to drive a bit faster or at least 90klm lol. We are visiting my daughter and mokos while Iv got a couple of days off. Could see they were trying to drum up some drama they must behave like this to make up for there other inadequacy. lol Kia kaha
Corporate news and the royal diversion.
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2017/11/28/bbc-dedicated-50-coverage-harrys-engagement-heres-forgot-cover/
Who says,question,dare we chance them