‘The government has no plans to sell New Zealand Post despite the company continuing to struggle with fewer postal deliveries, Finance Minister Bill English says.’
No, NZ post won’t be sold – the postal services are not worth anything. Kiwibank will be split and that will be sold. English could make no comment on Kiwibank being split off from NZ Post. The only reason to split would be to sell off the profitable part (Kiwibank)
Hooton bathes in his own celebrity. Hmm let me guess who his main client is these days?
Probably deals in milk powder, swamp kauri and bottled water. Just happens to have a wife who is a power hungry Minister who is not adverse to knocking over rivals.
Little is not that much of an idiot Matthew to call you out. Tickets please…tickets please…clipping tickets for a price!
“Some of which are highly paid PR consultants I might add.”
They also give someone from the left the same opportunity. At least Mr Hooton criticisms his own side (often very vigorously). The current representative from the left seems to just be an apologist for everything Labour does.
“They also give someone from the left the same opportunity. At least Mr Hooton criticisms his own side (often very vigorously). The current representative from the left seems to just be an apologist for everything Labour does.”
Poor Gosman. He can’t tell the difference between a coherent argument that can be debated and a line of PR that is designed to manipulate the listener towards a certain bias. Or maybe he can 😉
Some would say Hooton works to keep Collins at the top of the peaking order of Natcorp. It is in her best interests to crack Key every now and then. Bennett is Key’s pet so trimming her up also serves Collins.
And we’re seeing this lack of maintenance around the world. US engineers estimate that the US infrastructure needs trillions of dollars spent on it. Political response? Cut taxes on the rich and cut social spending including spending on infrastructure.
Makes me wonder just how bad NZs infrastructure is because we’ve been doing exactly the same for the last 30 years.
Diary Spy
By LabourVoices · March 26, 2016
Parliament wasn’t sitting this week, so in lieu of the Whipping Post, here’s the week that was outside the House.
Just listened to Andrew Little being interviewed on Morning Report regarding his views on politicians being attacked on social media. It was so bad I felt sorry for him. Why did he try and make a political point on this topic?
Just read Gosman shitstirring on The Standard this morning regarding his feelings about politicians being political. It was so pathetic I felt sorry for him. Why did he try and make an astroturfing point out of this topic?
Is there a website where we can see copies of all the flags submitted for consideration? Failing that, the shortlisted flags before the “expert kiwis” rejected them. Also, we know how the politicians voted but has anyone asked the “panel” how they voted? Wonder if any of them still preferred the original.
there are a few really good designs amongst them.
But frankly i hope to never ever have to see a design from that Lockwood dude. He had way to many entries. Maybe they should have just limited it to one entry per person, and we would have gotten a bit more choice.
In saying that….Hypno Flag and Laser Kiwi….t’would have been a hard choice.
All five of the Lockwood designs in the top 40 were the same thing in different colours (one of them had previously won a Devonport design a flag competition, but couldn’t say which). The peculiar thing is just how based around the fern they were, considering that he can’t draw a fern for sour apples. Sven Baker also had four different designs in the longlist, but at least they were all different (5 different kinds of repulsive). Any future flag design panel should have a one finalist per designer rule (some designers and vexillogists would help too).
Personally, I liked Frizell’s black&green Manawa design, but the black jack was good too:
lets not speak about this….erosion of benefits – no not the bludger benefits like unemployment benefits or single parent benefits – they obviously need to be as low as possible to get people to ‘choose’ work instead of ‘live on the dole’, no the other good benefits like Accom Supplement ( i was told by a WINZ drone it is not a ‘benefit), Student Allowances, WFF, Legal Aid……… http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/78333951/some-government-benefits-are-quietly-being-eroded-at-the-expense-of-families
“EROSION OF SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
Student allowance is a fairness mechanism there to help the children of poorer families get a tertiary education.
Whether a student gets it or not depends on their income, and those of their parents.
The parental income levels have been frozen since April 2012, and will not be inflation-adjusted from their current levels until March 2019.
The number of people getting the allowance has fallen from nearly 70,000 in 2011 to about 54,000 in 2015.
The amount paid dropped from $78.8 million to $58.7m. A similar decline happened for student accommodation allowance.”
We need an NZ version of this. Read the whole piece for best effect. An Open Letter To All Supporters Of The TPP
Now, the legislative bodies of twelve Pacific Rim countries are presented with a secretively created trade agreement and encouraged to approve it WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATIONS. This agreement simply builds on and greatly expands the corruptive practices that previous corporate created agreements have had.
It is critical that the media accepts its moral responsibility and honestly inform the public at large of the detailed ramifications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). After all, this is the largest trade deal in history and was created by a cabal of international corporations and bankers who explicitly stated that it was designed to counter the enormous economic influence of China. However, that is a rather narrow expression of what a more complete examination of its underlying objectives reveal.
While continually excluding the public, lobbyist from some of the largest corporations and banks in the world created this agreement. It is designed to maximize profits at the expense of the rest of humanity. Among those who were not invited to be involved in its creation, were representatives of labor organizations, environmentalist, civil rights organizations, international human rights organizations, advocates for an open Internet, the medical community and numerous other groups of similar ilk.
This agreement provides more international protections for these large corporations and financial groups when it comes to intellectual property, patents, trademarks, copyrights, loans, securities and global franchise agreements. At the same time, there are minimal to no protections for workers, small investors, health workers, consumers, the Internet, personal privacy or the environment.
John Gascoigne is good in the Herald today. In particular:
“New Zealanders are told they have a “rock-star economy” and are doing well. But they also experience low wages, almost 6 per cent unemployment, job insecurity, housing unaffordability, crippling student and national debt, homelessness, a metastasising underclass, grotesque inequality, desolate communities and so on. But we are doing well, apparently.”
Agreed saveNZ. I wonder if there is a strategy here directed by Joyce/Crosby Textor to drown out the debate on genuine policies. Some quiet words at BBQ’s and cocktail parties-nothing in writing of course;”keep up the trolling pressure chaps”.
IMO the only way to fight fire is with fire-attack Key at every opportunity. Knock the rapidly disintegrating gloss of his image.
@ gsays
Yeah maybe you are right. Trying to drag Key into the mud never seems to work-Dirty Politics being the best example.
The people will work out he is a duplicitous liar working mostly for his 1% mates….eventually.
My only solace is that his reign will be looked back at negatively by most people, probably even his own side, in the future. He just doesn’t have the vision thing. At all.
Dam you are on to us! Just last week the Crosby Textor drones were out in force delivering instructions to thousands of BBQ’s gatherings all over NZ. Some inside info…just like on mission impossible after the instructions have been read by all it self destructs to stop any vital Intel falling into the hands of left wing spies!!
Seriously guys your comments are surely tongue in check?
Smearing and firing up the DP machine is all they have as the facts, shonky deals, corruption and chooks of their ecomonic incompetance come home to roost.
Only read part of it Sabine, but Trump dissembles like Key does when speaking unscripted. Transcripts show that there are lots of words but little of substance.
Worker Cooperatives Are More Productive Than Normal Companies
Imagine an economy without bosses. It’s not a utopian vision but a growing daily reality for many enterprises. A close analysis of the performance of worker-owned cooperative firms—companies in which workers share in management and ownership—shows that, compared to standard top-down firms, co-ops can be a viable, even superior way of doing business.
The term “co-op” evokes images of collective farming or crunchy craft breweries. But Virginie Perotin of Leeds University Business School synthesized research on “labor-managed firms” in Western Europe, the United States and Latin America, and found that, aside from the holistic social benefits of worker autonomy, giving workers a direct stake in managing production enables a business to operate more effectively. On balance, Perotin concludes, “worker cooperatives are more productive than conventional businesses, with staff working ‘better and smarter’ and production organized more efficiently.”
hi weka,
during the weekend i rewatched ‘the four horsemen of the apocalypse’ (great film).
it touched on how the workplaces (factories and other places of production) were worker owned.
seems absolutely logical.
also an article, highlighted on the standard, about a ubi run in a town in canada.
the findings included how productivity took a lift during this time.
watch the tories diss this as they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
The Kaipara District Council and the Auditor-General have agreed to settle the claim by the Council against the Auditor-General in connection with audit issues identified in the Auditor-General’s report Inquiry into the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme tabled in Parliament in December 2013.
As that Inquiry established, the Council failed to adequately perform its responsibilities to the community in connection with the wastewater scheme. The Council’s claim alleged that the Auditor-General failed to identify these failings in a timely manner and take appropriate steps to bring them to the attention of the Council. The Council alleged that some of the poor decisions made by the Council in this period could have been averted if the Auditor-General’s office had performed its responsibilities appropriately.
In the Inquiry report, the Auditor-General offered an unreserved apology to the Kaipara District community for the failings in some audit work carried out by her office. However, the Auditor-General disputed the Council’s claim for damages arising out of those failings. In particular, the Auditor-General considered that it was the Council that had the responsibility to comply with its statutory obligations, and its failure to do so is not attributable to the Auditor-General’s office.
The parties agreed to participate in a mediation of their dispute conducted by Hon Rodney Hansen QC, a retired High Court Judge. The outcome of that mediation is that the parties have agreed to settle the dispute, without any admission of liability. The sum of $5,375,000 (including GST, if any) will be paid to the Council on behalf of the Auditor-General, and the parties will bear their own costs in the litigation to date. The mediator has confirmed to the parties that, in his opinion, the settlement is a reasonable one for the parties to enter into.
Hope it works, I know people involved on both sides of this story and nobody is looking too flash. I feel sorry for ratepayers in places like Ruawai and Dargaville who will no doubt end up paying for it in the long run.
PROTEST THE PRIVATISATION OF STATE HOUSING IN TAMAKI!
Seen this?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Please join us in protest outside the Tamaki Regeneration Company offices, 244 Apirana Ave Glen Innes this Thursday the 31st March, at 3pm.
This Thursday, the 31st of March, 2,800 state homes are to be transfered to the Tāmaki Housing Association. This affects 2,800 households that will be anticipating eviction, and subsequent demolitions of state housing in Tāmaki in favour of the government’s proposed ‘urban renewal’ promise to build more homes.
Mixed tenure communities is used as a way of socially cleansing low-income communities through a process of state-led gentrification.
The government says that demolishing state houses and building a mixture of private, affordable and social housing will lead to affordable housing.
This is a con, as land values in Glen Innes have increased by more than 100% since the redevelopment. The transfer of homes is not a new idea, it is a continuation of what the privatisation and gentrification of Tāmaki since 2011.
This is a further privatisation of state assets and gentrification of lower socioeconomic areas as in Pomarie, Tauranga and Invercargill.
This is happening all over Aotearoa and is similar to Thatcher’s regime, where council estates were transferred to housing associations which led to privatisation, displacement and homelessness.
This is the first major step in the National government’s privatisation of state housing, and we need to make a stand now or we stand to lose more than just a state asset.
Come and support the Tāmaki Housing Group, and all state housing tenants that are, or soon will be, directly affected by these reforms.
We live in a low wage economy where people are already struggling to pay rent, getting rid of state housing is not a solution to the housing crisis, it only leads to increasing unaffordability.
Everybody is affected by these reforms. Let us resist the state’s neoliberal agenda on a basic human right to for families to have a home to live in.
Obviously not caring if your staff or customers died on site was a bad look.
Now, hopefully, they’ll think twice about continuing their current dispute with the union over rosters. Too much shitty publicity so close together is a bad plan for anyone wanting to keep customers.
“Auckland Council’s membership of a property developer body is “crony capitalism” of the sort pushing Americans to vote for Donald Trump.
So says veteran local politician Mike Lee, who has called for councillors to vote on Thursday to end the association with the Property Council of New Zealand.
The Property Council lobbies central and local government on behalf of property developers. It was a glaring conflict of interest that Auckland Council was also a member, Lee said.
…..”
I agree with Auckland Councillor Mike Lee.
Again – I will be pushing that Auckland Council and all CCOs which are members of the NZ Property Council cease their membership forthwith, when I address the Auckland Council Governing Body (tomorrow) Thursday 31 March 2016, at 9.30am, Auckland Town Hall, in ‘Public Forum.’
If YOU are opposed to the ‘regulator’ / ‘referee’ effectively playing on the same side of one of the ‘teams’ – then come along?
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Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
New Zealand First are celebrating the announcement of an investment of $3.5 million into five new trapping devices. These are a range of bait and trap devices, all designed to be left unattended for long periods of time. NZ First conservation spokesperson Jenny Marcroft says that this latest development will ...
Clayton Mitchell, Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs The ‘wheel clamping’ Bill that will cap clamper fees to $100 passed its third readinginParliament today. New Zealand First welcomes The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill to combat predatory wheel clamping behaviour in what is currently a largely unregulated business. Cowboy clampers are: gouging ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its first reading in Parliament. “Today’s progress takes serious action on the mental health and addiction crisis the country is facing,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Jenny Marcroft. “The re-establishment ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries Today the Government announced the delivery of the promise to protect New Zealand interests by applying a new National Interest Test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. This further strengthening of the Overseas Investment Act will ...
The Coalition Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high-risk assets to overseas buyers. Under current Overseas Investment Act (OIA) rules, assets such as ports and airports, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity and ...
Rt Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Allegations raised this morning by Stuff Limited / Fairfax concern a party matter but I am confident that New Zealand First has operated within electoral laws, now and for the last 27 years. Declarable donations were declared to the Electoral Commission. Our ...
The chairman of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy (UNISCS) working group, Wayne Brown, has hit back at critics of his group’s recommendations to relocate the Ports of Auckland cargo operations to Whangarei’s deepwater port of Northport. The working group's recommendation to close Auckland waterfront to all but cruise ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
The Coalition commitment to add 1800 new Police officers to frontline policing has been achieved with the graduation of 59 constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters say today’s graduation means 1825 new Police have been deployed all ...
Ensuring APEC work gets input from diverse New Zealand business and trade interests is behind three new appointments to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. Rachel Taulelei, Malcolm Johns and Toni Moyes have been appointed to represent New Zealand on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ...
Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa. Thank you for having me to speak today. To start, I’d like to acknowledge Sharron Lloyd, the General Manager of the Trans–Tasman Business Circle, the partners for this event Westpac’s David McLean, and Derek McCormack from AUT, and, of course ...
A four-month investigation by former Environment Court judge Professor Peter Skelton found that Otago’s freshwater planning system is not fit for purpose to manage the region’s rivers, lakes and aquifers and that the Council has inadequate rules for the taking of water and the discharge of nutrients. “Existing planning provisions ...
Introduction Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to speak to an LGNZ meeting since the local elections, and I’m delighted to see the fresh faces of newly elected mayors. To returning mayors here today, as well as chief ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters departs New Zealand today to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nagoya at the invitation of this year’s G20 President, Japan. “This is the first time New Zealand will attend a G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and we are deeply honoured that it is at ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of diplomat Carl Reaich as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the European Union. “The Ambassador to the EU is one of the most important and senior roles in New Zealand’s foreign service, advocating for New Zealand’s interests with the EU institutions,” Mr ...
Innovation and technology are behind five new tools to give nature a helping hand by helping eliminate predators, funded through the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “The new tools will be trialled in ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 2021 (APEC 2021) Bill in Parliament today. The temporary bill supports New Zealand’s security preparations for hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in 2021. “APEC is the leading economic and trade forum ...
The Government is making progress on improving the wellbeing of the one million New Zealanders under the age of 18,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on World Children’s Day. The Government has today recommitted to the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history – the United Nation’s Convention on ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter has released a new report celebrating the contribution of Māori women in business across Aotearoa New Zealand. “Māori women are leaders in our communities, they employ many people and support our economy and our communities,” Julie Anne Genter said. The report, Ngā wāhine kaipakihi: ...
Four parcels of land have been bought in Omokoroa, in the Western Bay of Plenty District, for an education facility that will accommodate both a primary and secondary school on a campus-like facility, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Two parcels were acquired from private land owners and two were ...
1 million New Zealanders warmed by the Winter Energy Payment 36,000 families bank the Best Start Payment in first year 6,000 more families received the Family Tax Credit, 220,600 in total They receive an increase too – from an average of $117 to $157 a week for Inland Revenue clients, ...
New rules to clamp down on overzealous wheel clamping and extortionate fees charged in order to release a vehicle have passed their final stage in Parliament today. The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill has now passed its third reading. “These changes mean $100 will be the maximum wheel clamping ...
An independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is a step closer after it unanimously passed its first vote in Parliament today. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill lays the groundwork for establishing the Commission as a fully independent crown entity – delivering on a key recommendation of He Ara ...
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to screen travellers for border and immigration risks off-shore before they travel to New Zealand. It was launched in August and became mandatory on 1 October 2019. More than 500,000 NZeTAs have been issued since ...
A proposed national plan of action to reduce the number of seabirds caught in fisheries is being circulated for public feedback. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage say New Zealand is a global centre of seabird diversity with about 145 species in our waters. It has more ...
The Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. Associate Finance Minister David Parker said under current Overseas Investment Act rules, assets such as ports and ...
The Government is building special housing to accommodate one of Aotearoa’s greatest taonga- our kaumātua, says the Minister for Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Speaking at a National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference in Rotorua today, the Minister reinforced the importance kaumātua play in maintaining and passing on mātauranga Māori, knowledge, ...
Eleven men from a pilot forestry training programme for prisoners in Northland now have full time jobs or job offers upon release, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis and Forestry Minister Shane Jones announced today. The ‘release to work’ programme was a collaboration between Te Uru Rākau and the Department of Corrections, ...
Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins today introduced into Parliament a Bill that will make it easier for the public service to tackle the biggest challenges facing Governments. The Bill represents the most significant change in the public service in 30 years. The State Sector Act 1988 will be repealed ...
The families of more than 416,000 students will be better off next year as their schools have signed up to the Government’s donations scheme, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. The scheme will see almost $62.5 million in additional Government funding go to schools nationwide next year. “I’m really pleased ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced further support as the Government of Samoa responds to a serious measles outbreak. “New Zealand will deploy a further 18 vaccination nurses, bringing the total to 30 working in Samoa over the next four weeks,” Mr Peters said. “A New Zealand Medical Assistance ...
Fa’atalofa atu, malo e lelei, Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you to the Child Poverty Action Group for asking me to be here today to provide an update on some of the things that have been happening across my the social development portfolio. Can I firstly acknowledge the vast ...
***Please check against delivery*** Good morning everyone. It is a pleasure to be with you this morning to open this year’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Conference and AGM. Firstly, thank you Dr Alan Jackson, NZTR Chair for your introduction. And let us acknowledge also: The NZTR Board; Dean McKenzie, Chair ...
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer and more secure, Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Kris Faafoi has announced today. Both renters and landlords will benefit from the suite of practical changes to the Residential ...
A marine conservation milestone - the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve - is being celebrated today at a community event in Tairāwhiti/East Coast attended by the Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “The creation of this marine reserve in November 1999 was a game ...
The Government is asking the food industry to step up work to tackle obesity including reducing sugar, fat and salt in their products, better information for consumers, and tighter restrictions on advertising to children. Health Minister David Clark and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor have responded to a ...
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter says today’s release of sexual and reproductive health data reinforces the significance of the Government’s commitment to providing free or very low-cost contraception. The Ministry of Health today published statistics from the Ministry of Health’s 2014/15 Health Survey. “It is important people can make ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that at the request of the Samoan Government, New Zealand will be providing further support to Samoa as it faces a worsening measles outbreak. “In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3000 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s government is heading to the end of 2019 amid a debate about its economic judgement and with a number of substantial policy moves started but not completed. Morrison this week delivered to an ...
Newsroom's major investigations into Oranga Tamariki and a Fijian resort development have won us the award for best current affairs programme at the NZ TV awards. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Christoff, Associate Professor, School of Geography, University of Melbourne A new United Nations report shows the world’s major fossil fuel producing countries, including Australia, plan to dig up far more coal, oil and gas than can be burned if the world ...
New Zealand First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters with Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.New Zealand is officially one of the least corrupt countries in the world. But it could be argued that our political system is still biased in favour of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Hamilton, Strategic Advisory Panel Member, Australian-German Energy Transition Hub, University of Melbourne The possibilities presented by hydrogen are the subject of excited discussion across the world – and across Australia’s political divide, notoriously at war over energy policy. Read more: Hydrogen ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.We’re still buzzing after the rip-roaring success of the Corny Christmas party this week and we won’t even let a rogue earwig in the studio dampen our spirits. There’s a lot of exciting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains images and names of deceased people.Review: Linear, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney The value of Australian First Peoples’ scientific ...
Sam Brooks reviews the latest generation of the Pokémon games which finally hits the big-ish screen.“I love Pokémon but I wish I could play it on my TV.”I’ve been playing Pokémon for 20 years and that’s been the main thing I’ve heard from my fellow Pokémon friends/fans. The games have been engrossing, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Minister Stuart Robert this month announced a number of “practical changes” to the scheme. Acknowledging the NDIS is not consistently living up to expectations, he said these improvements will put ...
The trustee of the New Zealand First Foundation and Winston Peters' personal lawyer has threatened a $30 million lawsuit against a National MP, in the latest twist of the donations scandal. ...
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum based in the Asia-Pacific Region. New Zealand will host APEC 2021 in November 2021, with related events running for a year from December 2020 until November 2021. ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Dr Brian Ward of soft-tissue repair company Aroa.Dr Paul Callaghan, who inspired Callaghan ...
Emerging political leaders from 15 Pacific countries and territories will be in New Zealand next week to meet with one and other, and their New Zealand counterparts, to discuss major challenges and opportunities in the Pacific. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Billingsley, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, UNSW The small number of Australians being held in prison camps in northern Syria has been an ongoing, albeit low-level, challenge for the Australian government. There are believed to be eight Australian fighters for ...
Louise Mensch is set to hit New Zealand airwaves this evening. Who is this conspiracy theorist and what could she possibly be saying to Lisa Owen?Who is Louise Mensch?She’s a former Tory MP, founder of the Rupert Murdoch-funded “no safe spaces” website Heat Street, a romance novelist, and a conspiracy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis McNevin, Professor of Forensic Genetics, University of Technology Sydney Designer baby, anyone? A New Jersey startup company, Genomic Prediction, might be able to help you. Genomic Prediction claims to be able to use DNA testing to predict disease risk in an ...
Marion McLeod revels in the return of Olive Kitteridge, the compassionate curmudgeon who won Elizabeth Strout a Pulitzer Prize. It’s the year of the sequel: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Toy Story 4, Rambo 5 … Do movies ever make it to double figures? Books and miniseries certainly do. Genre ...
National is questioning those in charge of the Provincial Growth Fund after it was revealed a NZ First-linked forestry company made an application to the fund, headed by NZ First MP Shane Jones. ...
James Borrowdale spent the last cricket season examining Neil Wagner and his unique approach to bowling. Today, in the first test of the Black Caps’ summer, Wagner returns.Neil Wagner has a wicket. He freezes mid-pitch, fists clenched at his side, knees slightly bent, a roar on his lips. His brows ...
A record volume of resales of units in its retirement villages has boosted Ryman's first half profit with the second half expected to be stronger than the first, the company says. ...
The main problem with HIV today is stigma – and it is almost entirely based on outdated information and fear, says Mark Fisher of HIV+ support organisation Body Positive ahead of the World AIDS Day Festival which opens in Auckland tomorrow.A person living with HIV on effective treatment cannot pass ...
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is hoping floating platforms will help to keep the chicks of a central Christchurch colony of critically endangered tarāpuka/black-billed gulls from drowning this breeding season. ...
The Foundation Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR) is a newly formed NZ-based independent Muslim human rights advocacy organisation. One of the key projects of FAIR is to provide a Report Islamophobia ( http://report.islamophobia. ) portal where ...
The Royal Commission held its fourth hui with the Muslim Community Reference Group in Christchurch this month as part of an ongoing discussion with Muslim communities. ...
The Spinoff presents the premiere of buzzed-about Auckland post-punk band Daffodils’ new music video ‘Boys’.Theo Spike Salmon says:I wrote ‘Boys’ two years ago, around the end of high school. We’ve revised stuff, and played around with slightly different structuring, but it’s honestly not changed much at all. When I wrote ...
A Waikato stud owner Garry Chittick reveals as a New Zealand First donor says he doesn't care how the money got to the party, as long as it was used to benefit it. ...
In the wake of Wellington City Councillors voting for a 28 per cent increase in their base salaries , the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning Iona Pannett’s decision to take a second salary. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams ...
For nearly six years, Laura Giddey has been a permanent house sitter in Auckland. Here, she explains why she does it and how it’s changed her life for the better. It all began in December 2013. I had a friend whose husband was in the navy and was going away for ...
A Waikato stud owner revealed as a New Zealand First donor says he doesn't care how the money got there, as long as it was used to benefit the party. ...
The Point of Order Trough Monitor, programmed to alert us to ministerial handouts, nevertheless sounded the alarm when the latest Provincial Growth Fund spending was announced by a politician further down in the pecking order. Accordingly we have learned that the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has allocated $3.5 million to develop ...
Fonterra’s farmer shareholders might have been stung by pangs of envy as they looked into the next paddock, and discovered how another company in the same industry is racking up huge revenue gains from the same markets in which their co-op is competing. But A2 Milk, a company founded in ...
In the 1970s, agriculture made the largest single contribution to New Zealand’s economy, but other industries, especially services, have become more dominant in recent years, Stats NZ said today. ...
Government finance statistics (general government) gives an economic representation of New Zealand's central and local government financial activity. ...
The government should look at an unemployment insurance scheme and add new benefits to help support people who lose their jobs, the Productivity Commission suggests. ...
Today Hāpai Te Hauora’s Māori Public Health Team launches "Tobacco is Not Our whakapapa" a series of video clips which seeks to re-center whakapapa in the narrative of tobacco harm minimisation. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.NZ First Matt Shand (Stuff): Who are the donors behind the NZ First Foundation? Matt ...
A leaked email from prominent share broking firm Forsyth Barr perpetuates a tediously old-fashioned idea of the way people think – and it isn’t even salvaged by wit or originality, writes business editor Maria Slade.Investment manager Forsyth Barr’s daily market commentary came with a seasonal extra on November 1. Atop ...
Newly released documents reveal Cabinet considered whether immigrants should be forced to take their elderly parents with them if they leave the country. ...
More than 640 letters in parcels filled with nonrecyclable single-use plastics have been mailed to MPs in Parliament via freepost since the plastic2parliament initiative started in mid-October. Another 125 plastic-stuffed letters were directed to National ...
Agrochemical company Ravensdown is risking potentially disruptive direct action by refusing to allow port workers to register their protest at the importing of Blood Phosphate from the Western Sahara, says the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU). ...
A few days ago, Fanimals announced it would not be returning for another season. Emily Writes, and her kids, are heartbroken.On my list of things I might write about one day it simply said ‘Fanimals’ sandwiched between ‘How old is BeckBroJack?’ and ‘Is Peter Krause the most dad-like dad on television?’I ...
Family First says that the trend to extend daycare times, and its role to be virtually de facto parents, is concerning, ignores the real needs of children, and reinforces the need for more support to be given to parents with young children. “Babies are ...
Donors to NZ First’s slush fund believed they were making political donations to the party itself in accordance with the law – especially as an NZ First MP organised some of the donations. ...
When the current coalition government was formed, there was some comment that this was perhaps New Zealand First's last chance at political redemption. The party's two previous stints in government had failed to last three years. The 1996-98 coalition ...
Newly released documents reveal the cabinet considered whether immigrants should be forced to take their elderly parents with them if they leave the country. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gavin Rowell, Associate Professor in High Energy Astrophyics, University of Adelaide The brightest fireworks in the universe are called gamma-ray bursts and are created by the death throes of certain kinds of stars. These intense blasts release as much energy in one ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McPhee, Emeritus professor, University of Melbourne We live in a world of violent challenges to the status quo, from Chile and Iraq to Hong Kong, Catalonia and the Extinction Rebellion. These protests are usually presented in the media simply as expressions ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Sadler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne A career in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), or the armed forces in any country, can be rewarding, but also demanding. Challenges include the rigorous training, frequent moves, and maintaining social connections. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aniko Blanka Toth, Postdoctoral Fellow, Macquarie University As the world grapples with an extinction crisis, our large mammals are among the most endangered. These threatened species – rhinos, pandas, tigers, polar bears and the like – greatly influence their ecosystems. So what ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Nickl, Lecturer in International Comparative Literature and Translation Studies, University of Sydney In September, the Fair Work commission rejected an unfair dismissal claim by a BP worker who made a Downfall video meme about his boss. Fair Work called it “inappropriate ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Dozens of electorates will have boundary changes, Zespri launches legal action over special kiwifruit, and more tumbles out of NZ First Foundation.Dozens of electorates will see their boundaries change, and a whole new electorate will be created in Auckland, if ...
On a farm near Rotorua, breeding rams are having their methane-laced burps measured - so the next generation of lambs can be bred from climate-friendlier fathers. ...
Back from a freak injury, White Ferns quick bowler Lea Tahuhu continues to make the most of her "gift" as the world's fastest woman with a cricket ball ...
NZ phone companies and the government are setting up a system that will identify scam callers within hours and, they hope, stop them in their tracks, the Spinoff can reveal.We’ve all received them. The calls from strange corners of the world at odd times of the day. After I made ...
The process to appoint Steve Hansen looks increasingly like a farce as quality candidate after quality candidate rule themselves out. Was it all preordained, asks Jamie Wall.For an awful lot of 2019, I was one of the select few that sat in a room with Steve Hansen several times a ...
News that one big publisher wants to buy the other, giving the state a Kiwishare to avoid regulatory objections, complicates a media crisis the government hasn't yet addressed. ...
Open mike 30/03/2016 
Open mike is your post.
Apparently, some people enjoy washing their cars. Each to his or her own, I suppose. I mean, some people like duck shooting, some people follow Coronation Street, and some people’s idea of a good day out is to sit on a grass bank at Seddon Park and watch cricket all ...9 hours ago
Last week we learned that New Zealand First had apparently tried to enrich itself from public office, with a dodgy forestry company linked to a number of NZ First figures sticking its hand out repeatedly for government money. Today in Question Time Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had his ...10 hours ago
20 hours ago
The Council of Disobedient Women has learned that the Prefect of Aro Valley has been promoted to a new role with the blessing of the Pope of Wellington. Softy Jejune Parson has been appointed Mother Superior of Woke Wellington for the work she has been doing calling out heretics, ...1 day ago
On both sides of the Atlantic, some purportedly “contentious” and “difficult to deal with” leadership contenders to lead the US and UK, as President and Prime Minister respectively, seem to have thrown a few spanners into the works of the normal messaging most are used to hearing constantly. Except they’re ...1 day ago
It has been revealed that firing ranges used by the NZDF while deployed to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, contained unexploded ordnance that caused numerous deaths and injuries after the NZDF withdrew the PRT in April 2013. In 2014 seven children were killed when an unidentified ...2 days ago
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Initially it was reported that in an aerial bombardment that took place on August 30th seven children were massacred; the figure then went up to eight and then on November 11th Noticias Uno reported that, according to people from the community in close proximity to the ...3 days ago
MediaWorks announced in October 2019 that it intended to sell off its struggling television business and cancel or cut back on several popular local programmes, including New Zealand Today, Married at First Sight New Zealand and 7 Days. Its radio and outdoor advertising arms are currently performing well, but MediaWorks’ ...4 days ago
There is an article in The Conversation, written by Jeremy P. Shapiro (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University), about what he sees as the psychologically-based underpinnings of three main matters that seem to vex people all around the planet. The article is titled “The Thinking ...5 days ago
. . Blogger Martyn Bradbury has won his case against unreasonable search and surveillance against the NZ Police; and subsequent Police attempts to produce evidence in secrecy, in a closed Court. His case highlights a disturbing growing trend in Aotearoa New Zealand for State power to be used against ...6 days ago
by The Council of Disobedient Women In her excellent oral submission to the Abortion reform select committee on 31st October on behalf of Otago University’s Department of Public Health, historian and public health researcher Hera Cook stated: “We would ask that the committee not use the term ‘pregnant persons’ and ...1 week ago
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ... 2 weeks ago
New Zealand First are celebrating the announcement of an investment of $3.5 million into five new trapping devices. These are a range of bait and trap devices, all designed to be left unattended for long periods of time. NZ First conservation spokesperson Jenny Marcroft says that this latest development will ...13 hours ago
We're setting our young people up for success, investing in education around the country. ...4 days ago
The Coalition commitment to add 1800 new Police officers to frontline policing has been achieved with the graduation of 59 constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters say today’s graduation means 1825 new Police have been deployed all ...8 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s government is heading to the end of 2019 amid a debate about its economic judgement and with a number of substantial policy moves started but not completed. Morrison this week delivered to an ...3 hours ago
Newsroom's major investigations into Oranga Tamariki and a Fijian resort development have won us the award for best current affairs programme at the NZ TV awards. ...5 hours ago
After days of tricky questions about the NZ First Foundation, the PM and her deputy have earned a respite - but not for long. ...7 hours ago
Former director general of health says the Government needs to prioritise digitising the healthcare system. ...8 hours ago
Sam Brooks reviews the latest generation of the Pokémon games which finally hits the big-ish screen.“I love Pokémon but I wish I could play it on my TV.”I’ve been playing Pokémon for 20 years and that’s been the main thing I’ve heard from my fellow Pokémon friends/fans. The games have been engrossing, ...9 hours ago
The trustee of the New Zealand First Foundation and Winston Peters' personal lawyer has threatened a $30 million lawsuit against a National MP, in the latest twist of the donations scandal. ...9 hours ago
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum based in the Asia-Pacific Region. New Zealand will host APEC 2021 in November 2021, with related events running for a year from December 2020 until November 2021. ...10 hours ago
Rarely does a troubled stock market float tell us so much about the world. ...10 hours ago
A record volume of resales of units in its retirement villages has boosted Ryman's first half profit with the second half expected to be stronger than the first, the company says. ...11 hours ago
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‘The government has no plans to sell New Zealand Post despite the company continuing to struggle with fewer postal deliveries, Finance Minister Bill English says.’
Yeah, right.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/300139/struggling-nz-post-won't-be-sold-english
No, NZ post won’t be sold – the postal services are not worth anything. Kiwibank will be split and that will be sold. English could make no comment on Kiwibank being split off from NZ Post. The only reason to split would be to sell off the profitable part (Kiwibank)
Here we go ! Definitive suggestion the govt will sell Kiwibank.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?id=466&objectid=11614062dann
Business editor of the NZ Herald Liam Dann: Time to sell Kiwibank and NZ Post
4:17 PM Wednesday Mar 30, 2016
Hooton bathes in his own celebrity. Hmm let me guess who his main client is these days?
Probably deals in milk powder, swamp kauri and bottled water. Just happens to have a wife who is a power hungry Minister who is not adverse to knocking over rivals.
Little is not that much of an idiot Matthew to call you out. Tickets please…tickets please…clipping tickets for a price!
“Some of which are highly paid PR consultants I might add.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11613354
It is a disgrace that RNZ give this spin merchant a platform to dissemble each week.
They also give someone from the left the same opportunity. At least Mr Hooton criticisms his own side (often very vigorously). The current representative from the left seems to just be an apologist for everything Labour does.
Wonder why a pseudo-left winger like Pagani didn’t get the spot
“They also give someone from the left the same opportunity. At least Mr Hooton criticisms his own side (often very vigorously). The current representative from the left seems to just be an apologist for everything Labour does.”
Poor Gosman. He can’t tell the difference between a coherent argument that can be debated and a line of PR that is designed to manipulate the listener towards a certain bias. Or maybe he can 😉
Some would say Hooton works to keep Collins at the top of the peaking order of Natcorp. It is in her best interests to crack Key every now and then. Bennett is Key’s pet so trimming her up also serves Collins.
Clean green New Zealand.
Yeah, right.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/300174/'it's-just-destroyed-our-entire-summer‘
The big question there is: Why did the sluice gates break?
I suspect that the answer is lack of maintenance.
Same reason the Napier to Gisborne railway line has been mothballed. Lack of maintenance which caused a culvert washout during a storm.
And we’re seeing this lack of maintenance around the world. US engineers estimate that the US infrastructure needs trillions of dollars spent on it. Political response? Cut taxes on the rich and cut social spending including spending on infrastructure.
Makes me wonder just how bad NZs infrastructure is because we’ve been doing exactly the same for the last 30 years.
What’s missing?
http://www.labour.org.nz/
http://www.labour.org.nz/diary_spy_160324
Just listened to Andrew Little being interviewed on Morning Report regarding his views on politicians being attacked on social media. It was so bad I felt sorry for him. Why did he try and make a political point on this topic?
A barking dog and passing cars comes to mind.
Just read Gosman shitstirring on The Standard this morning regarding his feelings about politicians being political. It was so pathetic I felt sorry for him. Why did he try and make an astroturfing point out of this topic?
Is there a website where we can see copies of all the flags submitted for consideration? Failing that, the shortlisted flags before the “expert kiwis” rejected them. Also, we know how the politicians voted but has anyone asked the “panel” how they voted? Wonder if any of them still preferred the original.
Here are all 172 pages of submissions, the pencil & crayon drawn ones have the most charm for me. There’s a link on to the longlist of 40.
https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/gallery/?sort=random
there are a few really good designs amongst them.
But frankly i hope to never ever have to see a design from that Lockwood dude. He had way to many entries. Maybe they should have just limited it to one entry per person, and we would have gotten a bit more choice.
In saying that….Hypno Flag and Laser Kiwi….t’would have been a hard choice.
All five of the Lockwood designs in the top 40 were the same thing in different colours (one of them had previously won a Devonport design a flag competition, but couldn’t say which). The peculiar thing is just how based around the fern they were, considering that he can’t draw a fern for sour apples. Sven Baker also had four different designs in the longlist, but at least they were all different (5 different kinds of repulsive). Any future flag design panel should have a one finalist per designer rule (some designers and vexillogists would help too).
Personally, I liked Frizell’s black&green Manawa design, but the black jack was good too:
https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/gallery/
lets not speak about this….erosion of benefits – no not the bludger benefits like unemployment benefits or single parent benefits – they obviously need to be as low as possible to get people to ‘choose’ work instead of ‘live on the dole’, no the other good benefits like Accom Supplement ( i was told by a WINZ drone it is not a ‘benefit), Student Allowances, WFF, Legal Aid………
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/78333951/some-government-benefits-are-quietly-being-eroded-at-the-expense-of-families
“EROSION OF SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
Student allowance is a fairness mechanism there to help the children of poorer families get a tertiary education.
Whether a student gets it or not depends on their income, and those of their parents.
The parental income levels have been frozen since April 2012, and will not be inflation-adjusted from their current levels until March 2019.
The number of people getting the allowance has fallen from nearly 70,000 in 2011 to about 54,000 in 2015.
The amount paid dropped from $78.8 million to $58.7m. A similar decline happened for student accommodation allowance.”
Raped by the state
We need an NZ version of this. Read the whole piece for best effect.
An Open Letter To All Supporters Of The TPP
http://www.opednews.com/articles/An-Open-Letter-To-All-Supp-by-Terry-Sneller-Tpp-Trans-pacific-Partnership-160328-458.html
+1 Tautoko Mangō Mata
This is a few days old now, but new to me. Even if someone has already linked to it, it does deserve viewing:
“…changes in this space”
“what space?”
“the space where the news used to be”
shit, he’s frighteningly incisive…and funny
John Gascoigne is good in the Herald today. In particular:
“New Zealanders are told they have a “rock-star economy” and are doing well. But they also experience low wages, almost 6 per cent unemployment, job insecurity, housing unaffordability, crippling student and national debt, homelessness, a metastasising underclass, grotesque inequality, desolate communities and so on. But we are doing well, apparently.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11613468
Gosh there is a lot of right wing Troll activity on the blogs at the moment as well as attacks on Little.
I think the polls might be looking shaky for the Natz.
Agreed saveNZ. I wonder if there is a strategy here directed by Joyce/Crosby Textor to drown out the debate on genuine policies. Some quiet words at BBQ’s and cocktail parties-nothing in writing of course;”keep up the trolling pressure chaps”.
IMO the only way to fight fire is with fire-attack Key at every opportunity. Knock the rapidly disintegrating gloss of his image.
or articulate an attractive alternative vision.
ubi, cleaned up waterways, a diversified economy, chase up the foreign fat cats and make them pay their fair share…
and leave the tories to their unattractive sniping.
remember when you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty. only the pig enjoys it.
@ gsays
Yeah maybe you are right. Trying to drag Key into the mud never seems to work-Dirty Politics being the best example.
The people will work out he is a duplicitous liar working mostly for his 1% mates….eventually.
My only solace is that his reign will be looked back at negatively by most people, probably even his own side, in the future. He just doesn’t have the vision thing. At all.
Dam you are on to us! Just last week the Crosby Textor drones were out in force delivering instructions to thousands of BBQ’s gatherings all over NZ. Some inside info…just like on mission impossible after the instructions have been read by all it self destructs to stop any vital Intel falling into the hands of left wing spies!!
Seriously guys your comments are surely tongue in check?
Smearing and firing up the DP machine is all they have as the facts, shonky deals, corruption and chooks of their ecomonic incompetance come home to roost.
Interesting read on D. Trump Presnit to be and his foreign policy. Go read it, you know you want to 🙂
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/us/politics/donald-trump-transcript.html?_r=0
Only read part of it Sabine, but Trump dissembles like Key does when speaking unscripted. Transcripts show that there are lots of words but little of substance.
Worker Cooperatives Are More Productive Than Normal Companies
http://www.thenation.com/article/worker-cooperatives-are-more-productive-than-normal-companies/
hi weka,
during the weekend i rewatched ‘the four horsemen of the apocalypse’ (great film).
it touched on how the workplaces (factories and other places of production) were worker owned.
seems absolutely logical.
also an article, highlighted on the standard, about a ubi run in a town in canada.
the findings included how productivity took a lift during this time.
watch the tories diss this as they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Kaipara District Council claim settled
http://oag.govt.nz/media/2016/kaipara-settlement
Hope it works, I know people involved on both sides of this story and nobody is looking too flash. I feel sorry for ratepayers in places like Ruawai and Dargaville who will no doubt end up paying for it in the long run.
PROTEST THE PRIVATISATION OF STATE HOUSING IN TAMAKI!
Seen this?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Please join us in protest outside the Tamaki Regeneration Company offices, 244 Apirana Ave Glen Innes this Thursday the 31st March, at 3pm.
This Thursday, the 31st of March, 2,800 state homes are to be transfered to the Tāmaki Housing Association. This affects 2,800 households that will be anticipating eviction, and subsequent demolitions of state housing in Tāmaki in favour of the government’s proposed ‘urban renewal’ promise to build more homes.
Mixed tenure communities is used as a way of socially cleansing low-income communities through a process of state-led gentrification.
The government says that demolishing state houses and building a mixture of private, affordable and social housing will lead to affordable housing.
This is a con, as land values in Glen Innes have increased by more than 100% since the redevelopment. The transfer of homes is not a new idea, it is a continuation of what the privatisation and gentrification of Tāmaki since 2011.
This is a further privatisation of state assets and gentrification of lower socioeconomic areas as in Pomarie, Tauranga and Invercargill.
This is happening all over Aotearoa and is similar to Thatcher’s regime, where council estates were transferred to housing associations which led to privatisation, displacement and homelessness.
This is the first major step in the National government’s privatisation of state housing, and we need to make a stand now or we stand to lose more than just a state asset.
Come and support the Tāmaki Housing Group, and all state housing tenants that are, or soon will be, directly affected by these reforms.
We live in a low wage economy where people are already struggling to pay rent, getting rid of state housing is not a solution to the housing crisis, it only leads to increasing unaffordability.
Everybody is affected by these reforms. Let us resist the state’s neoliberal agenda on a basic human right to for families to have a home to live in.
Please join us in protest outside the Tamaki Regeneration Company offices, 244 Apirana Ave Glen Innes this Thursday the 31st March, at 3pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1695882720676368/
Ngā mihi,
Tāmaki Housing Group
+100 Penny
Yawn, protest over load
Crosstalk discussion /debate:
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/337391-terror-attacks-nato-ukraine/
“Why can’t Europe protect itself from terror attacks – does Brussels have misplaced priorities?
Also, Russia as universal bogeyman – when the US and the EU stare failure in the face blaming Russia is the first excuse of convenience.
And is Trump on to something – should there be a serious re-think about the necessity of NATO?
And finally Ukraine again – Crimea’s democratic return to Russia two years on….
CrossTalking with Patrick Henningsen, Dmitry Babich and Xavier Moreau.
Bunnings back down on store defibrillators.
Obviously not caring if your staff or customers died on site was a bad look.
Now, hopefully, they’ll think twice about continuing their current dispute with the union over rosters. Too much shitty publicity so close together is a bad plan for anyone wanting to keep customers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/78339440/council-belonging-to-developer-body-is-conflict-of-interest-lee-says
“Auckland Council’s membership of a property developer body is “crony capitalism” of the sort pushing Americans to vote for Donald Trump.
So says veteran local politician Mike Lee, who has called for councillors to vote on Thursday to end the association with the Property Council of New Zealand.
The Property Council lobbies central and local government on behalf of property developers. It was a glaring conflict of interest that Auckland Council was also a member, Lee said.
…..”
I agree with Auckland Councillor Mike Lee.
Again – I will be pushing that Auckland Council and all CCOs which are members of the NZ Property Council cease their membership forthwith, when I address the Auckland Council Governing Body (tomorrow) Thursday 31 March 2016, at 9.30am, Auckland Town Hall, in ‘Public Forum.’
If YOU are opposed to the ‘regulator’ / ‘referee’ effectively playing on the same side of one of the ‘teams’ – then come along?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption Public Watchdog’
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
https://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/what-can-we-do-to-help-achieve-peace-justice-for-palestine/conference-on-palestine-poster-akl-02-ft/