There’s already grounds for impeachment using the emoluments clause. But it won’t happen until enough Repugs in Congress calculate it’s in their political interest to impeach. Actual principles or ethics or what’s written in the constitution won’t matter before that moment.
Too right I did Ad – what a fabulous game. Now life can get back to a bit of normality with earlier nights. Thank goodness I’m retired and can have a wee lie in.
Just remember this: After Trump’s presidential decree banning people from several countries, hundreds – possibly thousands – of civil rights workers and pro bono lawyers descended almost spontaneously on US airports to fight for peoples rights.
What the United States needs is mass public protest. Ongoing. If they leave it to the cowards and fools in Congress, Trump will continue doing what he’s doing.
The people of Romania showed the way in 1989 when they overthrew the U.S.-backed dictator Ceaușescu by doing THIS day after day after day….
In good taste substituting ‘the US’ for “The Democrats” in that article’s title, relentless protest offers the high prospect of ‘self-interest first’ GOP representatives turning on the unhinged Trump and reverting to pre-convention positions.
Trump’s personal God fantasies may not be impacted by that of course – he’s lived a lifetime of encouragement to hubris – and he may well “continue doing what he is doing regardless”, but electoral effect would be profound with potential loss of the much vaunted control of both houses – emoluments impeachment looming ?
Already the loathsome draft dodger Trump is vulnerable to the reputational damage GOP “loser” war hero McCain seems intent on doing him. Assisted, weirdly, by psychotic behaviour Trump neither resists nor his dark inner circle can control. In time the damp squibs Ryan and McConnell will fall into line.
US checks and balances may well save the day within two years, if only by dint of coiffed idiots feeling electoral heat. Someone should get the message to the “late great Abraham Lincoln” (Trump’s absurd reference during the campaign) that all is not lost.
You mean talking bollocks that keep media from covering what he is actually doing, or doing studffg that is also nonsense overturned in courts. If Trump is not a senile old git, then what is he is up to coz he’s highly effective at keep media enthralled.
Take abortion, we know the predominant Catholic scotus wont be willing to out pope the pope, so the whole abortion is over scare is a joke. Similarly the border crap, Obama saw more s.American migrants return home that Trump will be hard pressed to match him. Similarly Muslim countries is largely a temporary smoke and mirrors policy. Its about wjat Trump is is doing.
You don’t keep up James ? Already there are 2-3 million more Americans who voted for Clinton than voted for Trump. Trump with already the lowest approval rating of any new president for a long time…….The Chickenhawk Dubya (another outrageous down to $$$ draft dodger) being the last as I recall.
You claim to be a serious commentator James. How come you’re blind to those patently salient factors, US Constitution, and the imminence of mid-terms, James ? Pretty weak arse that, For a ‘serious commentator’.
‘The Orange Being Squeezed’ too much for you what ? Like Actoid Steve Wathall somewhere above. Ooooh, sorry ’bout that. You better get outa Jonestown quick James. Before “I’m Peach……Mint”. Two years baby. Two years.
Yes Morrissey…….what a disgracefully mindless, artless, hag ! “Just returned from Israel….” was the tip-off. A hag who cares not a fig for the children of Gaza murdered and mutilated by the Eastern European NatziYahoo (whom The Orange is extra buddy buddy with). Encouraged in that by annual $US 3,000,000,000 US military aid. A curse on the bloodthirsty hag. And them who pay the ‘baby’ bounty !
Regarding the Labour / Green ‘State of the Nation’ speeches and the path forward?
Constructive criticism from the future ‘fiery’ and ‘fierce’ Independent MP for Mt Albert – Penny Bright 🙂
(AKA ‘Pullya Bennefitt 😉
Where are Labour and the Green’s clear policies prioritising the implementation and enforcement of the Public Records Act 2005 – which would transform transparency and accountability in our corrupt, polluted tax haven New Zealand, which SO needs a massive ‘clean up’?
“Where the people lead – the politicians will follow…”
Want to see some REAL policies that will help to ‘Roll back Neo-liberal Rogernomic$’?
(1) Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
…”
“So, how come we don’t know exactly where billion$ of taxpayer and ratepayer public monies are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors at NZ central and government level?”
“What has anyone from Transparency International New Zealand had to say about the endemic and entrenched bribery and corruption revealed in the unprecedented bribery and corruption conviction of just ONE corrupt ‘public official’ and just ONE corrupt contractor – where the bribes totalled $1.2 million over 7 years?
(Where are the Press Releases from Labour and the Greens condemning this entrenched bribery and corruption, and what needs to be done to fix this problem?)
“Reasons for the Verdict of Fitzgerald J”
CRI-2015-044-001286
[2016]NZHC2970
THE QUEEN v STEPHEN JAMES BORLASE (&) MURRAY JOHN NOONE
“How many thousands of ‘public officials’ and private contractors are there across NZ central and local government?”
“As a genuinely (politically fiercely) independent, self-funded proven
‘anti-corruption campaigner’ and Independent candidate for the 2017 Mt Albert by-election here is my ACTION PLAN:
“ACTION PLAN TO ENSURE ‘OPEN, TRANSPARENT AND DEMOCRATICALLY ACCOUNTABLE’ NZ GOVERNMENT AND JUDICIARY”:
……..
nonono penny labour/greens will not release policy until nearer the election it needs to be carefully timed and in small understandable bits
what we should be demanding is where is nationals because they never release any policy and because they don’t want to defend there record the yellow cowards wont front in mt Albert
With National not standing, and Greens simply using it as rehearsal for their Auckland-wide campaign, Penny this could be your chance to scoop up all those National Party votes, all those Act votes, join them together with the NZFirst and Socialist votes, and … you’ll be like Liberty at the Barricades leading your People to Victory!
Victory is within your grasp Penny!
Penny Bright you really could win this thing you know.
Think of all the respect you’ll have when you win!
All that pay!
All those people you currently have to rail against, they will cower before you and fear your wrathful policies.
What shock on Guyon Espiner’s face.
Like another Trump, but right here, right now.
You’ll be an MP! For 6 months at least!
Then you can go into coalition with whomever you want!
Become a Minister of Local Government! From Day 1!
Then you can make them do all that you’ve ever wanted.
There’s so little time.
It’s going to be amazing to see you up there, at last.
hi pm and maui,
re police pursuits; all the power rests with the authorities, sobriety, training, support(both on the ground and with the ‘comms’ team) etc.
the idea of being comfortable that someone dies, as a result of being in a persued car, is abhorrent and very cold.
in a related incident recently in australia, i listened to a senior police officer describe what had unfolded.
we heard all about the environment and driving conditions, about the drivers behaviour and attitude, extensive details of the victims including a baby, and a single line, late in the statement informing us it was a police pursuit.
The idea that only people in authority are responsible for their actions is a pernicious one. When you drive a car, you and no other are responsible for what you do with that car. That is the number one most important fact about driving that a beginning driver needs to learn. If your car ends up speeding through a red light and hitting two other vehicles, you, the person who was driving it, are the only one who could have determined a different course of events.
The Police can try and find ways to minimise the carnage that fuckwits like this cause, but minimise it is the most we can hope for and for fuck’s sake let’s not pretend Fuckwit-Behind-The-Wheel had no agency in the matter. It would be nice if failing to stop was a severe aggravating factor in sentencing, as it would put the responsibility where it properly lies.
When one of these ambulatory turds kills himself without killing or maiming anyone else, I do regard that as a good outcome because it’s taken him off the road before he gets to kill anyone else. That’s not “cold,” it’s “realistic.”
For all the lovelies who want to “turn Labour left”, here’s a great little contest to test that out on:
On the one side is super-racist EU fracturing Euro killing Marine Le Pen, on the rise and ready to strap on the Presidential Knee Pads with Donald Trump, and on the other side, the Socialists have chosen Benoit Hamon, a staunchly leftwing rebel outsider who wants to:
– introduce a universal basic income
– legalise cannabis and
tax robots, among other things.
im pro gardens in school and such , and feeding those whose parents are unable or willing to do it is a must , but i will not trust a bunch of office wallas to feed my kid .
What we really need is to come at it from several directions , educating parents on healthy choices , improving incomes so parents can do it themselves, education around the great contraception out there now (which i believe is having an effect)
Alternatively, the school kitchens could be managed by a school employee and the parents help cook as a community effort.
But even if serco (or compass) provided the meals, if you’re that snickety you’d probably just feed your kids anyway. One less school meal to make.
The point is that your kids might be fine, but a lot of families are struggling. All kids need to be fed in school. How would your system best balance those conflicting facts?
It’s not snickerty to feel its my kid so it’s my responsibility , in this day and age breeding is optional ,which i know makes me sound right wing as fuck. but i did say up thread that it is a problem that has to be attacked from many angles for many years.
the simplest system would be for the school to get a number of how many need feeding in their school and have an existing outfit like a cafe make the lunches , a sandwich , a nut/ muesli bar and some fruit isn’t a big ask.
Funding it is the thorny question.
Breeding might be optional (depending on how trumpy our own govt gets). Changing circumstances aren’t.
Local catering might work for 20 or thirty (but there’d still be a base cost in organising it), but not one of the schools with hundreds of high-dep students.
the simplest system would be for the school to get a number of how many need feeding in their school and have an existing outfit like a cafe make the lunches , a sandwich , a nut/ muesli bar and some fruit isn’t a big ask.
No, that is the most inefficient, time consuming, privacy invasive method available that will be used to denigrate and abuse both the parents and the children.
“. For one thing, I’ve seen what schools think kids should be eating. “Healthy” food nazis can leave my kids alone.”
And yet you put your kids in the same system in order to teach them how they should be thinking. How does that sit with you?
(BTW, I don’t think either is a problem, if you are prepared to spend your time – and meals – with them, showing another choice).
It had its moments. We did eventually get the school to stop passive-aggressively punishing them for not attending religious education classes, and they got earfuls from me every time Life Education Trust came round to tell them that recreational drug use is wrong and ruins your life. But that’s par forf the course – no parent is 100% happy with what the school tells their kids.
Heh. The god-botherers had their “Life Choices” program going at my kids’ school while I was coaching the chess players. None of the keen chess players were religious types, so we decided to do a second session in the “Life Choices” time slot. All of a sudden we had a lot more chess enthusiasts. Including the son of the woman running the “Life Choices”.
Well done Andre ! Chortle inducing indeed. The God-Botherers can be such oppressive, fear peddling, manipulative arseholes. If ya been brought up right (as I was) then ya have the good stuff without the need for all that shit.
I know a guy who’s a spectacularly artful (and resilient in the face of institutional bullying) young lawyer. Doesn’t buy any of that wankery, In The Law or in the bible-banging area. His commanding ethic is this…….”In my life I try to hurt no-one !”
The “option” of religious classes gets me too. Especially when you consider over the course of a year that adds up to around 36 hours. And yet, schools are diligently opposing any child missing time during the school year to go overseas.
I remember the attitude when I was at primary, with teachers being delighted with the students return, and getting them up to tell the class about their travels.
Preparing healthy lunches is not easy. Particulalry when there is no refridgeration for yoghurts etc. It is just another thing to be done at the end of a busy working day usually by mothers. Even if the children do it themselves the have to buy the stuff in and supervise the younger children. When my children were growing up I would happily have paid extra in taxes so they could have a healthy cooked lunch at school. I would still pay higher taxes so all children could have this.
School meals happened in Europe because in the coldest parts of winter (worse than here) kids could not just sit outside and eat sandwiches, nor (more importantly) walk home and back for lunch. (Most Mums were at home in early times.)
Here, we have never needed that. But I like the insightful comments above: I agree that a wise society would provide decent food for its children at school.
I don’t know anything about Benoit Hamon bar the expected piece of slur in ‘The Guardian’.
But let’s say a comparison to Corbyn is about right. So Hamon will broadly advocate policies that are in line with social democratic ideals rather than liberal democratic ideals.
That’s what the SNP did – and won. And then won again. And again.
The parties that stuck with liberal democratic policies lost. And then lost again. And again.
And just like in the UK with Corbyn, the liberals within the left in France, are gunning for Hamon (that includes a fair proportion of the mainstream media – y’know, outlets like ‘The Guardian’)
What were the policies advocated by Trudeau in Canada? Well, a liberal politician from a party called, ‘The Liberal Party’, dumped liberal democratic policies, ran on a social democratic platform and won. Meanwhile, the ‘New Democratic Party’, who for some reason known only to themselves (maybe they were taking a leaf from NZ Greens?) abandoned a social democratic platform, well they tanked.
In the US, Sanders ran on what could best be described as a social democratic platform and very nearly took the Democrat leadership.
Win or lose for Hamon, the tide is well on the turn Ad. And if you’re wedded to liberalism, then you’re going to be all washed up with the rest of them. And here’s the thing, you don’t have to be an anarchist or autonomous Marxist or whatever shade of radical to stand against liberalism. Social Democrats would and do too. People who have no political knowledge find the social democratic message appealing (you did notice that Trump essentially twisted a lot of Sanders’ rhetoric, aye?) Anyway – the numbers of disillusioned liberals is only set to grow. So think about it.
And then come on over here and join with all us ‘lovelies’ 😉
Except I think you’re just a little ahead of yourself kicking over ash looking for coals.
There’s the remote possibility that there will be no further wins by hard-right movements. Maybe Brexit and Trump are its global high points. Maybe the global mainstream media will become so enraged that the opposition to the hard right governments around the world will itself become a gobal upwelling. Maybe, like Federer, the purest and the most elegant moves will win against the odds again.
The above is highly unlikely.
As I pointed out, there’s some great global contests coming up.
Our own in New Zealand is definitely one of the most globally interesting match-ups, due to the strength of the Greens compared to any other democracy. A win would be the closest since the Realos of the German Green Party got into a proper coalition anywhere. I think the approach we have here is the right one. The standard left needs reviving, agreed. But Labour doesn’t want to lose its historical identity, nor let go of its usefully unresolved internal neuroses.
So reviving Labour with an exterior political entity in a proposed coalition is both dignified and effective. Reviving the country with the same is the right approach.
I sincerely hope that arrangement is effective this year.
…there will be wins by ‘hard-right’ movements until and unless liberals step aside.
Liberalism is dead. How does it shuffle into the dustbin of history?
Well, either liberals try to cling to power (by sledging social democrats and anything else to their left while continually playing the fear card) and incidentally enable the ‘hard -right’ or opportunistic populists….which spells the end to liberalism.
Or liberals step aside – take down the barricades they keep constructing against the left and…yeah, that spells the end to liberalism too.
The only question that needs to be asked is, just how misanthropic are they?
So far, the answer hasn’t been anything anyone’d be wanting to write home about.
Wrathall is a science-denying chump as well. He made a laughing stock of himself in 2010 when he made a complaint to the BSA, which found it lacked any merit whatsoever….
Interesting interpretation there Mo, especially given these paragraphs:
[19] At the outset, we do not accept TVNZ’s finding that human induced global climate change is uncontroversial. Likewise, the related issue of whether the observed sea level rise on Tuvalu is due to climate change is also disputed.
[20] However, in our view, this item clearly focused on the experiences and perspectives of the local people, exploring their reactions to the changes in their environment, the ways in which they were adapting to those changes, and how they felt about the possibility of leaving their homeland if it became uninhabitable. It did not attempt to explore the possible causes for those changes. The Authority has previously determined that presenting personal views on, and experiences with, climate change in the Pacific, did not amount to a discussion of a controversial issue of public importance (see Clancy and TVWorks1).
[21] Because the programme did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance, we do not consider that it was necessary, in the interests of balance, for the programme to explicitly state that the rising sea levels could be explained by natural processes, as argued by Mr Wrathall.
The four people on the BSA are not scientists, and they bent over backwards to be nice to our Jew-hating, Arab-baiting friend. That spurious exercise of somehow “balancing” one sound view against one harebrained view is a mandated exercise, no matter how ridiculous it might be. It results in the sort of blather you have so astutely pointed out.
Four scientists would have simply thrown his complaint in the bin, along with the rest of the day’s offerings from flat-earthers, moon-landing deniers, 9/11 Truthers and Elvis-spotters.
And since 2010, sea-level has continued to rise at a non-alarming 3 mm/year (~30 cm/century). And yet the alarmists continue to predict metres of rise this century. Who’s denying science?
Real world observations should be objective (assuming they’re not being altered to ‘hide the decline’ or similar, but the conclusions and related hypotheses emanating from those observations are surely debatable.
Richard, all you are demonstrating is that simply you don’t appear to understand the basic physics of greenhouse gases.
After all if you did then you’d actually be able to point out the basic points that you have a problem with – using some maths and links to the relevant science. Even a poorly trained quack should be able to figure out the basic physics.
Since you don’t, then I’d presume that your political religious beliefs tend to dominate over your scientific abilities.
On the subject of ‘objective’ measurements. You really are talking simple minded crap. These are measurements done over the whole world over very long periods of time and using a wide variety of measurement technique. They have inherent error in location, in time, in technique, to the methods of recording and storing them, and simply because weather and even climate is chaotic and subject to local changes outside of human caused climate changes.
And that is just the less important in-air measurements. The ocean measurements that are of more significance are pretty sparse both geographically and in the water column.
Almost every earth science measurement is only valid statistically, and even that is only because there are a lot of them made.
Your call for a ‘objective’ measurements just seems to confirm that you have an inability to understand even the most basic principles of measurements in earth sciences.
Here are some “real world observations” for you Steve. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-reveals-acceleration-of-sea-level-rise-20055
While the current rate of sea level rise is around 3 mm / year, that is accelerating from an average rate of around 1.7 mm / year over the past century. Up until the recent past – most sea level rise was driven by our warming oceans, however we now see the sudden collapse of the Greenland ice shelf and the WAIS notably the Larsen A, B and C https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-study-shows-antarctica-s-larsen-b-ice-shelf-nearing-its-final-act
These both have the potential to raise sea level by metres.
The real world observations back up the predictions and support the science.
Time for you and Richard to get real.
You are a cretinous fool whose knowledge of the sciences equates with that of the mythical village idiot. It is typical of many right wingers like yourself who are too dumb to know just how dumb they/you are. We’ve all been associated with them.
Intelligent people recognise their intellectual limitations and are capable of being persuaded with logic, sound reason and expert knowledge. But oh no, not dumb a**es like you. Unlike others on this site I don’t waste my time with detailed facts and figures because I know your ilk are way too stupid to understand.
It was this sort of arrogant we-know-best attitude, as expressed in Anne’s post – from Hillary Clinton, her backers in the media and the Washington elite – that put people off voting for her, with the obvious result.
Wrathall was too ignorant to realize it, but what he endorsed was the modern version of this cartoon, which appeared in the Viennese paper Das Kleine Blatt in 1939….
So the Jews fleeing pre-WWII Germany had 50+ majority-Jewish countries to go to, then tried to set up Jewish law as superior to local law when they were accepted, and many of them carried out terrorist acts in the name of Judaism in their host countries. Your analogy is asanine.
A vanishingly small minority, with nowhere near the number of victims as people killed by family members, buses, right wing economic policy, or homegrown bigots.
So I liked a tweet by Bosch Fawstin? An ex-Muslim mohammed cartooner who jihadists tried to murder in Garland TX. As he was born a muslim, I must be racist against him, and then he changed his race, right?
I think this is a small piece of genus, building on Stephanie’s consistent message over the last few months of treating all the minor causes of the left as if the only way to win any election for the left is through treating the causes of your colleagues with respect, and acting on forming solidarity.
Wouldn’t worry so much about that one word typo, Ad. Much more concerning is the sentence within which it resides – one of the less coherent passages to emerge from your finger tips in recent years.
And the message I’ve managed to wrestle from that messy grammatical entanglement – that we should all be respectful of each others’ particular ideological proclivities – sits rather awkwardly next to your unbearably smug little piss-take (upthread) against Labour’s Left-leaning … what did you call them again ? … oh that’s right … “Lovelies”.
I’ll resist commenting on the irony of an affluent, privileged, middle class Liberal Centrist with Clintonista tendencies having the temerity to call other people “Lovelies”. 🙂
Infused, I would doubt your informant is a Labour supporter. Chris Bishop is not turning up to events ‘in his own time’, or doing charity work out of the goodness of his heart. He is just being a National Party list MP (with lots of National Party money) who wants to be an electorate MP. He does such things so people think he cares. Labour’s Ginny Anderson will easily outclass him though in the election as she has integrity, intelligence and a much better message for the local electorate.
I wrote a big reply to this, but in the end, I don’t really give a shit. I was just comparing how Labour is losing solid support, easily, when it shouldn’t be. And how Little comes across on TV isn’t genuine.
Ethica you obviously do not live in the Hutt. Chris Bishop will easily win Hutt South by over 1,000 votes and also increase the Party Vote. No wonder Mallard chickened out. Chris was brought up in the Hutt and is well known by the locals. He is very hard working . He will probably be PM one day. Many of the Standard posters live in a socialist bubble getting confirmation bias from their twitter feed. Get out and listen to people. No one outside the bubble could tell you anything about the content of the launch. It’s only success was confirming that a vote for Labour or Greens means the same thing. Choose a colour. Any colour. The MOU is great for the Greens but will be disastrous for Labour. I suspect Labour will not get any list seats and that Little will be out of a job. I wish there was a betting market for the election, I understand the real world.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I have a friend who voted for Chris Bishop and National last time. He’s a minimum wage retail worker. He was rewarded by losing his compulsory work breaks, losing a guaranteed day off at Easter, and an increase in his rent and other expenses. He feels betrayed and won’t make that mistake again.
I have a street who voted Mallard and Labour last time. They like young Chris. Your mate cannot blame Chris Bishop. You give me one anecdote and I’ll give you a hundred. Chris Bishop is winning over at least one person a day. Labour candidate vote – 365 x 3 , Bishop +365 x 3. So easily a 1,000 majority, more like 2,000 plus majority.
Yeah we know about your fabulosity FusedAnus. And your post-truth ‘math’. Like the one Sunday afternoon 2014 when singlehandedly you won over 93.7% of riders on a Pomare-Wellington unit, to Trump (sorry….. Keydashian). For fear of stressing your cheesecutter I don’t mention your spectacular hit rate with puzzled Countdown shoppers up The Valley. You truly are heroic in your struggle to persuade yourself you’re significant, FusedAnus. Got a way to go to match ‘young’ Kellyanne Conway though ma bro’.
Trump to spend more time with the Queen?
Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to assure everyone that a new petition calling for him spend even more time with the Queen during his state visit now has more than five million signatures.
😈
Well one despot to another…
White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, was asked by the press pool for a link to the online petition.
He explained, “This is just typical of you fake news organisations, just typical, trying to take down our new President.
“Of course there is a real petition with five million names on it, yes there is, shut up!
“A guy on Twitter said it, so it must be true, why would he lie?”
Spicer refused to confirm whether the ‘guy on Twitter’ was President Trump.
Days until achieving MAJORITY disapproval from @GallupReagan: 727Bush I: 1336Clinton: 573Bush II: 1205Obama: 936Trump: 8. days. pic.twitter.com/kv2fy0Qsbp— Will Jordan (@williamjordann) January 29, 2017
(AP) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked the United States on Sunday not to store weapons in local camps under a defense pact, saying his country may get entangled if fighting erupts between China and the U.S.
Duterte said in a news conference that he would consider abrogating a 2014 defense pact that allows U.S. forces to temporarily station in designated Philippine camps if the Americans build weapon depots in those encampments.
“They’re unloading arms in the Philippines now,” Duterte said, identifying three areas where U.S. forces were supposedly bringing in their armaments, including the western Philippine province of Palawan, which faces the disputed South China Sea.
“I’m serving notice to the armed forces of the United States, do not do it, I will not allow it,” Duterte said in the televised news conference after meeting top military and police officials.
Yeah, he’s jumped ship, China is his friend now, dislike to corruption and drug users and dealers, the human rights commission is trying to have him charged with murder for pushing a suspected corrupt official out of a helicopter and then boasting about his action, Just Another Nut Job.
It is gratifying to see so many upset with the mango Mussolini’s banning Muslim immigrants into the states.
I struggle to grok this though – aren’t many, even on this site, not wanting too many immigrants here due to a perceived lack of land, resources and so on.
Is it that he is banning an identifiable group via religion – could be ethnicity, sexuality, ablement etc rather than the attempted reduction of immigrants.
Sure he has dressed it up with all sorts of – keeping extremists out da da da dah
but how do people reconcile this? or have I just got it completely wrong.
For the record I don’t believe in the assumptions within my second paragraph.
It’s not a muslim immigration ban, it’s a travel ban on people associated with seven muslim majority countries. So it affects visitors, people that have already completed their immigration procedures and even those who have gone as far through the process as getting their green card for permanent residence and have already made the US their home. There’s also the tidbits of information suggesting Trump wants to apply a religious test and is attempting to disguise that.
Overall, from his past statements it’s clear he wants to reduce immigration into the US from pretty much all groups (except smokin’ hot white females). But it appears he is going about by singling out groups and applying restrictions to that smaller group. First he’s coming for Syrians/Libyans/Iraqis/Iranians… then he’s coming for… That’s a lot more severe and chilling than changing policies in a ethnicity/religion blind way with the goal of reducing overall immigration sometime in the future.
Just a few of my problems with current immigration policies into New Zealand are:
that it admits many people into a situation where they are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and are competing with (and crowding out) our locals for entry-level opportunities,
we don’t have policies and processes in place to ensure our infrastructure keeps up with the demands imposed by a rapidly increasing population (resulting in things like the housing problems),
our welfare state settings are extraordinarily generous to some groups of immigrants at the same time as they are punitive towards locals.
For me, it’s separate to the general immigration debate.
I believe Trump has made a ruling based on religion, likely moderated by personal business interests, that in particular targets refugees (the most vulnerable and in need group of immigrants there is).
That’s beyond the questions of resources and national identity that people raise when debating about whether net migration should be half a percent or five percent of the population.
I believe Trump has made a ruling based on religion,
If they’re lying and the order was drafted by his inner circle, overriding objections and failing to coordinate with officials, I reckon he’s made a ruling based on provocation.
Senior admin official says top congressional staff members on immigration were involved in drafting of exec order.— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 29, 2017
Not one GOP lawmaker or staffer we've talked to will confirm this. Hill Rs say they didn't know what was in order until it went public https://t.co/aVjILPCXsu— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) January 29, 2017
Not irreconcilable. Immigrants, students, and refugees are welcome here as far as I’m concerned but NZ’s infrastructure is underfunded and unable to cope so that communities are now under stress. The Nats refuse to take the tax from the high earners, the people who benefit the most from cheap foreign labour. A different model needs to be found, one where central government is held responsible for the effects of its policy settings.
On RNZ this morning Little said there will be no electorate deals between Labour/Greens. Could this decision cost them the election? I think it could well do, unless they have a ‘cunning plan’ to do deals under the table to allay the outcries of foul play by the hypocritical Right.
Regardless, it is time Labour got real and stopped thinking it is a 40 – 50% party. The tide has gone right out on ‘third way’ lefties trying to play at being kind free-marketeers.
If, on the other hand, Little is trying to cosy up to NZF by shafting the Greens again in the vain hope of a coalition with Peters, Marks and Jones, then he is a bloody misguided dreamer.
Electorate deals are pointless, since it’s the party vote that counts and neither of these parties is at risk of not making the threshold.
There’s conceivably some point in electorate deals that would combat National’s hangers-on (Dunne and Seymour), but Dunne’s the only one that could possibly be at risk from a Green/Labour deal – even then, National voters are as capable of strategic voting as anyone else, so there wouldn’t be much point.
“There was never a gap of ideas. What there was, just as in the 1930s, was a social democratic party too keen to ingratiate itself with the establishment and a deep division between good, decent people – between liberals, Marxists, feminists, greens etc. Whereas the bigots unite behind toxically simplistic stories, progressives tend to fight against one another and thus fall prey to the Nationalist International.”
In regard to drivers and their responsibility;
Police in a pursuit also must consider the public, a duty of care, if you will.
Just cause a driver is fleeing don’t give carte Blanche to per sue.
Being comfortable with the notion that the police bear no responsibility, reeks of an authoritarian mindset.
Fisiani is my handle. It is a noble Chitumbuka name. Do you think you are being humorous to be faecal obsessed? Is that what passes for constructive criticism? Such references are never moderated. I can only assume that such schoolboy attempted humour is actually tolerated and approved. That explains the abject failure of the Left.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Asia Pacific Report Two of the global Freedom Flotilla ships are being prepared in Turkey and almost ready for the upcoming humanitarian mission to Gaza. It is expected that the flotilla will include a New Zealand medical team. Kia Ora Gaza is a member of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/countries-where-trump-does-business-are-not-hit-by-new-travel-restrictions/2017/01/28/dd40535a-e56b-11e6-a453-19ec4b3d09ba_story.html?utm_term=.b09227cac545
‘Business’ in their personal ‘swamp’ will be the undoing of this unhinged creep and his entitled spawn.
There’s already grounds for impeachment using the emoluments clause. But it won’t happen until enough Repugs in Congress calculate it’s in their political interest to impeach. Actual principles or ethics or what’s written in the constitution won’t matter before that moment.
I understand your rueful tone Andre.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/paul-ryan-trumps-refugee-ban-does-not-target-muslims/2017/01/28/e0cf1fe4-e56e-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?tid=pm_politics_pop
Anyone see Federer v Nadal last night?
Seriously awesome tennis.
Too right I did Ad – what a fabulous game. Now life can get back to a bit of normality with earlier nights. Thank goodness I’m retired and can have a wee lie in.
You will have plenty of time for “a we lie in” when you pop your cogs
Ha, ha PP, I get your drift, but I can’t cope with 2am mornings like I used to :).
Just remember this: After Trump’s presidential decree banning people from several countries, hundreds – possibly thousands – of civil rights workers and pro bono lawyers descended almost spontaneously on US airports to fight for peoples rights.
It warms the heart.
What the United States needs is mass public protest. Ongoing. If they leave it to the cowards and fools in Congress, Trump will continue doing what he’s doing.
The people of Romania showed the way in 1989 when they overthrew the U.S.-backed dictator Ceaușescu by doing THIS day after day after day….
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/21/article-0-001FD8F400000258-293_468x325.jpg
Be very worried. Trump will continue doing what he is doing regardless.
+1
Mid-term US House of Representatives elections are less than two years away, Same with the Senate as to a third of its members.
http://www.salon.com/2016/11/15/look-to-2018-the-midterm-elections-could-be-the-most-important-one-for-the-democrats-yet/
In good taste substituting ‘the US’ for “The Democrats” in that article’s title, relentless protest offers the high prospect of ‘self-interest first’ GOP representatives turning on the unhinged Trump and reverting to pre-convention positions.
Trump’s personal God fantasies may not be impacted by that of course – he’s lived a lifetime of encouragement to hubris – and he may well “continue doing what he is doing regardless”, but electoral effect would be profound with potential loss of the much vaunted control of both houses – emoluments impeachment looming ?
Already the loathsome draft dodger Trump is vulnerable to the reputational damage GOP “loser” war hero McCain seems intent on doing him. Assisted, weirdly, by psychotic behaviour Trump neither resists nor his dark inner circle can control. In time the damp squibs Ryan and McConnell will fall into line.
US checks and balances may well save the day within two years, if only by dint of coiffed idiots feeling electoral heat. Someone should get the message to the “late great Abraham Lincoln” (Trump’s absurd reference during the campaign) that all is not lost.
You mean talking bollocks that keep media from covering what he is actually doing, or doing studffg that is also nonsense overturned in courts. If Trump is not a senile old git, then what is he is up to coz he’s highly effective at keep media enthralled.
Take abortion, we know the predominant Catholic scotus wont be willing to out pope the pope, so the whole abortion is over scare is a joke. Similarly the border crap, Obama saw more s.American migrants return home that Trump will be hard pressed to match him. Similarly Muslim countries is largely a temporary smoke and mirrors policy. Its about wjat Trump is is doing.
But there are millions of Americans that voted for him and agree with it.
You don’t keep up James ? Already there are 2-3 million more Americans who voted for Clinton than voted for Trump. Trump with already the lowest approval rating of any new president for a long time…….The Chickenhawk Dubya (another outrageous down to $$$ draft dodger) being the last as I recall.
You claim to be a serious commentator James. How come you’re blind to those patently salient factors, US Constitution, and the imminence of mid-terms, James ? Pretty weak arse that, For a ‘serious commentator’.
‘The Orange Being Squeezed’ too much for you what ? Like Actoid Steve Wathall somewhere above. Ooooh, sorry ’bout that. You better get outa Jonestown quick James. Before “I’m Peach……Mint”. Two years baby. Two years.
James
One in five eligible voters voted for trump, I’m sure you can do the maths, four out of five didn’t vote for trump, that’s hundreds of millions.
Is Arianna Huffington the stupidest person in America?
Here she is being schooled, with two other fools, by one of the smartest….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EVQ4wzXIWs
Yes Morrissey…….what a disgracefully mindless, artless, hag ! “Just returned from Israel….” was the tip-off. A hag who cares not a fig for the children of Gaza murdered and mutilated by the Eastern European NatziYahoo (whom The Orange is extra buddy buddy with). Encouraged in that by annual $US 3,000,000,000 US military aid. A curse on the bloodthirsty hag. And them who pay the ‘baby’ bounty !
more government sanctioned corruption emerging (emerging at least to those not directly affected)
http://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/85690/how-eqc-has-avoided-being-stung-rising-land-values-cameron-preston-has-back-story
Regarding the Labour / Green ‘State of the Nation’ speeches and the path forward?
Constructive criticism from the future ‘fiery’ and ‘fierce’ Independent MP for Mt Albert – Penny Bright 🙂
(AKA ‘Pullya Bennefitt 😉
Where are Labour and the Green’s clear policies prioritising the implementation and enforcement of the Public Records Act 2005 – which would transform transparency and accountability in our corrupt, polluted tax haven New Zealand, which SO needs a massive ‘clean up’?
“Where the people lead – the politicians will follow…”
Want to see some REAL policies that will help to ‘Roll back Neo-liberal Rogernomic$’?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1701/S00171/the-2016-corruption-perception-index-isnt-worth-the-paper.htm
“If New Zealand was truly ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – shouldn’t we arguably be the most transparent?
So – why isn’t the Public Records Act 2005, being properly and lawfully implemented and enforced?
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345729.html
“17 Requirement to create and maintain records
(1) Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
…”
“So, how come we don’t know exactly where billion$ of taxpayer and ratepayer public monies are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors at NZ central and government level?”
“What has anyone from Transparency International New Zealand had to say about the endemic and entrenched bribery and corruption revealed in the unprecedented bribery and corruption conviction of just ONE corrupt ‘public official’ and just ONE corrupt contractor – where the bribes totalled $1.2 million over 7 years?
(Where are the Press Releases from Labour and the Greens condemning this entrenched bribery and corruption, and what needs to be done to fix this problem?)
“Reasons for the Verdict of Fitzgerald J”
CRI-2015-044-001286
[2016]NZHC2970
THE QUEEN v STEPHEN JAMES BORLASE (&) MURRAY JOHN NOONE
https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/r-v-borlase-reasons/@@images/fileDecision
“How many thousands of ‘public officials’ and private contractors are there across NZ central and local government?”
“As a genuinely (politically fiercely) independent, self-funded proven
‘anti-corruption campaigner’ and Independent candidate for the 2017 Mt Albert by-election here is my ACTION PLAN:
“ACTION PLAN TO ENSURE ‘OPEN, TRANSPARENT AND DEMOCRATICALLY ACCOUNTABLE’ NZ GOVERNMENT AND JUDICIARY”:
……..
Read on – if you dare 😉
Penny Bright
PROVEN ‘anti-privatisation / anti-corruption campaigner’.
Future ‘fierce’ and fiery Independent MP for Mt Albert 🙂
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: I can’t see the relevance of this comment to the post. Don’t do it again.
BTW: The PB immitation was pretty good. ]
nonono penny labour/greens will not release policy until nearer the election it needs to be carefully timed and in small understandable bits
what we should be demanding is where is nationals because they never release any policy and because they don’t want to defend there record the yellow cowards wont front in mt Albert
With National not standing, and Greens simply using it as rehearsal for their Auckland-wide campaign, Penny this could be your chance to scoop up all those National Party votes, all those Act votes, join them together with the NZFirst and Socialist votes, and … you’ll be like Liberty at the Barricades leading your People to Victory!
Victory is within your grasp Penny!
Penny Bright you really could win this thing you know.
Think of all the respect you’ll have when you win!
All that pay!
All those people you currently have to rail against, they will cower before you and fear your wrathful policies.
What shock on Guyon Espiner’s face.
Like another Trump, but right here, right now.
You’ll be an MP! For 6 months at least!
Then you can go into coalition with whomever you want!
Become a Minister of Local Government! From Day 1!
Then you can make them do all that you’ve ever wanted.
There’s so little time.
It’s going to be amazing to see you up there, at last.
At Last!
6 months of an MP salary should just about cover the outstanding rates bill.
hi pm and maui,
re police pursuits; all the power rests with the authorities, sobriety, training, support(both on the ground and with the ‘comms’ team) etc.
the idea of being comfortable that someone dies, as a result of being in a persued car, is abhorrent and very cold.
in a related incident recently in australia, i listened to a senior police officer describe what had unfolded.
we heard all about the environment and driving conditions, about the drivers behaviour and attitude, extensive details of the victims including a baby, and a single line, late in the statement informing us it was a police pursuit.
even the police aren’t happy with the situation.
The idea that only people in authority are responsible for their actions is a pernicious one. When you drive a car, you and no other are responsible for what you do with that car. That is the number one most important fact about driving that a beginning driver needs to learn. If your car ends up speeding through a red light and hitting two other vehicles, you, the person who was driving it, are the only one who could have determined a different course of events.
The Police can try and find ways to minimise the carnage that fuckwits like this cause, but minimise it is the most we can hope for and for fuck’s sake let’s not pretend Fuckwit-Behind-The-Wheel had no agency in the matter. It would be nice if failing to stop was a severe aggravating factor in sentencing, as it would put the responsibility where it properly lies.
When one of these ambulatory turds kills himself without killing or maiming anyone else, I do regard that as a good outcome because it’s taken him off the road before he gets to kill anyone else. That’s not “cold,” it’s “realistic.”
The New Zealand Herald: getting it wrong for 79 years
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/new-zealand-herald/1938/9/30/11
For all the lovelies who want to “turn Labour left”, here’s a great little contest to test that out on:
On the one side is super-racist EU fracturing Euro killing Marine Le Pen, on the rise and ready to strap on the Presidential Knee Pads with Donald Trump, and on the other side, the Socialists have chosen Benoit Hamon, a staunchly leftwing rebel outsider who wants to:
– introduce a universal basic income
– legalise cannabis and
tax robots, among other things.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/29/french-socialists-leftwing-rebel-benoit-hamon-elysee-manuel-valls-francois-hollande-presidency
Let’s see how that one works out.
Seems to me we can get a big clue on whether there’s any value in turning Labour left from Joe Carolan’s vote count in the Mt Albert by-election.
hi ad, not too sure what you are getting at here.
“lovelies”?
can you want labour to turn left without being a lovely?
do you have a pejorative term for the status-quo ists who don’t want to scare the horses, i am doing ok thanks?
france is france, probably better to look at left policies in this country, put them up the flagpole and see who salutes them.
eg 100% free education,
feed all children in schools,
communioty gardens in schools,
ftt, hone heke tax or robin hood tax……
I don’t want someone else feeding my child in school , my child my responsibility .
does that mean no child could be fed in a school?
would you be happy for your child to assist growing, preparing and cooking in order to feed other children?
im pro gardens in school and such , and feeding those whose parents are unable or willing to do it is a must , but i will not trust a bunch of office wallas to feed my kid .
What we really need is to come at it from several directions , educating parents on healthy choices , improving incomes so parents can do it themselves, education around the great contraception out there now (which i believe is having an effect)
Why not?
And don’t just say that it’s your responsibility. You’d be paying the taxes to provide the food so your responsibility is covered.
would you trust serco to feed your loved ones ?
Alternatively, the school kitchens could be managed by a school employee and the parents help cook as a community effort.
But even if serco (or compass) provided the meals, if you’re that snickety you’d probably just feed your kids anyway. One less school meal to make.
The point is that your kids might be fine, but a lot of families are struggling. All kids need to be fed in school. How would your system best balance those conflicting facts?
It’s not snickerty to feel its my kid so it’s my responsibility , in this day and age breeding is optional ,which i know makes me sound right wing as fuck. but i did say up thread that it is a problem that has to be attacked from many angles for many years.
the simplest system would be for the school to get a number of how many need feeding in their school and have an existing outfit like a cafe make the lunches , a sandwich , a nut/ muesli bar and some fruit isn’t a big ask.
Funding it is the thorny question.
Breeding might be optional (depending on how trumpy our own govt gets). Changing circumstances aren’t.
Local catering might work for 20 or thirty (but there’d still be a base cost in organising it), but not one of the schools with hundreds of high-dep students.
No, that is the most inefficient, time consuming, privacy invasive method available that will be used to denigrate and abuse both the parents and the children.
Is that a reason or just a fear?
Of course, I’d have the food brought in from local farms and prepared by local people but that’s me.
Food from local farms?
A Hereford heifer and a truck of turnips?
last time I looked farms didnt grow bread or muesli bars.
Last time I looked I make my own bread and muesli bars from stuff produced on farms.
Not bloody likely.
I don’t want someone else feeding my child in school…
Yes. For one thing, I’ve seen what schools think kids should be eating. “Healthy” food nazis can leave my kids alone.
French school lunches look pretty good.
“. For one thing, I’ve seen what schools think kids should be eating. “Healthy” food nazis can leave my kids alone.”
And yet you put your kids in the same system in order to teach them how they should be thinking. How does that sit with you?
(BTW, I don’t think either is a problem, if you are prepared to spend your time – and meals – with them, showing another choice).
It had its moments. We did eventually get the school to stop passive-aggressively punishing them for not attending religious education classes, and they got earfuls from me every time Life Education Trust came round to tell them that recreational drug use is wrong and ruins your life. But that’s par forf the course – no parent is 100% happy with what the school tells their kids.
Heh. The god-botherers had their “Life Choices” program going at my kids’ school while I was coaching the chess players. None of the keen chess players were religious types, so we decided to do a second session in the “Life Choices” time slot. All of a sudden we had a lot more chess enthusiasts. Including the son of the woman running the “Life Choices”.
Well done Andre ! Chortle inducing indeed. The God-Botherers can be such oppressive, fear peddling, manipulative arseholes. If ya been brought up right (as I was) then ya have the good stuff without the need for all that shit.
I know a guy who’s a spectacularly artful (and resilient in the face of institutional bullying) young lawyer. Doesn’t buy any of that wankery, In The Law or in the bible-banging area. His commanding ethic is this…….”In my life I try to hurt no-one !”
What more could you ask ?
The “option” of religious classes gets me too. Especially when you consider over the course of a year that adds up to around 36 hours. And yet, schools are diligently opposing any child missing time during the school year to go overseas.
I remember the attitude when I was at primary, with teachers being delighted with the students return, and getting them up to tell the class about their travels.
Preparing healthy lunches is not easy. Particulalry when there is no refridgeration for yoghurts etc. It is just another thing to be done at the end of a busy working day usually by mothers. Even if the children do it themselves the have to buy the stuff in and supervise the younger children. When my children were growing up I would happily have paid extra in taxes so they could have a healthy cooked lunch at school. I would still pay higher taxes so all children could have this.
Your child is required by law to be present at school for around seven hours a day, five days a week.
In every other government institution – you either receive remuneration, or are given meals – ie. hospital, prison – sometimes both.
If we are keeping children in school for this length of time, and good nutrition is a requirement for achievement – then that is easy fix isn’t it?
The community aspect of shared lunches, as well as the physical and learning benefits would only be of benefit to schools and wider communities.
It might even save money, if the cost of providing meals is deducted from working for families etc.
School meals happened in Europe because in the coldest parts of winter (worse than here) kids could not just sit outside and eat sandwiches, nor (more importantly) walk home and back for lunch. (Most Mums were at home in early times.)
Here, we have never needed that. But I like the insightful comments above: I agree that a wise society would provide decent food for its children at school.
Yes gsays. France is France, and it will turn right because of the migrant problem.
Sure, lets just keep on with the current middle of the road NZ Labour Party, UK New Labour, and DNC policies.
And hows that been working out??
I don’t know anything about Benoit Hamon bar the expected piece of slur in ‘The Guardian’.
But let’s say a comparison to Corbyn is about right. So Hamon will broadly advocate policies that are in line with social democratic ideals rather than liberal democratic ideals.
That’s what the SNP did – and won. And then won again. And again.
The parties that stuck with liberal democratic policies lost. And then lost again. And again.
And just like in the UK with Corbyn, the liberals within the left in France, are gunning for Hamon (that includes a fair proportion of the mainstream media – y’know, outlets like ‘The Guardian’)
What were the policies advocated by Trudeau in Canada? Well, a liberal politician from a party called, ‘The Liberal Party’, dumped liberal democratic policies, ran on a social democratic platform and won. Meanwhile, the ‘New Democratic Party’, who for some reason known only to themselves (maybe they were taking a leaf from NZ Greens?) abandoned a social democratic platform, well they tanked.
In the US, Sanders ran on what could best be described as a social democratic platform and very nearly took the Democrat leadership.
Win or lose for Hamon, the tide is well on the turn Ad. And if you’re wedded to liberalism, then you’re going to be all washed up with the rest of them. And here’s the thing, you don’t have to be an anarchist or autonomous Marxist or whatever shade of radical to stand against liberalism. Social Democrats would and do too. People who have no political knowledge find the social democratic message appealing (you did notice that Trump essentially twisted a lot of Sanders’ rhetoric, aye?) Anyway – the numbers of disillusioned liberals is only set to grow. So think about it.
And then come on over here and join with all us ‘lovelies’ 😉
That would be … lovely.
Except I think you’re just a little ahead of yourself kicking over ash looking for coals.
There’s the remote possibility that there will be no further wins by hard-right movements. Maybe Brexit and Trump are its global high points. Maybe the global mainstream media will become so enraged that the opposition to the hard right governments around the world will itself become a gobal upwelling. Maybe, like Federer, the purest and the most elegant moves will win against the odds again.
The above is highly unlikely.
As I pointed out, there’s some great global contests coming up.
Our own in New Zealand is definitely one of the most globally interesting match-ups, due to the strength of the Greens compared to any other democracy. A win would be the closest since the Realos of the German Green Party got into a proper coalition anywhere. I think the approach we have here is the right one. The standard left needs reviving, agreed. But Labour doesn’t want to lose its historical identity, nor let go of its usefully unresolved internal neuroses.
So reviving Labour with an exterior political entity in a proposed coalition is both dignified and effective. Reviving the country with the same is the right approach.
I sincerely hope that arrangement is effective this year.
This is the bit you’re missing Ad…
…there will be wins by ‘hard-right’ movements until and unless liberals step aside.
Liberalism is dead. How does it shuffle into the dustbin of history?
Well, either liberals try to cling to power (by sledging social democrats and anything else to their left while continually playing the fear card) and incidentally enable the ‘hard -right’ or opportunistic populists….which spells the end to liberalism.
Or liberals step aside – take down the barricades they keep constructing against the left and…yeah, that spells the end to liberalism too.
The only question that needs to be asked is, just how misanthropic are they?
So far, the answer hasn’t been anything anyone’d be wanting to write home about.
I posted mid last year on the decline of the liberal order.
Well ahead of you.
Is that a willy comparison comment?
Wrathall is a troll.
Ignore his Islamophobia.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
His Twitter page is a place populated by all sorts of right wing intolerance.
https://twitter.com/stevehwrathall
Note his enthusiastic approval of an ancient theme.
Wow. Amazing similarities between Nazi propaganda and the current US administration.
Wrathall is a science-denying chump as well. He made a laughing stock of himself in 2010 when he made a complaint to the BSA, which found it lacked any merit whatsoever….
https://bsa.govt.nz/decisions/2548-wrathall-and-television-new-zealand-ltd-2010-076
Interesting interpretation there Mo, especially given these paragraphs:
[19] At the outset, we do not accept TVNZ’s finding that human induced global climate change is uncontroversial. Likewise, the related issue of whether the observed sea level rise on Tuvalu is due to climate change is also disputed.
[20] However, in our view, this item clearly focused on the experiences and perspectives of the local people, exploring their reactions to the changes in their environment, the ways in which they were adapting to those changes, and how they felt about the possibility of leaving their homeland if it became uninhabitable. It did not attempt to explore the possible causes for those changes. The Authority has previously determined that presenting personal views on, and experiences with, climate change in the Pacific, did not amount to a discussion of a controversial issue of public importance (see Clancy and TVWorks1).
[21] Because the programme did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance, we do not consider that it was necessary, in the interests of balance, for the programme to explicitly state that the rising sea levels could be explained by natural processes, as argued by Mr Wrathall.
The four people on the BSA are not scientists, and they bent over backwards to be nice to our Jew-hating, Arab-baiting friend. That spurious exercise of somehow “balancing” one sound view against one harebrained view is a mandated exercise, no matter how ridiculous it might be. It results in the sort of blather you have so astutely pointed out.
Four scientists would have simply thrown his complaint in the bin, along with the rest of the day’s offerings from flat-earthers, moon-landing deniers, 9/11 Truthers and Elvis-spotters.
And since 2010, sea-level has continued to rise at a non-alarming 3 mm/year (~30 cm/century). And yet the alarmists continue to predict metres of rise this century. Who’s denying science?
There’s a debate among scientists about the likely future sea level rise. That is science.
So that makes the person denying it, you.
However if the debate is about the veracity of the global warming hypothesis itself, that’s apparently science denial.
Yes, it is apparent that people who deny real world observations are pathetic and ridiculous. Or is it Quantum Physics you think you can debunk?
Predictions are not “real world observations” by definition. The non-alarming sea level rise is a real world observation.
Real world observations should be objective (assuming they’re not being altered to ‘hide the decline’ or similar, but the conclusions and related hypotheses emanating from those observations are surely debatable.
Richard, all you are demonstrating is that simply you don’t appear to understand the basic physics of greenhouse gases.
After all if you did then you’d actually be able to point out the basic points that you have a problem with – using some maths and links to the relevant science. Even a poorly trained quack should be able to figure out the basic physics.
Since you don’t, then I’d presume that your political religious beliefs tend to dominate over your scientific abilities.
On the subject of ‘objective’ measurements. You really are talking simple minded crap. These are measurements done over the whole world over very long periods of time and using a wide variety of measurement technique. They have inherent error in location, in time, in technique, to the methods of recording and storing them, and simply because weather and even climate is chaotic and subject to local changes outside of human caused climate changes.
And that is just the less important in-air measurements. The ocean measurements that are of more significance are pretty sparse both geographically and in the water column.
Almost every earth science measurement is only valid statistically, and even that is only because there are a lot of them made.
Your call for a ‘objective’ measurements just seems to confirm that you have an inability to understand even the most basic principles of measurements in earth sciences.
Here are some “real world observations” for you Steve.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-reveals-acceleration-of-sea-level-rise-20055
While the current rate of sea level rise is around 3 mm / year, that is accelerating from an average rate of around 1.7 mm / year over the past century. Up until the recent past – most sea level rise was driven by our warming oceans, however we now see the sudden collapse of the Greenland ice shelf and the WAIS notably the Larsen A, B and C https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-study-shows-antarctica-s-larsen-b-ice-shelf-nearing-its-final-act
These both have the potential to raise sea level by metres.
The real world observations back up the predictions and support the science.
Time for you and Richard to get real.
You are a cretinous fool whose knowledge of the sciences equates with that of the mythical village idiot. It is typical of many right wingers like yourself who are too dumb to know just how dumb they/you are. We’ve all been associated with them.
Intelligent people recognise their intellectual limitations and are capable of being persuaded with logic, sound reason and expert knowledge. But oh no, not dumb a**es like you. Unlike others on this site I don’t waste my time with detailed facts and figures because I know your ilk are way too stupid to understand.
Are you a Trump supporter?
http://www.salon.com/2016/09/30/idiocracy-now-donald-trump-and-the-dunning-kruger-effect-when-stupid-people-dont-know-they-are-stupid/
It was this sort of arrogant we-know-best attitude, as expressed in Anne’s post – from Hillary Clinton, her backers in the media and the Washington elite – that put people off voting for her, with the obvious result.
The Wrathall kid has been asking for it for a long time.
Apart from that… listen to who is talking. You’re arrogance on this site is legendary!
https://thestandard.org.nz/punching-nazis-and-practicing-resistance/
🙂
Wrathall was too ignorant to realize it, but what he endorsed was the modern version of this cartoon, which appeared in the Viennese paper Das Kleine Blatt in 1939….
http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/564b63a41f00002400f3cf97.jpeg
So the Jews fleeing pre-WWII Germany had 50+ majority-Jewish countries to go to, then tried to set up Jewish law as superior to local law when they were accepted, and many of them carried out terrorist acts in the name of Judaism in their host countries. Your analogy is asanine.
many of them
A vanishingly small minority, with nowhere near the number of victims as people killed by family members, buses, right wing economic policy, or homegrown bigots.
Blow harder.
I thought so. You’re as anti-Jewish as you are anti-Arab.
I’m not at all surprised.
And often have you spoken against Zionism, Mo?
No, I haven’t spoken against Zionism, but I’ve often spoken against the massive crimes of the Israeli government.
So I liked a tweet by Bosch Fawstin? An ex-Muslim mohammed cartooner who jihadists tried to murder in Garland TX. As he was born a muslim, I must be racist against him, and then he changed his race, right?
You don’t know what you think, actually, because you don’t read seriously or in depth.
You’re a fool.
Check out Stephanie Rodgers’ ode to Mr Bradbury; all quotes from his own words on his own blog, apart I suspect from the very last paragraph:
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/unity-a-poem-inspired-by-martyn-bradbury/
I think this is a small piece of genus, building on Stephanie’s consistent message over the last few months of treating all the minor causes of the left as if the only way to win any election for the left is through treating the causes of your colleagues with respect, and acting on forming solidarity.
And on that she is perfectly on the money.
Genius. Not ‘genus’.
Excuse me.
Wouldn’t worry so much about that one word typo, Ad. Much more concerning is the sentence within which it resides – one of the less coherent passages to emerge from your finger tips in recent years.
And the message I’ve managed to wrestle from that messy grammatical entanglement – that we should all be respectful of each others’ particular ideological proclivities – sits rather awkwardly next to your unbearably smug little piss-take (upthread) against Labour’s Left-leaning … what did you call them again ? … oh that’s right … “Lovelies”.
I’ll resist commenting on the irony of an affluent, privileged, middle class Liberal Centrist with Clintonista tendencies having the temerity to call other people “Lovelies”. 🙂
Oh no, I am far less lovely than you.
Your loveliness is radiant.
May it shine.
Love.
“Lovelies”
Is that a class thing?
Isn’t it usually something said about flamboyant actor/theatrical types?
I have a lefties I work with (damm annoying) he said that speech turned him off. He’s American born and said Andrew came across fake as hell.
He’s a 10yr labour supporter
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: This is rather weak as it carries absolutely no actual argument related to the post. It simply looks like made up hearsay.
Your followup comment looked like a advertisement for a National list MP and was completely unrelated to the post.
I’d suggest that doing such obvious diversion comments like these is not the safest thing you could do on this site. ]
To add he’s been impressed by Chris bishop who’s turned up to alot of his events in his own time. Blew him away. He does alot of non profit work.
Donno if he will vote Nats but interesting.
This is one of the most genuine, believable and authentic things I have ever read.
roflnui.
Sounds to me like he works for Mr Thiel’s.
Infused, I would doubt your informant is a Labour supporter. Chris Bishop is not turning up to events ‘in his own time’, or doing charity work out of the goodness of his heart. He is just being a National Party list MP (with lots of National Party money) who wants to be an electorate MP. He does such things so people think he cares. Labour’s Ginny Anderson will easily outclass him though in the election as she has integrity, intelligence and a much better message for the local electorate.
I wrote a big reply to this, but in the end, I don’t really give a shit. I was just comparing how Labour is losing solid support, easily, when it shouldn’t be. And how Little comes across on TV isn’t genuine.
Says you, a right winger.
Infused with stupidity!!!!
Socialist Party in US doubles in numbers since Trump won.
http://inthesetimes.com/article/19795/socialisms-trump-bump-democratic-socialists-america
Democratic Socialist Party of America and Socialist Party USA (more leftwing) have both doubled their supporters and the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have had big increases too.
Ethica you obviously do not live in the Hutt. Chris Bishop will easily win Hutt South by over 1,000 votes and also increase the Party Vote. No wonder Mallard chickened out. Chris was brought up in the Hutt and is well known by the locals. He is very hard working . He will probably be PM one day. Many of the Standard posters live in a socialist bubble getting confirmation bias from their twitter feed. Get out and listen to people. No one outside the bubble could tell you anything about the content of the launch. It’s only success was confirming that a vote for Labour or Greens means the same thing. Choose a colour. Any colour. The MOU is great for the Greens but will be disastrous for Labour. I suspect Labour will not get any list seats and that Little will be out of a job. I wish there was a betting market for the election, I understand the real world.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: See https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30012017/#comment-1293479
And please make an effort to hit the Reply button. ]
Fisiani, are you Chris Bishop?
You are seriously underestimating Ginny Anderson.
Pretty sure he’s overseas. So I doubt it.
Hensley, don’t bother. Some of these people really have no idea. Mallard left for exactly this reason.
Chris has been out there 7 days a week for going on 2-3 years now. I don’t know how he does it to be honest.
“Chris has been out there 7 days a week for going on 2-3 years now. I don’t know how he does it to be honest.”
Just read all the Bishop stuff and this last bit provides a challenge I can’t resist …
7 days a week for going on 2-3 years? I thought God rested after a certain number of days.
I have a friend who voted for Chris Bishop and National last time. He’s a minimum wage retail worker. He was rewarded by losing his compulsory work breaks, losing a guaranteed day off at Easter, and an increase in his rent and other expenses. He feels betrayed and won’t make that mistake again.
I have a street who voted Mallard and Labour last time. They like young Chris. Your mate cannot blame Chris Bishop. You give me one anecdote and I’ll give you a hundred. Chris Bishop is winning over at least one person a day. Labour candidate vote – 365 x 3 , Bishop +365 x 3. So easily a 1,000 majority, more like 2,000 plus majority.
cool story, bro
Yeah we know about your fabulosity FusedAnus. And your post-truth ‘math’. Like the one Sunday afternoon 2014 when singlehandedly you won over 93.7% of riders on a Pomare-Wellington unit, to Trump (sorry….. Keydashian). For fear of stressing your cheesecutter I don’t mention your spectacular hit rate with puzzled Countdown shoppers up The Valley. You truly are heroic in your struggle to persuade yourself you’re significant, FusedAnus. Got a way to go to match ‘young’ Kellyanne Conway though ma bro’.
Trump to spend more time with the Queen?
Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to assure everyone that a new petition calling for him spend even more time with the Queen during his state visit now has more than five million signatures.
😈
Well one despot to another…
Yeah, leave our pumpkin pinochet alone, or else!.
“Who’s cleaning house?” Conway said. “Which one is going to be the first one to get rid of these people that said things that just aren’t true?
http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/johnwright/conway_calls_for_firing_of_journalists_who_talked_smack_all_day_long_about_donald_trump
Next up, special courts.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/24/journalists-charged-felonies-trump-inauguration-unrest
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/27/journalist-inauguration-arrest-charges-dropped-evan-engel
Wonder what the princes will say about that…….given the Pussy Grabber’s claim re…….you know……his chances with their mum ?
heh
https://twitter.com/williamjordann/status/825781634330980352
Duterte’s saner the Trump.
MANILA, Philippines
(AP) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked the United States on Sunday not to store weapons in local camps under a defense pact, saying his country may get entangled if fighting erupts between China and the U.S.
Duterte said in a news conference that he would consider abrogating a 2014 defense pact that allows U.S. forces to temporarily station in designated Philippine camps if the Americans build weapon depots in those encampments.
“They’re unloading arms in the Philippines now,” Duterte said, identifying three areas where U.S. forces were supposedly bringing in their armaments, including the western Philippine province of Palawan, which faces the disputed South China Sea.
“I’m serving notice to the armed forces of the United States, do not do it, I will not allow it,” Duterte said in the televised news conference after meeting top military and police officials.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/politics-government/article129470414.html
Yeah, he’s jumped ship, China is his friend now, dislike to corruption and drug users and dealers, the human rights commission is trying to have him charged with murder for pushing a suspected corrupt official out of a helicopter and then boasting about his action, Just Another Nut Job.
It is gratifying to see so many upset with the mango Mussolini’s banning Muslim immigrants into the states.
I struggle to grok this though – aren’t many, even on this site, not wanting too many immigrants here due to a perceived lack of land, resources and so on.
Is it that he is banning an identifiable group via religion – could be ethnicity, sexuality, ablement etc rather than the attempted reduction of immigrants.
Sure he has dressed it up with all sorts of – keeping extremists out da da da dah
but how do people reconcile this? or have I just got it completely wrong.
For the record I don’t believe in the assumptions within my second paragraph.
It’s not a muslim immigration ban, it’s a travel ban on people associated with seven muslim majority countries. So it affects visitors, people that have already completed their immigration procedures and even those who have gone as far through the process as getting their green card for permanent residence and have already made the US their home. There’s also the tidbits of information suggesting Trump wants to apply a religious test and is attempting to disguise that.
Overall, from his past statements it’s clear he wants to reduce immigration into the US from pretty much all groups (except smokin’ hot white females). But it appears he is going about by singling out groups and applying restrictions to that smaller group. First he’s coming for Syrians/Libyans/Iraqis/Iranians… then he’s coming for… That’s a lot more severe and chilling than changing policies in a ethnicity/religion blind way with the goal of reducing overall immigration sometime in the future.
Just a few of my problems with current immigration policies into New Zealand are:
that it admits many people into a situation where they are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and are competing with (and crowding out) our locals for entry-level opportunities,
we don’t have policies and processes in place to ensure our infrastructure keeps up with the demands imposed by a rapidly increasing population (resulting in things like the housing problems),
our welfare state settings are extraordinarily generous to some groups of immigrants at the same time as they are punitive towards locals.
Thanks Andre, McFlock and Muttonbird
I did wonder if I was being a bit precious – I still have twinges around this but I think I’ll sit and read more before I spout off.
For me, it’s separate to the general immigration debate.
I believe Trump has made a ruling based on religion, likely moderated by personal business interests, that in particular targets refugees (the most vulnerable and in need group of immigrants there is).
That’s beyond the questions of resources and national identity that people raise when debating about whether net migration should be half a percent or five percent of the population.
If they’re lying and the order was drafted by his inner circle, overriding objections and failing to coordinate with officials, I reckon he’s made a ruling based on provocation.
Not irreconcilable. Immigrants, students, and refugees are welcome here as far as I’m concerned but NZ’s infrastructure is underfunded and unable to cope so that communities are now under stress. The Nats refuse to take the tax from the high earners, the people who benefit the most from cheap foreign labour. A different model needs to be found, one where central government is held responsible for the effects of its policy settings.
On RNZ this morning Little said there will be no electorate deals between Labour/Greens. Could this decision cost them the election? I think it could well do, unless they have a ‘cunning plan’ to do deals under the table to allay the outcries of foul play by the hypocritical Right.
Regardless, it is time Labour got real and stopped thinking it is a 40 – 50% party. The tide has gone right out on ‘third way’ lefties trying to play at being kind free-marketeers.
If, on the other hand, Little is trying to cosy up to NZF by shafting the Greens again in the vain hope of a coalition with Peters, Marks and Jones, then he is a bloody misguided dreamer.
Both parties are well over the threshold, so no problem for them.
Might screw Mana, though.
Electorate deals are pointless, since it’s the party vote that counts and neither of these parties is at risk of not making the threshold.
There’s conceivably some point in electorate deals that would combat National’s hangers-on (Dunne and Seymour), but Dunne’s the only one that could possibly be at risk from a Green/Labour deal – even then, National voters are as capable of strategic voting as anyone else, so there wouldn’t be much point.
The new member of the National Security Council.
(video inside)
https://twitter.com/JessikaJayne/status/825911923485048834
“There was never a gap of ideas. What there was, just as in the 1930s, was a social democratic party too keen to ingratiate itself with the establishment and a deep division between good, decent people – between liberals, Marxists, feminists, greens etc. Whereas the bigots unite behind toxically simplistic stories, progressives tend to fight against one another and thus fall prey to the Nationalist International.”
https://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2017/01/25/the-establishment-is-in-denial-interviewed-in-english-text/
a united european left or a belated vision?
https://diem25.org
In regard to drivers and their responsibility;
Police in a pursuit also must consider the public, a duty of care, if you will.
Just cause a driver is fleeing don’t give carte Blanche to per sue.
Being comfortable with the notion that the police bear no responsibility, reeks of an authoritarian mindset.
Fisiani is my handle. It is a noble Chitumbuka name. Do you think you are being humorous to be faecal obsessed? Is that what passes for constructive criticism? Such references are never moderated. I can only assume that such schoolboy attempted humour is actually tolerated and approved. That explains the abject failure of the Left.