Xox
Wallace Chapman’s first program on National Radio. Covered the Government axing of funding Problem Gambling Foundation. The mechanics of how the Government managed this is similar in MO to the axing of TVNZ7. Dirty doo doos. The tone of the program is light with plenty of giggling, chuckling and froth. Early days but it’s looking/sounding more like breakfast tvnz. Yuck. Has ‘serious’ treatment disappeared from NZ public media? Dumbing down.
Disagree Philj-thought the programme between 7-10 covered hard issues with good questions asked and discussions held. Afghanistan, Problem Gambling Foundation, Housing. Of course Mediawatch was as good as ever, especially on the polls.
Chapman has the great ability to ask really tough questions in what appears to be a lighhearted manner and then follow-up the answers given with tough questions in the same way. Superficially it sounds frothy, but its not.
+1, BG. The first hour I thought he was finding his feet, but have been quite impressed, Actually finding him easier to follow/listen to than Laidlaw. Particularly agree with your last para.
In an election year, we should demand that any government will decriminalise abortion. I and many others are not criminals. This is a healthcare matter. And for Lent we should give up judgment.
I agree. It’s a pity the Herald on Sunday has gone with that snide “out of leftfield” label for these opinion pieces – it’s actually not radical at all to talk about how dysfunctional and condescending our abortion laws are.
Edited to add: and it pigeonholes abortion law reform as a leftwing issue. It’s not at all!
Media National Radio just did the accuracy of polls item. Interesting.
The Herald poll re voting chances of Brown (67% of elderly voters rubbished) critically examined. NBR fellow checking every poll since 1999 shows a plus bias for National and minus bias for Labour Greens.
Waiting for it online.
For those that didn’t see it, Norman was great yesterday too. What phil is referring to is the fact that Norman and the GP have chosen to be part of a NZ govt rather than taking bottom line stands on issues that are dear to phil and staying out of govt. But Norman’s handling of Gower being a dick was pretty good – he came across as relaxed, clear, not bothered by the political bullshit games etc.
I’ll just say it again – the only reason you think Norman was a disaster is because you want the GP to have bottom lines that will keep them out of govt. That is agin what the party wants, and seeing as how Norman works for the party not you, he did just fine. It certainly wasn’t anything close to a ‘disaster’.
I didn’t say you were an enemy of the GP (though it’s certainly interesting that you went there yourself). I said that what you propose (taking bottom line stances on certain issues) is akin to saying the GP is better outside of govt. Because that is what would happen if they did what you are proposing. If that’s not true, how about you describe the alternate strategy and how it would play out differently.
but thinking more on yr original contention..you may be correct in one way..
..in that..
given option A..greens..(if unable to get their bottom lines post-election from labour)..offering support for confidence and supply..and promised key roles that are ministers in all but name..(as referred to by fitzsimon..)..from the cross-benches..
..and able to vote for or against labour policies based on their merits/greeness..
..and option B..greens ministers in formal coalition..
..and subsumed by the majority party..
..and because of cabinet collective-responsibility..unable to even speak out against bad lab/govt policy..
It’s not about what I would do. It’s about what the GP as a whole wants. I agree with their general strategy, that gaining more power in parliament at this point in time is the right thing to do. How they manage that remains to be seen. I’m sure I will have some criticism at the time, but I don’t believe at this point in time the GP will be more effective out of govt than in.
But I do believe that this is what you are suggesting. See my comment further down, where I’m curious about how you see bottom lines playing out.
“cabinet collective-responsibility”
Why is this sacrosanct? Why can we not all be adults and say where we agree and where we disagree?
So on the one hand the GP can tell Labour what to do, and on the other hand they have to accept all the rules that Labour demands? I know logic isn’t your strong suit, but even so that’s pretty bizarre.
Let’s say what you suggest is true – that if the GP came out with some bottom lines, non-negotiables, now, they would pick up more votes. Let’s say that at this point their bottom lines are fracking, deep sea drilling, and cannabis law reform. On election day they get 15% of the vote, this gives them 18 MPs out of 120. What do you think will happen next? Bearing in mind that Labour don’t support any of those 3 bottoms lines.
What if Labour and NZF can govern without the GP/Mana? (I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the GP to plan election strategy around a party that has no candidates yet. Although I fully expect them to be thinking hard about the possible outcomes).
“a non-question really..’cos if that happens..and that happens..there will be nothing to be done about it..”
It’s not a non-question, it’s a central reality of this election. If Labour have a choice between NZF and the GP, do you think they will choose the party that has bottom lines against its own policy and that is trying to force them to do their will? Or will they go with the party that wants to build a stable relationship based on mutual respect and overlaps of policy that are negotiated? In the past I would have said that Labour will do whatever, but if Cunliffe is genuine about wanting to shift the country left again, then an opportunity to work with the GP looks more likely to be attractive. If Labour choose NZF, that’s their funeral, but the GP will still have it’s policies intact and be able to work outside govt.
Besides which, the whole ethos of the GP is about building good relationship. One of the things I am most interested in is how the GP will manage this this time round during post-election negotiations. I still hold some hope that they will influence the culture of government formation, although I won’t be surprised if I am disappointed either.
I commend your patience, weka. I can’t be bothered with the accusations every time I disagree with the latest rave. Funnily enough, I remember weka when I was young, darting in and stealing shiny stuff, yet you’re not the one being distracted here by all that glitters.
You were the only one shocked by Norman’s Nation interview yesterday.
Yes – cannabis legalisation is not a priority for him. I think the party policy is still to appoint a public inquiry ASAP (but probably not quickly enough for you). Rather than cursing one co-leader for allowing Gower to portray him as proTPP on the same day that the other coleader was addressing the country’s largest anti-TPPA rally, perhaps you could say; what party, who will have MPs after the election (ie not the ALCP), do you think offers better a policy on cannabis?
The “pot-vote” is electoral suicide for the Greens. They have gone to great lengths to develop excellent Green policies without giving the MSM a free hit on this issue.
I’m just asking you for some substance. If you think that the IP will achieve more for cannabis law reform than the GP, then vote for them (assuming that’s all you care about). But don’t be suprised if you get challenged when you state that the GP should make it one of it’s main election policies.
A suite of concerns, just like the GP has. You just seem pretty light on how to actually achieve your aims. The GP have huge experience in how to advance their aims. I’m good with criticism of the GP, but I don’t see much substance to your criticism, other than that you are disappointed in them.
I would add that the GP has also been a main player in shifting the consciousness and understanding within NZ of environmental issues. Simply having them in parliament and speaking up has changed the agenda on green issues. That is not to be underestimated, because it’s those cultural shifts that enable real change.
I am a huge fan of Mr Norman, but I did not agree with his statements today. NZ does not have the capacity to be first in the world paying carbon tax without increasing poverty at the same time. Instead of giving the money to a carbon exchange bank it would be better to have a look at infrastructure and alternative energy supply (electric buses running at frequency, sun collectors etc). Right now, NZ needs to act on issues such as cattle grazing and pollution of waterways. Drinking water, fracking proposals and consequences. This needs to be done in conjunction, agreed – but not at the same time. Its like cutting the nose despite the face. Please tell me that Mr Norman has not lost touch with ordinary people living ordinary lives with less then ordinary incomes but disproportional stress of holding their lives together.
Given that the GP say that this election will be fought on child poverty, I don’t think he’s lost touch. I think the answer to what you raise is in how the GP suggest changes to economic management ie emission solutions don’t equate to poverty.
Cunliffe could take note- in fact he should go round to Norman’s house for a few brewskis or whatever and have a bit of a chill out and a think about the things Labour and the Greens could do together…so that when he gets surrounded by the douche squad he can just do a bit of method acting, recall his chill place and be supremely not bothered about it whatever they’re flinging at him this week…
body language is important- a bit more chill could be worth a few poll points. Be like a golfer- positive imaging…
Just watched Norman’s “shocker” previously recorded. Disagree strongly with you Mr. Ure-thought he answered and argued his corner well, did not give away policy at all.
It’s Gower’s interpretation of the interview later that is the problem-putting words into Norman’s mouth.
Similarly later in the programme Gower stuck his ore in at the end of the panel discussion saying he thought the issue of asset sales is now a non-issue. Rubbish. Credit the electorate with some brains-they will remember this issue 5 months down the track, especially after Lab/Gr/Mana reminders.
Cantabs have become pretty good seismic scale predictors. I can remember lazing about the lounge when there would come a bit of a rumble from the east followed microseconds later by a bit of a shake. My partner would casually remark, “3.8.” I’d say, “I reckon it was 3.9.” The daughter would pop up with, “You’re both wrong, it was a 4.0!” Geonet would reveal that the reading was somewhere thereabouts.
Xox
PU. Did you notice Walace’s proud admission that he lives in an ex state house, and that they were well built and don’t leak. Ha ha ha. It shows that the government ‘back then, was capable of initiating and implementing effective policy! Wow, if only they acted progressively now!
A message to Paddy Gower:
Stephen Sakur or Tim Sebastian you’re NOT!
For that, you’ll need a few additional ‘learnings’
1. At least allow the interviewee to finish their point
2. A bit more intellectual rigour and probably quite a few more brain cells
3. Shedding yourself of your ideological biases for a few minutes at a time
Ure correct – it might well have been one of his better efforts – which says a helluva lot about his previous.
He cut Norman off/over-talked a couple of times when we may well/would have got more detail.
He also had a number of ‘examples’ he wanted to put to Norman – all of which would have been met with the same reply (which, hw didn’t get through0.
He had an agenda from the start.
Try watching it again maybe – and count the number of minutes/seconds down to Gower versus Norman. There really should be a huge imbalance in Norman’s favour IF it was his intent to get genuine answers
Edit: if it was his genuine intent to get answers
It’s not really an interview or a conversation that is nice to watch on the weekend- it’s Patrick Gower’s shooting gallery- where he has to hit three targets for the 6pm news. He just keeps shooting until he gives up, or gets something which he thinks he can paraphrase into what he wants to say.
It’s really deeply unsatisfying weekend viewing. It also focuses a lot on the horse trading aspect of politics.
Last week Leighton Smith made much of this piece published by Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight as a body blow to climate science and more importantly, the left.
Yeah great stuff from Hone, an excellent outline of the 3 main planks that Mana will fight the upcoming election on and a good indication of where Mana is at vis a vis the Internet Party,
(1), Feed the kids, in this land of milk and money there is no reason for ANY kid to miss out on ANY meal for ANY reason,
(2), House the people, in the same land of milk and money there is no reason why anyone should not be living in a warm dry comfortable home that suits the size of both their family and their income,
(3), Jobs for everyone capable of working,
i cannot see anything there that the Internet Party could not agree upon, so, it comes down to the IP’s main policies, who they would front as proposed MP’s and the ‘biggy’ as far as a negotiation goes how the carve up of the % of vote at the election would go with regards to positions for each party,
Hone pointed out that His view on Marijuana is not necessarily that of the whole party, he did tho point out with regards to kids accessing it in the Far North He has seen up close and personal the damage done,
My view on the dope laws is perhaps we need manage a staged liberalization of the Law, decriminalize the penalties for possession and growing for personal use down to an instant fine like a traffic ticket while putting in place a system to measure the outcomes in terms of hospital admissions/crime statistics while intensifying penalties around supplying minors in the vein of even having kids raid your stash in an act of theft might see you in jail,(in other words no matter how a kid got hold of your dope its your responsibility),
Yes, Hone has become a credible and articulate politician. Nice to see. Very impressive.
I was also much impressed with the forthright interview with Kim Dot Com. It was a pleasure to see and hear that interview. He comes across as very honest and very sincere, a hundred times more so than what I feel about Key or Banks for example!
He is new to politics but displays a huge intellect and great sincerity. A breath of fresh air!
Wish I had two party votes! One for Labour and one for IP.
Yes .Com was surprisingly impressively sensible and Hone too.
Winston wasn’t bad either, telling Gower to behave himself.
John Key seems even less sincere compared to these three.
Those stupid ‘quick fire shot gun’ type of questions are very unfair, particularly for someone who is an amateur new politician. Some political questions can not simply get a blunt yes or no answer as there are subtle issues involved that need careful consideration. Nevertheless, KDC did quite well here though he did not have enough time to think things through.
‘Regulation or deregulation ‘ for example. Some things need regulation or more regulation while some other things need deregulation. Mathew Hooten, the right mouth piece interpreted his answer, ‘deregulation’ to state Kim is right wing! What a stupid commentator! Kim was probably thinking of dope deregulation or something else! As I said, stupid Y or N questions. I suspect Hooten probably gave that list to the interviewer!
My gut feeling is that this Internet party will easily cross the 5% threshold and Mana too will do quite well during this election.
It’s almost possible to get swept up in that. He seems to be intimidatingly shrewd, capable, fun-loving, motivated, charismatic with the gift of the gab, an entirely novel and interesting shake-up for our small wee country-town of a country.
Would you say- calculating? He doesn’t appear to have that kind of careful weighing of each statement before he says it the way many politicians do. But I wonder what would happen if he didn’t get his way. Or if he was angry with something.
We have seen many of his faces and they are refreshing and engaging. But…
I find it a bit weird that Hone talks about the damage done by electric puha in the north without putting it in context of the social and economic devastation wrought by successive governments, both national and local. I’d blame the environment in this case long before I’d blame the drug. In fact, many things might be worse up there without it.
Murray O, Hone tho addresses a big part of the problem you highlight with the 3 planks of the Mana election campaign,
Two other points spring to mind, in a short sharp time slot on TV it’s pretty much impossible to be laying out such a large speech on the impoverishment of sections of New Zealand society, there’s just not the time, better to lay out the short sharp planks the Party plans on campaigning upon, simple bread and butter statements,
The second point, Hone was talking about school kids getting hold of dope and the effect this has on their learning, i think most of us here would agree that its not good for kidsa to be smoking the stuff which is why i proposed above a staged decriminalization where the penalties for smoking and growing yer own are minimal but extra penalties would accrue to those who for any reason under-age kids get into and smoke up large on their stash…
Some good listening this morning. Good is used facetiously. Dunne rumbling away about the Gambling Foundation trick – how you pull the rug from under something substantial and it doesn’t matter! Because the government is not paying a charity for advocating against gambling – only for treatment of the destroyed. And they probably haven’t been doing a good job at it either. And it seems that some zealous government officials let the Problem Gambling Foundation know that they were not wanted.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/240195/'threats'-to-former-anti-gambling-chair Peter Adams, associate professor of Auckland University’s Centre of Addiction Research, was involved in setting up the Problem Gambling Foundation 20 years ago and worked with the organisation for the following decade.
He said government has a vested interest in profits from gambling and that during his time with the foundation there were many attempts to break it up. “We got very used to hostility from government officials,” he said. “I was threatened personally at one stage … one official said that he would work at ruining my career….
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne told the programme he has never heard of that, and suggestions by Mr Adams that the government has a vested interest in the gambling industry are not correct either….
He said it was likely the foundation was not doing that good a job in helping problem gamblers. He said it is not up to the Government to pay for an advocacy service opposed to the gambling industry.”
And this is the thing – the government does not want to hear a squeak out of the organisations it funds. It was back in them ol’ days of the 90’s when government stopped funding charities and started buying services from them. And why should it buy criticism or good advice from them. Talk about blighting, biting, the hand that feeds you.
In NZ it is no longer possible for people to attempt to help those in need of help in the community, and ask the government for some cash to assist the unpaid volunteer work done. No you might appeal but narrow criteria must be met. That doesn’t include helping people manage in life. For foodbanks, people must have budget advice. For budget advice, that would include some hurdle they had to achieve. For children it had to be for education, it couldn’t be to take them to the seaside in a bus once a month, so they could have some joy and good times in the outside environment and outside their neighbourhood, as others take for granted. And so on.
If you are dependent on the government, you’ve got to touch your forelock, because they are now your patron, not to be questioned about their sly and destructive behaviours. Thinking here of juggling pokie numbers, massaging the liquor industry, and refusing to attempt re-education of errant drivers. Keeping marijuana as a dangerous drug involving $millions of police time, and fun helicopter rides.
(TPPA will be like this but on a massive scale. Probably a citizen that criticises any business will be sued. In fact in 1998 Oprah Winfrey was sued under food libel laws by Texan meat producers when she said something negative about meat.)
A titbit from The Press Tuesday 25/Mar/2014. Two Nat MPs less than 6 months from their retirement, are on a 10-day taxpayer-funded tip to China costing $15,000 a head. Now this actually is probably not very expensive for the length of the trip, objectively. It could have been worse. We judge such expenditures differently now in this exciting free-wheeling world of international commerce. But why doesn’t National just make it clear to us all out there in Electorate-land, that China is a VIC and is ‘the new big thing’ and they’re off like greyhounds after a rabbit.
And that there is a trip to China as a sweetener to any MPs they would like to stand down to make way for those who have passed the poise, pose and personality test and been done-over good by the PR, and human resource, and clothes and wardrobe and make-up – to the voters department?
They have been included in an Mfat funded group building links in new areas (No province left behind thrust). It includes senior members of parties – political ones that is – Phil Goff, David Shearer and Winston Peters, I don’t know how many. (No mention of Russel Norman!)
It appears that in the past all retiring MPs get to go on a retirement joint.
But as there are no Labour MPs quitting they are not included on this one.
New Zealand’s farm debt mountain is back on its way upwards…neighbour just purchased their 10th dairy farm for $50 per KG…expect bad things again in the dairy farming sector once dairy payout falls under long term average of $6.50 per KG MS…munting our little community…
I think MS stands for Milk Solids – basis of dairy payout. Is that correct Saarbo?
10th dairy farm. Borrowed on farm with 10-20% deposit? What sort of deposit would be required to buy at $50 per kg. Is it all done on leverage? Till farm prices rise as high as Mt Aoraki? If there is a crash, how will the taxpayer step up and help out a la SCF? We’ll have to bankroll these high rollers to stop the country washing away into the sewage drain.
I was just reading the Transport Blog on the HOP system. The difficulties with paying cash and how people don’t try to be ready with the cash. (One man was observed to check all pockets before bringing out a note, then pay with a note again the next day.) But everyone can’t afford a HOP card. What could be done is issue them with instructions on how to pay in cash effectively and charge them an extra 50% when they don’t pay with the right money, the nearest sized note, and have it ready when they approach the driver. Otherwise instant fine.
Other people waiting with cards cannot get on bus till cash customer is dealt with. Perhaps card carriers go first? In some European countries the payment is made before getting on the bus, as with parking meter systems. You would be issued with a receipt for your cash and hardly any cash transactions on bus would be needed. But having only one entrance is a real bottleneck with that system.
But systems like these are often designed by people who are a long way away from having only enough cash to last for the next few days. Their problems are at a different level than those who are au fait with the systems and have the wherewithal to match them to the profile of the perfect customer.
That sounds like so much hogwash, intended to increase the pressure on people to buy hop cards. For heaven’s sake – you cold hold up the by queue reaching into every pocket for your hop card. Admittedly, the driver doesn’t have to give you change, but you could still obstruct everyone else who was waiting to get on.
Olwyn
I am sure that this situation has been observed, there are reasons for it, those reasons for holding up the bus another 1 minute at each stop mean that some people have trouble getting to work on time. And too much sympathy stops the effort to try and improve so the mass of people can be moved efficiently. In a big city people don’t expect others to go into a dream, or be constantly unprepared when their turn to perform some small everyday function happens.
In some countries they have a driver and a cashier. As long as you don’t think profit is the motor of public transport, it has some real benefits. It helps employ people, and means that there are two on the bus in case of any problems, such as Tories like Aaron Gilmore misbehaving and needing to be forcibly evicted. The bus can also drive off while people are still paying.
I’m not even sure that taxes would need to be increased. There might be enough savings from less road construction, freeing up of land used for parking, etc.
Some TVNZ jonolists are tweeting right now that ‘there’s one big winner in the latest colmar-Brunton poll””, I guess it’s 110% for national. The more corrupt they get, the more (stoopid) people love”em.
Nah it was the usual stupid preferred Prime Minster rubbish, apparently David Cunliffe has slipped to 9% which isn’t quite where Helen Clark was when She became Prime Minister, so, if Cunliffe loses another 3% in that particular segment of the poll my opinion says He is ready to become the next Prime Minister,
A pretty nothing poll that has Labour/Green going down where the Roy Morgan last week had Labour/Green gong up…
Good practice should have had the number in the poll and the number of undecided. If undecided still on 11% then that is significant.
Internet Party registered for the first time.
Doesn’t Paddy hype up his version of figures let alone his version of what Greens, Labour said in interviews?
Based on recent polls including the two today, my estimate/calculation is that if an election was held today, the party votes would be close to the following figures:
National……………..42.9
Labour……………….31.8
Greens………………10.6
NZ First………………8.5
Maori Party…………..1.1
Mana…………………..1.0
ACT……………………0.6
Conservatives………..1.9
Internet Party………..0.5
United Future…………0.1
Others…………………1.0
Does Labour not understand by announcing a blunt “we’re going to raise the age to 67” they are committing political suicide? Has it not occurred to them that is probably the underlying cause of their current lack of traction? It doesn’t matter how many provisos they add it makes not one tot of difference. All people pick up is “they’re gonna raise it to 67… I’m not voting for them then”.
It may be sensible but you have to do it over time and by stealth for God’s sake.
Who in their right mind believes the latest TV3 political poll – do we really believe that the Judith Collins disgrace has not had ANY impact on people? Literally UNBELIEVABLE!!
Gives us something to discuss tho, the big laugh was the item on RadioNZ National this morning discussing the fact that polling companies have signed up to a ‘new’ code of conduct which when outlined hollered vary loudly ”Business As Usual”
i would suggest that the situation is really as close as it was three years ago, except, take out the Maori Party, the last rites for them have more or less already been performed…
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Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
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Xox
Wallace Chapman’s first program on National Radio. Covered the Government axing of funding Problem Gambling Foundation. The mechanics of how the Government managed this is similar in MO to the axing of TVNZ7. Dirty doo doos. The tone of the program is light with plenty of giggling, chuckling and froth. Early days but it’s looking/sounding more like breakfast tvnz. Yuck. Has ‘serious’ treatment disappeared from NZ public media? Dumbing down.
yr rush-to-judgement is premature..
..chapman is now doing a considered take/interview on the origins of the state house..
..well worth the time/listen..
Disagree Philj-thought the programme between 7-10 covered hard issues with good questions asked and discussions held. Afghanistan, Problem Gambling Foundation, Housing. Of course Mediawatch was as good as ever, especially on the polls.
Chapman has the great ability to ask really tough questions in what appears to be a lighhearted manner and then follow-up the answers given with tough questions in the same way. Superficially it sounds frothy, but its not.
+1, BG. The first hour I thought he was finding his feet, but have been quite impressed, Actually finding him easier to follow/listen to than Laidlaw. Particularly agree with your last para.
Wallace Chapman is a great media guy- really rate him.
In an election year, we should demand that any government will decriminalise abortion. I and many others are not criminals. This is a healthcare matter. And for Lent we should give up judgment.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11228832
It’s time.
This would be a referendum worth our time^^^
Should abortion be decriminalised?
Should have been done a long time ago.
I agree. It’s a pity the Herald on Sunday has gone with that snide “out of leftfield” label for these opinion pieces – it’s actually not radical at all to talk about how dysfunctional and condescending our abortion laws are.
Edited to add: and it pigeonholes abortion law reform as a leftwing issue. It’s not at all!
braunias has done a funny one..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/9880151/The-secret-diary-of-Kim-Dotcom
both hone and dotcom just totally kicked arse on q & a..
..i’m picking a possible 8-9% support jump for the alliance-lite..
and the only thing that wasn’t absolute shite from the panelists..
..was their agreement on what a masterful-performance it was from hone..
Media National Radio just did the accuracy of polls item. Interesting.
The Herald poll re voting chances of Brown (67% of elderly voters rubbished) critically examined. NBR fellow checking every poll since 1999 shows a plus bias for National and minus bias for Labour Greens.
Waiting for it online.
Discussion on the accuracy of Polls on Media Watch:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2590766
and it’s night and day for norman..
..after his shocker yesterday..
..he is now demolishing the clown from act..
..who is just coming across as an arrogant/ignorant prick..
For those that didn’t see it, Norman was great yesterday too. What phil is referring to is the fact that Norman and the GP have chosen to be part of a NZ govt rather than taking bottom line stands on issues that are dear to phil and staying out of govt. But Norman’s handling of Gower being a dick was pretty good – he came across as relaxed, clear, not bothered by the political bullshit games etc.
shine on..!..you craaa-zeey dia-mond..!..(pow-pow-pow..!..)
..you come here a lot..but all you can see..
..is the sun shining out – from normans’ where we can’t see..
..yr myopic vision..is a sight to see..
..but really..how can we believe – in thee..?
..so..!..(repeat chorus..)
..eh..?..eh..?
..by any view with more that one eye..
..yesterday was a disaster..
..today was ok..
..it was nite and day..
..mm-kay..?
I’ll just say it again – the only reason you think Norman was a disaster is because you want the GP to have bottom lines that will keep them out of govt. That is agin what the party wants, and seeing as how Norman works for the party not you, he did just fine. It certainly wasn’t anything close to a ‘disaster’.
u think i want the green party/movement to not gain power..?
..that wd b yr biggest lie/misrepresentation of me to date..eh..?
..in the 2005 election-campaign i worked 12-15 hr a day..for 3-4 months..
..on the green party campaign..(on the practical side of things..)..
..trying to paint me as some enemy of the greens..wishing them bad..
..is an utter fucken lie..
..unlike you..i look at things with two eyes..
..and if (in my opinion) i see could-do-better..i say so..
..if i see that-was-good..i say so..
..whereas you..?..
..i doubt you have a ‘critical’ bone in yr body..eh..?
..and by (whatever deity)..!..i hope you never climb the green party greasy-pole enough to ever be an mp in parliament..
..you would be a total disaster..
..wouldn’t you..?
..capable of mindless-parroting of official lines is pretty much it..
..eh..?..
..that and the mind/imagination of a bureaucrat..
..(shudder..!..)
ad hominems, that the best you can do?
I didn’t say you were an enemy of the GP (though it’s certainly interesting that you went there yourself). I said that what you propose (taking bottom line stances on certain issues) is akin to saying the GP is better outside of govt. Because that is what would happen if they did what you are proposing. If that’s not true, how about you describe the alternate strategy and how it would play out differently.
have some bottom lines..
..how do/can you expect to inspire/appeal to the voters..
..(especially new voters..let alone retain yr own..)
..if there is nothing you really wouldn’t negotiate away..?
..and the green party is seriously underestimating the appeal out there for some sane/rational pot-laws..
..have they forgotten their own history..?
..and seeing as you asked..what dismays me about the greens..is how they so desire/strive to appeal to everyman/woman..
..there is political power/voter support to be had from stating yr position clearly..
..and holding that line..
..so the voters won’t see their reasons to vote/support you..
..just turn to dust..
..compromised right out the exit door..
..(or is that into the door of the bmw..?)
..what was it shakespeare wrote about ‘that lean and hungry man’..?
..who comes to mind..?
but thinking more on yr original contention..you may be correct in one way..
..in that..
given option A..greens..(if unable to get their bottom lines post-election from labour)..offering support for confidence and supply..and promised key roles that are ministers in all but name..(as referred to by fitzsimon..)..from the cross-benches..
..and able to vote for or against labour policies based on their merits/greeness..
..and option B..greens ministers in formal coalition..
..and subsumed by the majority party..
..and because of cabinet collective-responsibility..unable to even speak out against bad lab/govt policy..
..let alone vote against it..
..i wd go for option A..(heh..!..)
..wouldn’t you..?
..and if you wouldn’t..why not..?
..
It’s not about what I would do. It’s about what the GP as a whole wants. I agree with their general strategy, that gaining more power in parliament at this point in time is the right thing to do. How they manage that remains to be seen. I’m sure I will have some criticism at the time, but I don’t believe at this point in time the GP will be more effective out of govt than in.
But I do believe that this is what you are suggesting. See my comment further down, where I’m curious about how you see bottom lines playing out.
“cabinet collective-responsibility”
Why is this sacrosanct? Why can we not all be adults and say where we agree and where we disagree?
“..“cabinet collective-responsibility”
Why is this sacrosanct?..”
um..!..that’s the way they work..?
..it’s part of the deal the greens wd be signing up for..
..r u saying u didn’t know that..?
..whoar..!
So on the one hand the GP can tell Labour what to do, and on the other hand they have to accept all the rules that Labour demands? I know logic isn’t your strong suit, but even so that’s pretty bizarre.
Let’s say what you suggest is true – that if the GP came out with some bottom lines, non-negotiables, now, they would pick up more votes. Let’s say that at this point their bottom lines are fracking, deep sea drilling, and cannabis law reform. On election day they get 15% of the vote, this gives them 18 MPs out of 120. What do you think will happen next? Bearing in mind that Labour don’t support any of those 3 bottoms lines.
well..the answer to that is obvious..
..they turn to the mana/internet party bloc..
..and together..you all force labour to bend to yr will..
..(leave them only a grand coalition with national option..
..which would be their death-knell..)
..unity is strength..
..you are more powerful than you currently think you are..
..and you must stop just marching towards ministerial bmws..
..(speaking of german-baubles..)
..each step you take..
..lessens yr/our power…
How would they force Labour to do their will?
What if Labour and NZF can govern without the GP/Mana? (I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the GP to plan election strategy around a party that has no candidates yet. Although I fully expect them to be thinking hard about the possible outcomes).
“..What if Labour and NZF can govern without the GP/Mana? ..”
a non-question really..’cos if that happens..and that happens..there will be nothing to be done about it..
..it will be labours’ funeral..tho’..
..and no..how those chips will fall won’t be known ’till post-election..
..but to the outside eye..
..the green party seems on a forced-march down into that garage..
..where lurk those german-baubles…
..and funny story..!.
..bill maher has something relevant to say on the matter..
..something to say to both the green party and the labour party..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/29/bill-maher-blasts-democrats_n_5055452.html?ref=topbar
“a non-question really..’cos if that happens..and that happens..there will be nothing to be done about it..”
It’s not a non-question, it’s a central reality of this election. If Labour have a choice between NZF and the GP, do you think they will choose the party that has bottom lines against its own policy and that is trying to force them to do their will? Or will they go with the party that wants to build a stable relationship based on mutual respect and overlaps of policy that are negotiated? In the past I would have said that Labour will do whatever, but if Cunliffe is genuine about wanting to shift the country left again, then an opportunity to work with the GP looks more likely to be attractive. If Labour choose NZF, that’s their funeral, but the GP will still have it’s policies intact and be able to work outside govt.
Besides which, the whole ethos of the GP is about building good relationship. One of the things I am most interested in is how the GP will manage this this time round during post-election negotiations. I still hold some hope that they will influence the culture of government formation, although I won’t be surprised if I am disappointed either.
I commend your patience, weka. I can’t be bothered with the accusations every time I disagree with the latest rave. Funnily enough, I remember weka when I was young, darting in and stealing shiny stuff, yet you’re not the one being distracted here by all that glitters.
in the words of weka..
“..ad hominems, that the best you can do?..”
I seldom get past ad vermes
“I commend your patience, weka”
I had the comparison of discourse with Pete George 😉
phillip..
You were the only one shocked by Norman’s Nation interview yesterday.
Yes – cannabis legalisation is not a priority for him. I think the party policy is still to appoint a public inquiry ASAP (but probably not quickly enough for you). Rather than cursing one co-leader for allowing Gower to portray him as proTPP on the same day that the other coleader was addressing the country’s largest anti-TPPA rally, perhaps you could say; what party, who will have MPs after the election (ie not the ALCP), do you think offers better a policy on cannabis?
dotcom said on q&a that the internet party will have a decriminalisation-policy..
..if they are smart/clever they will take it to the logical-conclusion of legalise/regulate/tax pot..)
..and do keep in mind it was the pot-vote that got the greens into parliament..
..in the first place..
..the pot-vote and young voters..
..(remember nandor/dreads/skateboards..?..)
..those same that the internet party is appealing to..
(..and oh..!..how the media/pundits scoffed/scorned then..eh..?)
..history does have its’ lessons..eh..?
The “pot-vote” is electoral suicide for the Greens. They have gone to great lengths to develop excellent Green policies without giving the MSM a free hit on this issue.
bearded git..
..u do know that a couple of days ago..the most conservative southern state in america..
..passed unamimously..and to a combined chant from all members of ‘pass the bill!..pass the bill!’..
..a medical-marijuana bill..?
..did you know that..?
..it is you who is wildly out of step..
“dotcom said on q&a that the internet party will have a decriminalisation-policy..”
Just like the GP does. What’s your point?
they will push for that policy..?
..and not just bury it..
..and c’mon..!..how can we forget tureis’ shameful neglect of that medical marijuana bill..?
..she lifted not a finger/voice to advance that cause..
..and as i’ve already said..if the internet party comes out with a legalise/regulate/tax/colorado-model policy..
..they will hoover up all those young votes..
..and will take yr pot-support component too..
..i think you have been the only game in town for too long..
..and you have treated that constituency much the same way labour treat you..
..and at the moment they are like meerkats..
..up and looking where next to run..
..and it ain’t/won’t be towards you..
..it is away from you…
..and it is/will be all your own work..eh..?
..(or lack of it..)
How will they push for that policy? (the one they haven’t written yet, that we don’t know the details of).
y’know..yr getting more and more like pete george..
I’m just asking you for some substance. If you think that the IP will achieve more for cannabis law reform than the GP, then vote for them (assuming that’s all you care about). But don’t be suprised if you get challenged when you state that the GP should make it one of it’s main election policies.
i’m a mana guy..i vote mana..(as you well know/i have stated..)
..but i welcome the arrival of the internet party..
..and the focus on the issues they will raise..
..i hope that clarifies that for you..
..and no..ending the madness that is cannabis prohibition is not ‘my only concern’..
..it is part of a suite of ‘concerns’….(as you well know..)
..as i noted above..you are becoming more and more like pete george..
..q.e.d..eh..?
A suite of concerns, just like the GP has. You just seem pretty light on how to actually achieve your aims. The GP have huge experience in how to advance their aims. I’m good with criticism of the GP, but I don’t see much substance to your criticism, other than that you are disappointed in them.
oh weka..!
..you are opening a can of worms there..aren’t you..?
“..The GP have huge experience in how to advance their aims..”
..ok..how about you list for us..
..(alphabetically wd b easiest..eh..?)
..the ‘aims’ the green party have actually achieved in their 17 yrs in parliament..?
(and wd you cite the efforts metiria turei put into the medical marijuana bill that was her care/responsibility..
..as an example of that expertise in ‘advancing their aims’..?
..and if so..
..could you detail that for us..?
..what she actually did..?
..(i await yr response/’list’..with bated-breath..)
Weka’s nickname should be Cadbury, ’cause she sure knows how to handle a flake 😆
and how about you..?
..i reckon yr name should be condom..
..’cos yr a dick..eh..?
I prefer Kernel Hook, ’cause I’m good at baiting nut jobs 😉
Here you go phil – https://www.greens.org.nz/history-green-party
I would add that the GP has also been a main player in shifting the consciousness and understanding within NZ of environmental issues. Simply having them in parliament and speaking up has changed the agenda on green issues. That is not to be underestimated, because it’s those cultural shifts that enable real change.
no-one is going to wade thru that mountain of self-serving spin..
..bullet-points will do..
..c’mon..!
..list them..(in yr own words..)
..(the touchy-feely/aspirational-bullshit stuff to one side..eh..?
..just the practical/real/able to be evaluated achievements..eh..?)
..i’ll get you started..
..there was the pink batts..
..and..?
..(and now the green master-plan is to sell out all yr bottom-lines..
..in exchange for bottoms in bmw’s..eh..?..
..it doesn’t inspire confidence..
..on any level..
..the greens seem to have finally achieved what they have strove for for so long..
..to be accepted as part of the establishment..
..well done..!
..shame about all those bottom-lines you have shed like dandruff..
..along the way..eh..?..)
Go fuck yourself phil 🙂
I am a huge fan of Mr Norman, but I did not agree with his statements today. NZ does not have the capacity to be first in the world paying carbon tax without increasing poverty at the same time. Instead of giving the money to a carbon exchange bank it would be better to have a look at infrastructure and alternative energy supply (electric buses running at frequency, sun collectors etc). Right now, NZ needs to act on issues such as cattle grazing and pollution of waterways. Drinking water, fracking proposals and consequences. This needs to be done in conjunction, agreed – but not at the same time. Its like cutting the nose despite the face. Please tell me that Mr Norman has not lost touch with ordinary people living ordinary lives with less then ordinary incomes but disproportional stress of holding their lives together.
Given that the GP say that this election will be fought on child poverty, I don’t think he’s lost touch. I think the answer to what you raise is in how the GP suggest changes to economic management ie emission solutions don’t equate to poverty.
Cunliffe could take note- in fact he should go round to Norman’s house for a few brewskis or whatever and have a bit of a chill out and a think about the things Labour and the Greens could do together…so that when he gets surrounded by the douche squad he can just do a bit of method acting, recall his chill place and be supremely not bothered about it whatever they’re flinging at him this week…
body language is important- a bit more chill could be worth a few poll points. Be like a golfer- positive imaging…
Just watched Norman’s “shocker” previously recorded. Disagree strongly with you Mr. Ure-thought he answered and argued his corner well, did not give away policy at all.
It’s Gower’s interpretation of the interview later that is the problem-putting words into Norman’s mouth.
Similarly later in the programme Gower stuck his ore in at the end of the panel discussion saying he thought the issue of asset sales is now a non-issue. Rubbish. Credit the electorate with some brains-they will remember this issue 5 months down the track, especially after Lab/Gr/Mana reminders.
Nice little 4.0M rumbler in CHCH just now. That’s my guess on the size, lets see what Geonet says…
Edit: Initial Geonet readings say between 4.2 and 4.4. I’m a little rusty it seems.
Edit 2: Latest reading marked as Good for quality is 4.0. I win!
Cantabs have become pretty good seismic scale predictors. I can remember lazing about the lounge when there would come a bit of a rumble from the east followed microseconds later by a bit of a shake. My partner would casually remark, “3.8.” I’d say, “I reckon it was 3.9.” The daughter would pop up with, “You’re both wrong, it was a 4.0!” Geonet would reveal that the reading was somewhere thereabouts.
You’ve rumbled it okay L. I’m due there soon. Probably saving the 4.5 one for me.
Xox
PU. Did you notice Walace’s proud admission that he lives in an ex state house, and that they were well built and don’t leak. Ha ha ha. It shows that the government ‘back then, was capable of initiating and implementing effective policy! Wow, if only they acted progressively now!
@ philj..
..aye..!..
..listening to it engendered a ‘let’s do a smart/green version of that again..!..
..what are we waiting for..?
..(and i want more of the tiny-house movement threaded thru it..
..their claimed lowest-cost for the current low-cost..is bullshit..)
..and the takeaway stat for me..was that at the peak of state-housing building way back then..
..they built 35,000 houses in a year..
..so the current figure of 10,000 a year is modest at best..
..and should be at least doubled..
A message to Paddy Gower:
Stephen Sakur or Tim Sebastian you’re NOT!
For that, you’ll need a few additional ‘learnings’
1. At least allow the interviewee to finish their point
2. A bit more intellectual rigour and probably quite a few more brain cells
3. Shedding yourself of your ideological biases for a few minutes at a time
i thought that was one of gowers’ better efforts..
..he systematicaly got answers to questions we wanted answering..
..surely that is the journalists’ role..?
..(however un-nerving those answers may be..)
..also..after those awkward questions..norman hit his stride..
..and was fine..
Ure correct – it might well have been one of his better efforts – which says a helluva lot about his previous.
He cut Norman off/over-talked a couple of times when we may well/would have got more detail.
He also had a number of ‘examples’ he wanted to put to Norman – all of which would have been met with the same reply (which, hw didn’t get through0.
He had an agenda from the start.
Try watching it again maybe – and count the number of minutes/seconds down to Gower versus Norman. There really should be a huge imbalance in Norman’s favour IF it was his intent to get genuine answers
Edit: if it was his genuine intent to get answers
It’s not really an interview or a conversation that is nice to watch on the weekend- it’s Patrick Gower’s shooting gallery- where he has to hit three targets for the 6pm news. He just keeps shooting until he gives up, or gets something which he thinks he can paraphrase into what he wants to say.
It’s really deeply unsatisfying weekend viewing. It also focuses a lot on the horse trading aspect of politics.
Last week Leighton Smith made much of this piece published by Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight as a body blow to climate science and more importantly, the left.
Well Leighton, Nate Silver has apologised to his readers for using deeply misleading data.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/28/fivethirtyeight-climate-change-dispute_n_5049279.html
Excellent Q and A interviews with Kim Dot Com and Hone Harawira this morning:
If you are interested, here are the video links:
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/watch-extended-kim-dotcom-interview-video-5879189
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/harawira-mana-internet-party-video-5879206
Yeah great stuff from Hone, an excellent outline of the 3 main planks that Mana will fight the upcoming election on and a good indication of where Mana is at vis a vis the Internet Party,
(1), Feed the kids, in this land of milk and money there is no reason for ANY kid to miss out on ANY meal for ANY reason,
(2), House the people, in the same land of milk and money there is no reason why anyone should not be living in a warm dry comfortable home that suits the size of both their family and their income,
(3), Jobs for everyone capable of working,
i cannot see anything there that the Internet Party could not agree upon, so, it comes down to the IP’s main policies, who they would front as proposed MP’s and the ‘biggy’ as far as a negotiation goes how the carve up of the % of vote at the election would go with regards to positions for each party,
Hone pointed out that His view on Marijuana is not necessarily that of the whole party, he did tho point out with regards to kids accessing it in the Far North He has seen up close and personal the damage done,
My view on the dope laws is perhaps we need manage a staged liberalization of the Law, decriminalize the penalties for possession and growing for personal use down to an instant fine like a traffic ticket while putting in place a system to measure the outcomes in terms of hospital admissions/crime statistics while intensifying penalties around supplying minors in the vein of even having kids raid your stash in an act of theft might see you in jail,(in other words no matter how a kid got hold of your dope its your responsibility),
Food for thought Phillip Ure…
Yes, Hone has become a credible and articulate politician. Nice to see. Very impressive.
I was also much impressed with the forthright interview with Kim Dot Com. It was a pleasure to see and hear that interview. He comes across as very honest and very sincere, a hundred times more so than what I feel about Key or Banks for example!
He is new to politics but displays a huge intellect and great sincerity. A breath of fresh air!
Wish I had two party votes! One for Labour and one for IP.
Yes .Com was surprisingly impressively sensible and Hone too.
Winston wasn’t bad either, telling Gower to behave himself.
John Key seems even less sincere compared to these three.
Those stupid ‘quick fire shot gun’ type of questions are very unfair, particularly for someone who is an amateur new politician. Some political questions can not simply get a blunt yes or no answer as there are subtle issues involved that need careful consideration. Nevertheless, KDC did quite well here though he did not have enough time to think things through.
‘Regulation or deregulation ‘ for example. Some things need regulation or more regulation while some other things need deregulation. Mathew Hooten, the right mouth piece interpreted his answer, ‘deregulation’ to state Kim is right wing! What a stupid commentator! Kim was probably thinking of dope deregulation or something else! As I said, stupid Y or N questions. I suspect Hooten probably gave that list to the interviewer!
My gut feeling is that this Internet party will easily cross the 5% threshold and Mana too will do quite well during this election.
e.g.
“Where were you on the night of the 14th March?…Answer yes or no!
It’s almost possible to get swept up in that. He seems to be intimidatingly shrewd, capable, fun-loving, motivated, charismatic with the gift of the gab, an entirely novel and interesting shake-up for our small wee country-town of a country.
Would you say- calculating? He doesn’t appear to have that kind of careful weighing of each statement before he says it the way many politicians do. But I wonder what would happen if he didn’t get his way. Or if he was angry with something.
We have seen many of his faces and they are refreshing and engaging. But…
re pot-plan..
..decrim wd be better than continued prohibition..
..but i think the internet party will scoop up a decent bong-full of votes..
..if they come out with a colorado-model..
..but decrim as a way-station to full legalisation/regulation/taxation..
..is a compromise i cd live with..
(btw..as each day passes..i am more and more proud/certain of being a foundation member of the mana party..
..they are the party for real/serious change..
..and i am pleased to see a complementary-party like the internet party come along to stand alongside..
..and the cherry on this cake wd be the greens staunching up..and saying:
.. ‘fuck the bmw’s!..let’s rock and roll..!”
I find it a bit weird that Hone talks about the damage done by electric puha in the north without putting it in context of the social and economic devastation wrought by successive governments, both national and local. I’d blame the environment in this case long before I’d blame the drug. In fact, many things might be worse up there without it.
..i think he is sincere with his stand..
..my guess wd be that he is also talking to his conservative voting-pool/base..
..gathering maori party votes..?
“..In fact, many things might be worse up there without it..”
..+ 1..
..especially compared to the damage alcohol does..
..you can’t go past the fact that young men/women use intoxicants..in most cultures..(esp. men..)
..and that cannabis is the safest intoxicant of all..
..it’s a no-brainer..really..
and yet you use cannabis too early and you damage your brain. And many kids are exposed to it early
yes newsense..of course kids shouldn’t use dope..
..and regulation/licenced-growers/suppliers with id-age-restrictions wd help with that –
to a degree..
..and if you are citing easy access as a reason not to legalise/regulate/tax..
..the reality/fact of life under prohibition..
..is that if you want to find out where the tinny-houses are..anywhere..
..you ask the kids/young-teens..
..they know where they are..
..and..no..those tinny-houses couldn’t care less how old their customers are..
..(and thank you for highlighting reason number 53 why cannabis should be legalised/regulated/taxed..
..a leaf-pin is on its way to you..)
Murray O, Hone tho addresses a big part of the problem you highlight with the 3 planks of the Mana election campaign,
Two other points spring to mind, in a short sharp time slot on TV it’s pretty much impossible to be laying out such a large speech on the impoverishment of sections of New Zealand society, there’s just not the time, better to lay out the short sharp planks the Party plans on campaigning upon, simple bread and butter statements,
The second point, Hone was talking about school kids getting hold of dope and the effect this has on their learning, i think most of us here would agree that its not good for kidsa to be smoking the stuff which is why i proposed above a staged decriminalization where the penalties for smoking and growing yer own are minimal but extra penalties would accrue to those who for any reason under-age kids get into and smoke up large on their stash…
FYI folks
Some mainstream media coverage of the nation-wide rallies / protests against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), Saturday 29 March 2014
TVNZ
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/protesters-demand-facts-trade-agreement-5878784
TV3
http://www.3news.co.nz/Protest-rallies-held-against-TPP/tabid/423/articleID/337868/Default.aspx
RADIO NZ
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/240196/rallies-in-protest-at-tpp-deal
RADIO LIVE
http://www.3news.co.nz/Protest-rallies-held-against-TPP/tabid/423/articleID/337868/Default.aspx
NEWSTALK ZB
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbnat/1318811200-thousands-march-against-tppa
Non-mainstream media coverage of some banners I rather like 😉
(Well – I would say that – wouldn’t I! 🙂
(Auckland)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151947721971790&set=a.435980066789.221068.727511789&type=1&theater
(Hamilton)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152027525238848&set=gm.231034497101371&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=752043414829478&set=gm.231048037100017&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152027534058848&set=gm.231035497101271&type=1&theater
Penny Bright
Some good listening this morning. Good is used facetiously. Dunne rumbling away about the Gambling Foundation trick – how you pull the rug from under something substantial and it doesn’t matter! Because the government is not paying a charity for advocating against gambling – only for treatment of the destroyed. And they probably haven’t been doing a good job at it either. And it seems that some zealous government officials let the Problem Gambling Foundation know that they were not wanted.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/240195/'threats'-to-former-anti-gambling-chair
Peter Adams, associate professor of Auckland University’s Centre of Addiction Research, was involved in setting up the Problem Gambling Foundation 20 years ago and worked with the organisation for the following decade.
He said government has a vested interest in profits from gambling and that during his time with the foundation there were many attempts to break it up. “We got very used to hostility from government officials,” he said. “I was threatened personally at one stage … one official said that he would work at ruining my career….
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne told the programme he has never heard of that, and suggestions by Mr Adams that the government has a vested interest in the gambling industry are not correct either….
He said it was likely the foundation was not doing that good a job in helping problem gamblers. He said it is not up to the Government to pay for an advocacy service opposed to the gambling industry.”
And this is the thing – the government does not want to hear a squeak out of the organisations it funds. It was back in them ol’ days of the 90’s when government stopped funding charities and started buying services from them. And why should it buy criticism or good advice from them. Talk about blighting, biting, the hand that feeds you.
In NZ it is no longer possible for people to attempt to help those in need of help in the community, and ask the government for some cash to assist the unpaid volunteer work done. No you might appeal but narrow criteria must be met. That doesn’t include helping people manage in life. For foodbanks, people must have budget advice. For budget advice, that would include some hurdle they had to achieve. For children it had to be for education, it couldn’t be to take them to the seaside in a bus once a month, so they could have some joy and good times in the outside environment and outside their neighbourhood, as others take for granted. And so on.
If you are dependent on the government, you’ve got to touch your forelock, because they are now your patron, not to be questioned about their sly and destructive behaviours. Thinking here of juggling pokie numbers, massaging the liquor industry, and refusing to attempt re-education of errant drivers. Keeping marijuana as a dangerous drug involving $millions of police time, and fun helicopter rides.
(TPPA will be like this but on a massive scale. Probably a citizen that criticises any business will be sued. In fact in 1998 Oprah Winfrey was sued under food libel laws by Texan meat producers when she said something negative about meat.)
A titbit from The Press Tuesday 25/Mar/2014. Two Nat MPs less than 6 months from their retirement, are on a 10-day taxpayer-funded tip to China costing $15,000 a head. Now this actually is probably not very expensive for the length of the trip, objectively. It could have been worse. We judge such expenditures differently now in this exciting free-wheeling world of international commerce. But why doesn’t National just make it clear to us all out there in Electorate-land, that China is a VIC and is ‘the new big thing’ and they’re off like greyhounds after a rabbit.
And that there is a trip to China as a sweetener to any MPs they would like to stand down to make way for those who have passed the poise, pose and personality test and been done-over good by the PR, and human resource, and clothes and wardrobe and make-up – to the voters department?
They have been included in an Mfat funded group building links in new areas (No province left behind thrust). It includes senior members of parties – political ones that is – Phil Goff, David Shearer and Winston Peters, I don’t know how many. (No mention of Russel Norman!)
It appears that in the past all retiring MPs get to go on a retirement joint.
But as there are no Labour MPs quitting they are not included on this one.
You forgot the teeth test.
New Zealand’s farm debt mountain is back on its way upwards…neighbour just purchased their 10th dairy farm for $50 per KG…expect bad things again in the dairy farming sector once dairy payout falls under long term average of $6.50 per KG MS…munting our little community…
I think MS stands for Milk Solids – basis of dairy payout. Is that correct Saarbo?
10th dairy farm. Borrowed on farm with 10-20% deposit? What sort of deposit would be required to buy at $50 per kg. Is it all done on leverage? Till farm prices rise as high as Mt Aoraki? If there is a crash, how will the taxpayer step up and help out a la SCF? We’ll have to bankroll these high rollers to stop the country washing away into the sewage drain.
I was just reading the Transport Blog on the HOP system. The difficulties with paying cash and how people don’t try to be ready with the cash. (One man was observed to check all pockets before bringing out a note, then pay with a note again the next day.) But everyone can’t afford a HOP card. What could be done is issue them with instructions on how to pay in cash effectively and charge them an extra 50% when they don’t pay with the right money, the nearest sized note, and have it ready when they approach the driver. Otherwise instant fine.
Other people waiting with cards cannot get on bus till cash customer is dealt with. Perhaps card carriers go first? In some European countries the payment is made before getting on the bus, as with parking meter systems. You would be issued with a receipt for your cash and hardly any cash transactions on bus would be needed. But having only one entrance is a real bottleneck with that system.
But systems like these are often designed by people who are a long way away from having only enough cash to last for the next few days. Their problems are at a different level than those who are au fait with the systems and have the wherewithal to match them to the profile of the perfect customer.
That sounds like so much hogwash, intended to increase the pressure on people to buy hop cards. For heaven’s sake – you cold hold up the by queue reaching into every pocket for your hop card. Admittedly, the driver doesn’t have to give you change, but you could still obstruct everyone else who was waiting to get on.
Olwyn
I am sure that this situation has been observed, there are reasons for it, those reasons for holding up the bus another 1 minute at each stop mean that some people have trouble getting to work on time. And too much sympathy stops the effort to try and improve so the mass of people can be moved efficiently. In a big city people don’t expect others to go into a dream, or be constantly unprepared when their turn to perform some small everyday function happens.
It’s a once off $5, 25 cents for topping up and saves a minimum 28 cents every trip. It’s more correct to say that you can’t afford to pay cash.
It’s more correct to say that DTB always knows the answer and knows it is correct.
Ah, yes, can’t deny the facts and so revert to ad hominem.
In some countries they have a driver and a cashier. As long as you don’t think profit is the motor of public transport, it has some real benefits. It helps employ people, and means that there are two on the bus in case of any problems, such as Tories like Aaron Gilmore misbehaving and needing to be forcibly evicted. The bus can also drive off while people are still paying.
Up taxes and make public transport free.
Solves the problem immediately.
I’m not even sure that taxes would need to be increased. There might be enough savings from less road construction, freeing up of land used for parking, etc.
Some TVNZ jonolists are tweeting right now that ‘there’s one big winner in the latest colmar-Brunton poll””, I guess it’s 110% for national. The more corrupt they get, the more (stoopid) people love”em.
I am guessing that it is the Internet Party.
Nah it was the usual stupid preferred Prime Minster rubbish, apparently David Cunliffe has slipped to 9% which isn’t quite where Helen Clark was when She became Prime Minister, so, if Cunliffe loses another 3% in that particular segment of the poll my opinion says He is ready to become the next Prime Minister,
A pretty nothing poll that has Labour/Green going down where the Roy Morgan last week had Labour/Green gong up…
Good practice should have had the number in the poll and the number of undecided. If undecided still on 11% then that is significant.
Internet Party registered for the first time.
Doesn’t Paddy hype up his version of figures let alone his version of what Greens, Labour said in interviews?
Based on recent polls including the two today, my estimate/calculation is that if an election was held today, the party votes would be close to the following figures:
National……………..42.9
Labour……………….31.8
Greens………………10.6
NZ First………………8.5
Maori Party…………..1.1
Mana…………………..1.0
ACT……………………0.6
Conservatives………..1.9
Internet Party………..0.5
United Future…………0.1
Others…………………1.0
I think the Greens have a decent shot at breaking through 13% this year.
The Internet Party won’t be in the polls released today.
Internet Party did register today. Can’t get back into TV3 but was .3 I think.
Probably Winston First up 4% to 7%. Mind you TV3 has him on 4.9% down 0.8% so maybe they polled the outskirts of Tauranga a little too much?
Winston may well be the obvious and clear party providing protection against Labour’s (and the National’s tacit) age rise for superannuation ?
Good point Jim Nald.
Does Labour not understand by announcing a blunt “we’re going to raise the age to 67” they are committing political suicide? Has it not occurred to them that is probably the underlying cause of their current lack of traction? It doesn’t matter how many provisos they add it makes not one tot of difference. All people pick up is “they’re gonna raise it to 67… I’m not voting for them then”.
It may be sensible but you have to do it over time and by stealth for God’s sake.
Who in their right mind believes the latest TV3 political poll – do we really believe that the Judith Collins disgrace has not had ANY impact on people? Literally UNBELIEVABLE!!
Gives us something to discuss tho, the big laugh was the item on RadioNZ National this morning discussing the fact that polling companies have signed up to a ‘new’ code of conduct which when outlined hollered vary loudly ”Business As Usual”
i would suggest that the situation is really as close as it was three years ago, except, take out the Maori Party, the last rites for them have more or less already been performed…
What disgrace would that be?
Your a disgrace SSLands, that’s all you need to know…
One of the recent problems that may emerge,and is overlooked in the MSM is the withdraw of support for windows xp on the 8th April.
It seems that 95% of ATM run on XP and I suspect a substantive number of SME along with a lot of home users etc.
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/texting-atms-cash-shows-cybercriminals-increasing-sophistication