A very good post on the Green Party website by Meteiria Turei condemning the government for pimping out our beautiful coastal environment to the highest bidder.
The Green Party is condemning the Government for announcing the tender process today for new permits to conduct exploratory deep sea drilling in New Zealand waters off the west coast of the North Island and the east coast of the South Island. Much of the area is in deep water.
“The Government is putting the economic interests of the oil companies over the environmental values of the people of New Zealand,”
“The Government’s argument of an economic boon are rubbish. There is little evidence that there would be many jobs from these deep sea rigs and they put at risk the local economies if there is a spill.
“With deep sea drilling the Government is pursuing a failed economic agenda that runs totally counter to our real economic advantages and opportunities.”
Metiria Turei
To have any meaning words need to be backed up with actions.
The Green Party if they choose, could stop deep sea oil drilling now.
A united opposition stand in parliament against deep sea oil exploration and drilling would have the effect of killing off the oil company investors enthusiasm to take up the current government’s offer.
This is the time for the Green Party to put in a serious real world effort to win the Labour Party over to oppose deep sea oil drilling.
To back up her words Meteiria Turei needs to take immediate action in the house, with a Green Party private member’s bill calling for a moratorium on all deep sea oil and gas drilling. And seriously lobby the Labour Party to back it.
This needs to be dealt with now. Not in the closed, heated, hot house environment of rushed coalition talks held behind closed doors following an election.
If the Green Party Bill is drawn from the ballot and the Labour Party refuse to support it and instead choose to stand with the Nats, instead of their future coalition partner, then the respective parties will know where they all stand, and will be able to make their future coalition decisions based on that.
Likewise the voting public will know where to place an informed vote, instead of being kept in the dark and crossing their fingers as they vote, hoping that it works out.
If on the other hand……
The Labour Party do agree to back the Green Party private members bill to turn it into an opposition members bill to banish deep sea oil drilling from our economic zone then this as well as driving investors off, would set the strong foundations for a principled coalition that will stand the test of time.
Mark my words
For the Green Party to ignore this major policy difference between the two major opposition parties at this time and place and leave it for later, will be a major tactical error that will see Turiana’s good words being turned into empty rhetoric in the name of pragmatism and under the pressure of “real politik”, to be left on the cutting room floor, during future coalition talks, to the disappointment of Green Party members and supporters.
Trouble about the jobs burble. They are temporary construction stuff and when done they are gone and the new ones arising are fewer and may not be available to locals, but the often tenuous economy of the surrounding towns has changed and life is more difficult, houses dearer etc and still not many jobs.
So Auckland Council wants to consult with Aucklanders about our transport future. There is a significant funding hole if all important projects are proceeded with.
There needs to be a debate about how these projects are funded and it is proper to put the evidence in front of the people and ask them for their view.
So what does the Government do? It effectively sabotages the consultation on day one by ruling out most of the possible funding mechanisms.
Why can’t it wait for the evidence to be properly analysed and for the people to speak? What is it afraid of?
Sometimes I am so glad I live in Levin, No traffic Jams, (No Car) cheap rents, can get everywhere by bike. Yep no jobs I know, also no 2 hour stress fest morning and night either.
But it’s also way safer to bring up my 2 year old, very few cars. But I do know one thing my Blood pressure has gone down since I left the Capital, and it’s rat race. But my littley does keep it bouncing now he can climb.
It’s a damn site better than what was offered before and all under the same roof. and it will be good when it’s all finished. Oh well I seem to work when Labour is in power, and am on the dole when the Nats get in, and fuck up the economy again.
Yes David H. We too in Marlborough have all those that you have (but so far we have only roundabouts- no traffic lights where you have 2 sets.) I am bemused that so many people choose to live in big cities! They seem to have so much against making their lives enjoyable. I don’t get it.
Some of us were born in cities, and have our roots there. It’s also where the jobs are. There are also many other exciting benefits to living in cities, if they were organised for the benefit of all, and not dominated by the wealthiest of the propertied classes.
Hah! Worked and studied in that area back in the 80s and early 90s – cycled many times between Newcross, Walthamstow and Stockwell – sometimes doing a whole round trip to those areas on the same day, and into the evening. Cycling seemed relatively safe back then too.
I know being London born and bred. Now there’s a city full of history, I used to go to all the Museums (Not fussed on the stately homes) Growing up in South east London in the 60’s was fun working down the Markets at Deptford. I think we got out at the right time 1969.
Well Karol I was born in Sydenham in a hovel owned bybthe Duke of Westminster ,
We were hard up,but happy Then along came Hitler who seemed to have grudge for me bombing us out three times . 3 new places in 6 years finished up in a flat above The shops in Lordship Lane in Dulwich , Then served my apprenticeship in Newmarket . later on moved to Epsom and courted my wife who lived in the East End by biking from Epsom 3 or 4 nights a week . Married and lived in the country ever since ,60m years inFeb.
Used to stop for pie at a pie stall in New Cross on the way back .
Were you born within the sound of Bow Bells Pink Postman? My father was… although his family shifted soon afterwards. He loved telling Kiwis he was a Cockney even though he had no Cockney accent. As a child I never tired of listening to the stories and songs of old London. Seen the Julie Andrews film ‘Mary Poppins’ half a dozen times.
Damn, you’ve seen some changes, TPP. Epsom to the East End is a long commute by bike.
I remember hearing some of the Blitz stories when I lived in London. 60 years married! Congratulations – a full, productive and interesting life so far.
Hi Pink Postman Like to hear others tales about where they come from. You mentioned New Cross I used to go to New Cross as that was where Millwall had there football ground. Great childhood days prior to the Thatcher shit with a lot of care by the so called “lower” classes. I remember as a kid the grown ups putting their hands on the wall of the exit stairs forming a tunnel so all us kids could get out safely. just like today eh. I think it would do good for some of these right wing prats to live in that type of community, it might teach them that there is more to life than screwing everybody for a dollar.
And the Winkle stall, with the Jellied eels, and Pie and Mushy Peas. Ahhh theMemories
My stepfather ran the Centurian public house in Deptford, A 3 story edifice Well to a 11 year old it was, with lots of rooms to play in, and the roof to sit, and get soaked in the Thunderstorms.
David H
Your remark about roundabouts triggered a thought I’ve had for a while. Courtesy on the roads – could be a great facilitator for better conditions and less accidents.
And one thing would be that at roundabouts a driver should slow a little say 10km or change down, which gives time for other traffic to enter or pass safely. The extra seconds provided by just a more deliberate approach to a roundabout, give way etc. would allow other traffic to go. Instead people often maintain a 50 kmh speed up to and through, and hardly seem aware of others around them. Get them up in a high 4WD and they’re like royalty in a world of their own.
In my experience the practices of (mainly Auckland) drivers are puzzling. When there are road works, with signs showing the stretch of road has a 30 or 40 kph speed limit, I seem to be one of the few drivers that actually slow down. And I usually feel pressured by other drivers to go faster.
Usually there are clear reasons why there is a temporarily low speed limit – workers working near to the stream of traffic, uneven road surface, narrowed road with little space for diverging in case of a collision, etc.
Ditto for people slowing down when approaching a pedestrian crossing. Some drivers seem to have no respect for anyone else, just an attitude of getting to their destination as fast as possible. Why the constant need for so much haste?
I thought I was the only one who actually slows down to 30.
Pisses me right off seeing people ignore those signs. I don’t mind that they aren’t concerned for their own safety, but they could give a thought to the people working within feet of their hurtling block of steel.
My apologies for spelling your name wrong. My arthritis does not get my fingers on the right keys at times, and I find this site a shit to edit.
Regards
karol
Is the behaviour we mostly display as drivers an indication of national character? Some people are unwilling to limit or control themselves for their, and others, safety.
That can be applied to more situations than that of driving too.
Drivers seem to be very self-centred – who lifts a hand for a thank-you gesture to a car that makes way for you when not legally obliged, who gives a couple of short toots to a large vehicle that moves over to let you past etc. I usually do, but don’t notice many others though it used to be common in my younger days. (I’m probably thinking prior to 1984 when we were sprayed and saturated with the propaganda of – ‘There is no such thing as society.’)
CHH may be looking for temps, if its any help. It’s not the busy season yet, but they do have a regular turnover in the casual pool. Reasonably well paid, unionised site. They use the temp pool to assess whether to hire workers as permanents, so it might be a foot in the door for you or other family members who are looking for a long term job.
And if you can ever get a start at Graphic Press, you’ve won the job lottery! One of the most amazing worksites I’ve ever been in, with a genuine commitment to profit sharing and total respect for their workers. Lovely place.
30G is just stingy, the rent seeker in our elites just can’t seem to understand, their greed is a corruption of our economic health, and we’d all be richer should they remove the private tax shackles evident in all areas of our economy. In order for them to get rich, they need to leverage their existing capital to multipliers of what is sensible, and to maintain their solvency they need mum and dad nz to pay the interest on the debt. Its wrong, its extortion, its bad economics.
Broadband will open up small town NZ with huge opportunities to have the lifestyle and the means to sustain it. Well it would if the rent seekers weren’t so stingy with 30G a month.
Thanks, micky. I have been thinking of doing another Auckland post, particularly on how the NZ herald is blatantly opposed to the Auckland Unitary Plan. Just too many things happening right now.
But the Auckland Transport Blog has done some very good posts on the NZ Herald’s blatant bias against the AUP and the City Central Rail Loop – so many NZH articles opposed to the AUP that it is looking like a concerted campaign.
It is interesting Karol that out west the Unitary Plan is not raising anything like the sort of opposition that central and north Auckland is showing.
I believe it is because locally we have been talking about intensification around Henderson and New Lynn and in a smaller way around Glen Eden for the past decade as well as at the same time trying to preserve the Waitakere Ranges by holding the MUL in place. The area is already developing the way that the rest of the city will hopefully.
The alternative of uncontrolled urban sprawl is too awful to comprehend. You just have to think about the problems associated with uncontrolled sprawl with a lack of community infrastructure to realise how stupid this is.
We should have learned about this from suburbs such as Kelston, Otara, Managere, Flat Bush, Birkdale etc where they basically plonked a whole lot of houses in with no cultural centre. These areas are full of good people but they are handicapped because they are just a collection of roads and houses and have not social centre.
Surely we should have learned from the experience.
Why does there need to be a debate – Just issue the funds required, at close to zero %, for the key transport programmes to go ahead, get it done!
This continued nonsense of *manufactured scarcity*, and having to raise steal the funds, by borrowing and/or picking the pokets of Aucklanders, even further!
Only debate needs to be , which projects to get moving first!
The Wellington mandarin’s and the Agri lobby block do not want Auckland to have an dffective tax raising power. And they collectively manipulate Smith et al.
Why stop Auckland have an effective tax base and control over its destiny?
It looks like it will be controlled by leftish people for the foreseeable future.
It is not controlled by big business.
It owes no allegiances to the primary industries sector.
Yup, scot free for Hotchin/Watson etc not even any corporate breach charges on care of duty issues against boys club members like Muir. Wish I could’ve laid odds at the TAB on it, a shoe in.
This is one reason why we can’t attract foreign investment, no effective policing of the cowboys club. The SFO is a F’n joke just the way neo lib’s like it while they PPP up more incarceration capacity for the masses.
However foreign investors will line up for the family silverware such as MRP etc.
The questions in the poll said: “The Government Communications Securities Bureau the GCSB is responsible for defending New Zealand against an increasing number of cyber attacks, but it’s been caught up in controversy, including potentially illegal spying on 88 people including New Zealand citizens and residents. Can our GCSB spies be trusted to act in the best interests of New Zealanders?”
There is a load of bias in the lead up to the question. And the question should really be about the spy boss and the role of the PM in providing oversight, not the spy-workers who are most likely following orders or set parameters for their activities.
On Backbenches last week that horrible little turd Jamie Lee Ross once again repeated his favourite trite Thatcherism about how “the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money to spend”.
Apparently he’s too thick to notice that the slogan implies that the people who oppose socialism are the ones who want to spend other people’s money.
Repeating such pure cliché, is the sign of a very ill-informed individual, who was *selected* for his ability to bend over, and to repeat the messages he has been brainwashed into believing!
As felix points out, very thick, but a supporter of evil none the less!
Listening to the news this a.m. First Hanover – after lengthy examination there isn’t enough evidence to hang a criminal case on. Shouldn’t tricksters and negligent and deliberately ignorant businesspeople have a lifetime ban or near, on running any business that involves providing finance! They could open a garage and repair cars, or buy a property and farm, but keep them away from being directors or owners of any other company where they can carpet the floor with NZ’s venture capital and retirement savings.
And second. The politicians have been treated like businesses, limited liability entities. If they couldn’t just step out of the spotlight and into some well-paid job and vanish from sight, leaving their detritus behind them for the people, they might think twice. If John Key and his band of degenerates think they are going to open us up to deep water disasters and ruin our livelihoods for at least a generation, and get off scot-free they are mistaken. The passion that goes into opposing abortion by the febrile fervent, may be a small example of what will come.
‘Climate Collision Course: CO2 Levels About to Hit 400 PPM
In a first in human history, “it looks like the world is going to blow through the 400-ppm level without losing a beat.” ‘
‘Now we know that the Earth has shown a remarkable ability to regulate its temperature within a range conducive to Life, and that several natural carbon cycles have served as temperature regulators. When humans extract carbon from geologic reservoirs hundreds of millions of years old, dumping it into the surface reservoirs (especially the air), we are attacking the Earth’s metabolism.
There’s no known means of getting rid of the excess carbon we’ve already disgorged. The only secure way to sequester carbon is to leave it in the ground. Fossil fuel extraction must stop.’
‘The truth is, we are in terrible, terrible times on every front. Judge that however you wish, call me whatever, but we are in terrible times and they are going to get a lot worse. Climate change is not for the faint of heart, that is for sure. There is a growing number of credible people who are convinced, based on science, that we have very few years left on the planet. Maybe fewer than 10, and certainly no more than 35.
Global warming alone is sufficient to cause extinction of all life, and it is far worse than most people know because all our information is so filtered and politicized. We have triggered between 8 and 12 feedback loops that contribute to increased warming, depending on which expert you pay attention to. Living beings are dying, forests, the oceans, hundreds of species per day are going extinct, plants are dying, rivers are dying, aquifers are depleted, and the dying is going to get a lot bigger before it gets smaller. The things that are causing the dying, including the CO2, are increasing every year. Every year we put however much percentage again over last year’s amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. If we could stop right now, which is not possible, the earth would continue to warm because of the melting glaciers, ice caps and permafrost that have been triggered. The role in climate stability that the ice caps and ice sheets play is critical to understanding what is occurring and what will occur. ‘
The book—titled The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills, written by David Stuckler, an Oxford University political economist, and Sanjay Basu, an epidemiologist at Stanford University—uses historical case studies from around the globe and throughout history to show “how government policy becomes a matter of life and death” during deep or prolonged financial crises.
‘Discovering that the cure to the financial crisis of 2008 was in some ways worse than the affliction, Stucklet and Basu argue that countries “turned their recessions into veritable epidemics” by championing austerity measures that ultimately “ruined or extinguished” thousands of lives in series of “misguided” attempts to balance budgets, appease financial markets, and bow to the economic elite.’
‘New Research: Economic Austerity in US and Europe ‘Is Killing People’
HIV/AIDS, malaria outbreaks, shortages of essential medicines, lost healthcare access, and an epidemic of drug abuse, depression and suicide.’
‘Citing examples from the historical and current record, Stuckler and Basu show that many countries have weathered financial and other crises by investing in public health and innovative social programs.
“Ultimately what we show is that worsening health is not an inevitable consequence of economic recessions. It’s a political choice,” said Professor Basu.’
A bankrupt and in huge debt to the US Socialist UK brought in the NHS and Unemployment benefits.
And more on the appointment of Susan Devoy as Race Relations Commissioner.
TVNZ sought more information on the appointment and ‘other applicants’ and – surprise, surprise – Devoy was not the only sports star considered for the role.
“Rugby legend Michael Jones and netballer Irene Van Dyk were both shortlisted for the position before it was given to Devoy earlier this year.
The revelation has prompted fresh questions over what qualifications are needed for the job. …
As I/S at NRT says
Like Devoy, its hard to see how either of these people could possibly have been regarded as qualified for the role. Their sole qualification seems to be fame (and in Jones’ case, his strong links with the National Party).
The Human Rights Commission is an important body and a vital watchdog in our society. It deserves better than National’s celebrity crony-appointments.
I was remembering Paul Henry’s sensitive comment about our Governor General with an Indian name not being a real New Zealander. Well Irene Van Dyk was South African wasn’t she, certainly not born and bred in our fair land. But rugby players know how to handle pesky racist name callers etc.
In Paul Henry’s world, white South Africans are real New Zealanders. Unless of course, they’re white South Africans who fought apartheid. I have no idea what van Dyk’s history is in that respect.
Michael Jones probably knows a bit more about race relations than many of the previous holders of the position – what with knowing the oppression first hand and such.
Yup and his religious beliefs caused him issues so he actually would’ve been OK IMO, but he’s too smart to sully his persona being Collins lapdog, Devoy on the other hand….
When is NZ Prime Minister John Key going to stand down John Banks as a Minister?
The John Banks Private Prosecution has been referred to the Solicitor General with a request that the Crown take over the prosecution and appear for the Informant when Banks is summonsed to appear in the Auckland District Court sometime in May or early June 2013.
“When is NZ Prime Minister John Key going to stand down John Banks as a Minister?”
When the ref sends him off, not before.
I’m looking forward to Banks’ day in court, the media scrums where he bleats on and on in his bully/shouty way about how he’s the victim as narcissists typically do. I’m looking forward to Banks doing the walk of shame out of court followed by yet another ‘I am standing tall’ speech. And I’m looking forward to John Key matter-of-factly announcing in the house that he is standing Banks down as a minister as if it’s just an other one of his ‘corrections’.
Also the John Key press conference afterwards where he acts like it’s just some technical thing between Banks and ‘the courts’, like it’s nothing to do with him anyway, like he’d rather talk about ‘jobs’, and like ackshully, he’s not bovvered about it.
The link provides a further link to the Judge’s decision to allow the case to go forward.
I had been meaning to read the decision in full and found it well worth reading in terms of how the Judge very fully dealt with the (weak IMO) arguments of Banks’ counsel seeking to have the case thrown out.
Looking forward to the next round. Referral to the Solicitor General leaves the SG and Key etc in a real conundrum!
Another sign that the honeymoon is over? I don’t usually read Travel pieces as my travel days are essentially over, but was drawn to read this one in the Herald by the title – “Why the PM’s wandering eye does matter”.
It’s none of our business if any old Minister of Tourism – or any old Prime Minister, for that matter – chooses to take his family holidays in Hawaii each year.
But when John Key chose to pick up the tourism portfolio he was making a marque declaration about the industry’s importance to New Zealand. Like David Lange baggsying the education portfolio back in the 1980s, this sends a powerful message – look Rest Of The World, this stuff is so important to us that the Prime Minister runs the shop … er, when he’s not tanning himself on Waikiki, of course.
…
When quizzed at last week’s Trenz tourism conference about taking his big holidays in Hawaii rather than in New Zealand, Key – who takes shorter breaks at his holiday home in Omaha – had a smart enough answer.
“The reason I go is not because I don’t love New Zealand. The reason I go is because if I truly want to have a couple of weeks where it’s just me and the family – given the other 50 weeks it’s seven days a week 360-odd days a year – I can’t do that in New Zealand because you can’t switch off being Prime Minster.”
Yep, a smart enough answer. A smarter one might have been to say, “You know what, funny you mention it, next summer we are staying in New Zealand.”
Go on, John, there are plenty of places a millionaire can hole up for a week or two of privacy in Nelson or Coromandel.
Key’s reply also suggests that the Hawaii holidays are only two weeks a year???? Cannot be bothered checking but IIRC, their summer breaks there are definitely longer than two weeks.
“Go on, John, there are plenty of places a millionaire can hole up for a week or two of privacy in Nelson or Coromandel”
or closer to home even, there is a big place in his own electorate that seems perfect to hide away unknown and unseen, worked for that german billionaire, JK never even knew he was there
In other STUFF news:
SFO will not be prosecuting Hotchins or Golden Boy *juxtaposed* against the jailing of the ‘dirty filthy’ for drug offences.
I was just thinking (and NOT that I’m an advocate for so called ‘dealers’): Which of the two has caused its victims greater long term damage – given that the Polis generally over-value drug hauls’ street value?
Oh yea – Eric Watshis name!
Just a thought. Let’s imagine for a moment that 100,000 Americans all up and off to some right wing state in the US, there they stole each others phones, three times, and all got locked away for life. How long would the three strikes law last under the weight of that many inmates. The reason why the right wing exists is they know that Americans no longer want to standup and be counted to defend their constitution. geez, like there aren’t 100,000 people jobless in the US.
the message is out, guess we all were wrong. looks like NZ is fine
funny how it does not mention 57 billion dollars of new debt and where oh where do they get the after tax wage increase of 22% since 2008. Aside from a couple of high-end ad guys I know of no-one whose pay jumped by a fifth.
Oh, please! the last thing Aucklanders need is Maurice Williamson being let loose on it. In such a case I will likely fast-forward my retirement out of Auckland. Enough is Enough!
I just saw Gerry Brownlee on TV3 explaining why the Government ill not do anything for Auckland’s transport intentions. He ruled out everything except increased rates.
Labour should focus on this. They need to designate someone, eg Phil Twyford as spokesperson for Auckland issues. This person should have no other obligations or roles. All they need to do is take care of Auckland issues, talk about Auckland issues and investigate Auckland issues. With a third of the country’s population in the area this person should, like Len Brown, just talk about Auckland.
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Meghan Murphy talks with Batya Ungar-Sargon the author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy. The book charts the trajectory of journalism in the US as it shifted from being a blue collar occupation producing the penny press for the masses, to a profession for Ivy League university ...
Co-Leaders? The uncomfortable truth is: not the Army, not the Police, not the Spooks, and not even a combination of all three, could defeat the scale and violence of White Supremacist and Māori Nationalist resistance which the imposition of radical decolonisation – or its racism-inspired defeat – would unleash upon ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson and Jeff Masters Torrents of rain that began before dawn on Tuesday, July 26, gave St. Louis, Missouri, its highest calendar-day total since records began in 1873. And the deadly event is just the latest example of a well-established trend ...
Completed reads for July: The Prince, by Niccolo MachiavelliFaust, Part I, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheFaust, Part II, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheParadise Lost, by John MiltonParadise Regained, by John MiltonThe NibelungenliedAgricola, by TacitusGermania, by TacitusDialogue on Orators, by TacitusThe Gods of Pegana, by Lord DunsanyTime and the Gods, ...
A couple of weeks ago the High Court exposed a loophole in our electoral donations law, enabling corrupt parties to take in unlimited amounts of secret money and explicitly sell policy to the rich. Pretty obviously, this is unacceptable in a country which wants to call itself a democracy, and ...
This morning, National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis managed to get top of the bulletin news coverage by pointing out that some Kiwis living abroad might receive the government’s cost of living payment. Quelle horreur. What is the problem here? Inflation is a global problem, and Kiwis living abroad may be ...
Beyond Fixing? The critical question confronting New Zealanders is whether we any longer have the resources to repair our physical and human infrastructure?WHO WILL MAKE the New Zealand of the next 50 years? We had better hope that, whoever they are, they make a better job of it than those ...
Today’s speech by Jacinda Ardern to the China Business Summit in Auckland was full of soothing words for Beijing. The headline-grabber was Ardern’s comment that ‘a few plans are afoot’ for New Zealand ministers to return to China – and that the Prime Minister herself hopes to return to the ...
Rule-Breaker? It is easy to see why poor James Shaw found himself brutally deposed as the Greens’ co-leader. By seeking the responsibilities of leadership – and exercising them – he violated the first rule of Green Party governance. Then, by accepting the limitations of the Green Party’s electoral mandate (7.8 ...
After the incredibly sad story about the deaths of over 50 Ukrainian POWs in a Ukrainian missile attack on the prison they were housed in (see Over 50 POWs killed. A military accident or a cynical war crime?)I came across the heartwarming story about another Ukrainian POW. It’s about a ...
British mercenary Aiden Aslin, now a prisoner in the Donetsk People’s Republic, expressed real concern that he may die from the Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk. He has experienced many missile attacks that came close to the prison.Is he still alive? Understandably, we are always shocked about the losses ...
Politics is largely reported as theatre: tragedy and comedy, thriller and farce. Andrea Vance captures it all very successfully in Blue Blood. But it is the politics of personality, not of policy – of the impact of government on the people’s wellbeing. Even so, we can see from the book ...
This year the government finally got its clean car feebate scheme into place. But there's a problem: it's been too successful: Transport Minister Michael Wood will shortly review the cost of the fees and rebates in the Government's "feebate" scheme after the runaway success of the policy has meant ...
Given how the pandemic has disrupted the sporting calendar, no-one would begrudge our elite athletes their chance to compete at international level. What with the war in Ukraine and the cost of living, there are also not many ‘good news” stories out there. So… I suppose the strenuous efforts the ...
Everybody Having A Say: Democracy commands us to look outward; it demands our trust; it tells us what is expected of our humanity; it elevates the collective above the self; it celebrates the things we have in common; it defines our morals and values; it calculates what we owe one ...
Even right-wing commentators have, over recent days, and jusrifiably enough, been taking the National leader, Christopher Luxon, to task. They have lambasted him over his soft-shoe shuffle over abortion, for bad-mouthing New Zealand business while he was overseas, and for pretending to be in Te Puke while he was actually ...
So, now we know for sure. The “protesters” who defiled the grounds of parliament and who (according to their own account) intended to create in three of our major cities “maximum disruption and inconvenience” to other citizens, are not interested in democracy – indeed, quite the contrary. Their objective, quite ...
The issue with Christopher Luxon’s social media post talking about his day in Te Puke when he was in Hawaii is it’s fake news. He has since apologised for the mistake. But this doesn’t negate its impact. This mistake, misstep, gaffe or whatever you like to call it, is about ...
Over the last couple of years there has been a disturbing trend of new legislation containing secrecy clauses, which effectively make it illegal for affected government bodies to disclose information under the Official Information Act. Some of these are re-enacting old legislation from the pre- or early-OIA era (in which ...
Allegations of political corruption are once again at the heart of a new High Court trial this week. The trial follows straight on from the “not guilty” verdict for those running the New Zealand First Foundation. And this latest trial is once again about whether wealthy businesspeople and political parties ...
Ukrainian operation to steal Russian military aircraft exposed [English edit] Representatives of the Ukrainian special services offered up to $2 million for hijacking Russian military aircraft, as well as European passports for the pilots and their families. In order to gain trust, Ukrainians shared information they were not allowed ...
Struck Down: As James Shaw saved the pure Greens from themselves in 2017, they resented him. As he secured the Climate Change portfolio for his party, they suspected him. As he achieved cross-party support for crucial climate change legislation, they condemned him. And, as he was white, and male, and ...
If nothing else, some of the media treatment of the Luxon lu’au has reeked of a double standard. If Jacinda Ardern – or any of her Cabinet Ministers – had been holidaying in Hawaii while their social media imagery was depicting them working hard on the public’s behalf in Te ...
The Emissions Trading Scheme is broken. Stuffed with free allocations and rigged with a "cost containment reserve" which floods the market any time prices get "too high" (for a definition of "too high" set in a different world), its basicly served as a machanism to subsidise the production of the ...
Think Big: A democratic-socialist government could remove GST from basic food items. It could re-nationalise and centralise the generation and distribution of electric power, and then retail it to citizens at an affordable price. A democratic-socialist government could nationalise the public transportation system and make it free for everyone. A democratic-socialist government ...
Pure Poison: It is when the fetid atmosphere created by the Right’s toxic accusations and denunciations is at its thickest, that comparisons with the Woke Left spring most easily to mind. If the level of emotion on display, and the strength of the invective used, is inversely related to the ...
New Zealand companies are using their oligopolistic market power to gouge mega profits, driving up inflation. Overseas, such actions have resulted in windfall taxes, which have been used both to drive down inflation, and ameliorate its impacts (while driving down emissions). With New Zealand petrol companies pocketing record margins and ...
Poll Axed: What happened to James Shaw on Saturday, 23 July 2022 exposed the Greens’ minoritarian political culture for all to see. Once voters grasp the enormity of 30 percent of Green delegates to the Green AGM being constitutionally empowered to overrule the wishes of the 70 percent of delegates ...
Now, that was strange. That was very strange. Having dropped an initial July teaser for The Rings of Power, Amazon put out a full two-minute trailer in the middle of the month. That one, I liked. Now, however, we have an additional three-minute trailer, released a couple of days ...
I have prepared the following (draft) submission on the Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Bill, which you all have until Saturday to submit on. Happy to consider comments, or to fix typos: have I used the word whakapapa incorrectly, etc? Please let me know :-)======The Justice CommitteeElectoral (Māori Electoral Option) ...
The big news over the weekend was that Green party delegates at their AGM voted to re-open nominations for James Shaw's co-leadership position, effectively toppling him as co-leader. I'm not a member of the Greens, so its not really my place to have an opinion on who should lead them ...
James Shaw has lost his co-leadership position in the Green Party, and there’s a good chance he won’t be able to get it back. And he shouldn’t – it won’t be good for either him or his party. When delegates at the Green Party AGM voted on his position as ...
Climate change has gone from being one of those allegedly wacky Green ideas to wide mainstream acceptance. In their own ways, leaders like Jeanette Fitzsimons, Russel Norman and James Shaw each added to the increased credibility the Greens’ now have among the voting public. The decision not to re-endorse Shaw ...
So, now we know for sure. The “protesters” who defiled the grounds of parliament and who (according to their own account) intended to create in three of our major cities “maximum disruption and inconvenience” to other citizens, are not interested in democracy – indeed, quite the contrary. Their objective, quite ...
Don Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. This is the fifth and final installment of that interview. The first installment is here, the second installment here, the third here and fourth installment here. (The interview has ...
Politics in New Zealand isn’t in a very good place at the moment. Not only do we have the opposition once again undermining our response to the Covid-19 pandemic, right when the number of cases are exploding, we also have former MPs thumbing their noses at the law and claiming ...
Imagine being a Green Party activist at the moment. You joined the party because climate change is an existential threat and truly radical change needs to be undertaken immediately. You’re deeply upset by inequality. You think that conventional politicians are part of the problem. However, you begin to realise that ...
The Green Party is once again calling on the Government to announce its support for a moratorium on deep sea mining, and to support a member’s bill going to select committee. ...
The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party said. ...
The Government’s employment initiatives led by the Ministry of Social Development must guarantee liveable incomes and fair working conditions, the Green Party says. ...
New Zealanders deserve a health system that works for everyone, no matter who you are or where you live. Our Government has a plan to make this a reality, and we’re taking the next steps. We now have thousands more health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, working in New ...
During her time as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has navigated New Zealand through unprecedented times. Through it all, she’s become known as someone who leads with kindness, compassion and strength, while keeping the wellbeing of Kiwis at the heart of her approach. To celebrate five years of Jacinda leading the ...
Since taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to grow a secure economy for all. ...
The Government must use the opportunity of the Electoral Amendment Bill in Parliament to close the loophole in the political donations regime, the Green Party says. ...
Thanks to political pressure from the Green Party and the more than 900 personal stories of birth injury and trauma delivered to Minister Sepuloni, more injuries have been added to the ACC birth injuries bill. ...
Supporting New Zealanders is at the heart of our approach as a Government, and we’re working hard to tackle the big issues Kiwis are facing. While long term challenges like child poverty won’t be solved overnight, we’re putting in place policies that make a real difference for New Zealanders. Here ...
Delegates at the AGM of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have voted to retain Marama Davidson as Green Party co-leader and to re-open nominations for the other co-leader position. ...
Every New Zealander deserves a healthy, affordable place to call home. We have a comprehensive plan to make it happen, and we’re making good progress. Here's the latest on how we're supporting Kiwis into homes: ...
The Government is allowing wealthy individuals to ‘purchase’ residency while entrenching a system that keeps low-waged workers on a precarious and temporary status, the Green Party says. ...
The Election Access Fund established by a Green Party members’ bill opened for submissions this week, showing positive progress towards more accessible elections. ...
With additional trains operating across the network, powered by the Government’s investment in rail, there is need for a renewed focus on rail safety, Transport Minister Michael Wood emphasised at the launch of Rail Safety Week 2022. “Over the last five years the Government has invested significantly to improve level ...
The Foreign Minister has wrapped up a series of meetings with Indo-Pacific partners in Cambodia which reinforced the need for the region to work collectively to deal with security and economic challenges. Nanaia Mahuta travelled to Phnom Penh for a bilateral meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and Aotearoa New Zealand, ...
Extension of Aotearoa Touring Programme supporting domestic musicians The Programme has supported more than 1,700 shows and over 250 artists New Zealand Music Commission estimates that around 200,000 Kiwis have been able to attend shows as a result of the programme The Government is hitting a high note, with ...
Minister of Defence Peeni Henare will depart tomorrow for Solomon Islands to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. While in Solomon Islands, Minister Henare will also meet with Solomon Islands Minister of National Security, Correctional Services and Police Anthony Veke to continue cooperation on security ...
The Government is partnering with Ngāi Tahu Farming Limited and Ngāi Tūāhuriri on a whole-farm scale study in North Canterbury to validate the science of regenerative farming, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The programme aims to scientifically evaluate the financial, social and environmental differences between regenerative and conventional practices. ...
52.5% of people on public boards are women Greatest ever percentage of women Improved collection of ethnicity data “Women’s representation on public sector boards and committees is now 52.5 percent, the highest ever level. The facts prove that diverse boards bring a wider range of knowledge, expertise and skill. ...
I am honoured to support the 2022 Women in Governance Awards, celebrating governance leaders, directors, change-makers, and rising stars in the community, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. For the second consecutive year, MPP is proudly sponsoring the Pacific Governance Leader category, recognising Pacific women in governance and presented to ...
Today Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash turned the sod for the new Whakatāne Commercial Boat Harbour, cut the ribbon for the revitalised Whakatāne Wharf, and inspected work underway to develop the old Whakatāne Army Hall into a visitor centre, all of which are part of the $36.8 million ...
New Zealanders are not getting a fair deal on some key residential building supplies and while the Government has already driven improvements in the sector, a Commerce Commission review finds that changes are needed to make it more competitive. “New Zealand is facing the same global cost of living and ...
Mana in Mahi reaches a milestone surpassing 5,000 participants 75 per cent of participants who had been on a benefit for two or more years haven’t gone back onto a benefit 89 per cent who have a training pathway are working towards a qualification at NZQA level 3 or ...
The Government has invested $7.7 million in a research innovation hub which was officially opened today by Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Dr Ayesha Verrall. The new facility named Te Pā Harakeke Flexible Labs comprises 560 square metres of new laboratory space for research staff and is based at ...
Unemployment has remained near record lows thanks to the Government’s economic plan to support households and businesses through the challenging global environment, resulting in more people in work and wages rising. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in the June quarter, with 96,000 people classed out ...
Action to address the risks identified in the 2020 climate change risk assessment, protecting lives, livelihoods, homes, businesses and infrastructure A joined up approach that will support community-based adaptation with national policies and legislation Providing all New Zealanders with information about local climate risks via a new online data ...
Māori with mental health and addiction challenges have easier access to care thanks to twenty-nine Kaupapa Māori primary mental health and addiction services across Aotearoa, Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare says. “Labour is the first government to take mental health seriously for all New Zealanders. We know that Māori ...
A Bill which updates New Zealand’s statistics legislation for the 21st century has passed its third and final reading today, Minister of Statistics David Clark said. The Data and Statistics Act replaces the Statistics Act, which has been in effect since 1975. “In the last few decades, national data and ...
The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament today, marking a significant milestone to improve the lives of disabled people. “The Bill aims to address accessibility barriers that prevent disabled people, tāngata whaikaha and their whānau, and others with accessibility needs from living independently,” said ...
Kia ora koutou, da jia hao It’s great to be back at this year’s China Business Summit. I would first like to acknowledge Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister Helen Clark, His Excellency Ambassador Wang Xiaolong, and parliamentary colleagues both current and former the Right Honourable Winston Peters, the ...
Narrowing the expenses considered by lenders Relaxing the assumptions that lenders were required to make about credit cards and buy-now pay-later schemes. Helping make debt refinancing or debt consolidation more accessible if appropriate for borrowers The Government is clarifying the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance (CCCFA) Regulations, to ensure ...
The Firearms Prohibition Order Legislation Bill will be passed through all remaining stages by the end of next week, Police Minister Chris Hipkins said. The Justice Select Committee has received public feedback and finalised its report more quickly than planned. It reported back to the House on Friday. “The Bill will ...
The Government has stepped up activity to protect kauri, with a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) coming into effect today, Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor and Associate Environment Minister James Shaw said. “We have a duty to ensure this magnificent species endures for future generations and also for the health of ...
Prime Minister Ardern met with members of Samoa’s Cabinet in Apia, today, announcing the launch of a new climate change partnership and confirming support for the rebuild of the capital’s main market, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship between Aotearoa New ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for the Indo-Pacific region today for talks on security and economic issues at meetings of ASEAN and the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, and during bilateral engagements in Malaysia. “Engaging in person with our regional partners is a key part of our reconnecting strategy as ...
United Nations Headquarters, New York City Thank you, Mr President. Ngā mihi ki a koutou. I extend my warm congratulations to you and assure you of the full cooperation of the New Zealand delegation. I will get right to it. In spite of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the nuclear ...
A major milestone of 10,037 additional public homes has been achieved since Labour came into office, the Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods confirmed today. “It’s extremely satisfying and a testament to our commitment to providing a safety net for people who need public housing, that we have delivered these warm, ...
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has announced further sanctions on the armed forces and military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. “President Putin and the Russian military are responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which is a grave breach of fundamental international law,” Nanaia Mahuta ...
Easing the process for overseas nurses and provision of up to $10,000 in financial support for international nurses for NZ registration costs. Provide for the costs of reregistration for New Zealand nurses who want to return to work. Covering international doctors’ salaries during their six-week clinical induction courses and ...
A new future between Pacific Aotearoa and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is the essence of a Dawn Raids Apology anniversary event in Auckland this month, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. One year ago, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern formally apologised to Pacific communities impacted by the Dawn Raids in ...
Tēnā koutou katoa Tuia ngā waka, Tuia ngā wawata, Tuia ngā hou-kura Let us bind our connection, let us bind our vision, let us bind our shared aspiration for peace and prosperity. This year marks a significant milestone in the New Zealand – China relationship. Fifty years ago – 1972 – ...
It’s Cook Islands Language week and the Minister of Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio wants the community to focus on what it means to keep the language alive across the generations. “Our Cook Islands community in Aotearoa have decided to focus on the same theme as last years; ‘ Ātuitui’ia ...
From 1 August an estimated 2.1 million New Zealanders will be eligible to receive the first targeted Cost of Living Payment as part of the Government’s plan to help soften the impact of rising global inflationary pressures affecting New Zealanders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. The payments will see eligible ...
· New Zealand’s international border opens to all visitors, including from non-visa waiver countries, and international students from 11:59PM, 31 July 2022. · Cruise ships and recreational yachts able to arrive at New Zealand ports. This evening marks the final step in the Government’s reconnecting plan, with visitors from non-visa ...
New Action Plan to eliminate HIV transmission released for consultation today $18 million Budget 2022 boost Key measures to achieve elimination include increasing prevention and testing, improving access to care and treatment and addressing stigma The Government has today released its plan to eliminate the transmission of HIV in ...
A report released today shows Government support has lifted incomes for Beneficiaries by 40 percent over and above inflation since 2018. “This is the first time this data set has been collected, and it clearly shows Government action is having an impact,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “This Government made a commitment ...
Thirty new warm, safe and affordable apartments to be delivered by Tauhara North No 2 Trust in Tāmaki Makaurau Delivered through Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga programme, jointly delivered by Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Allocation of the apartments will be prioritised to support ...
Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Twyford will lead Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference at the United Nations in New York next week. “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons,” Phil Twyford said. “The NPT has ...
I am delighted to join you today for the launch of the Construction Sector Accord Transformation Plan 2022-2025. I would like to acknowledge my colleagues – the other Accord Ministers, the Accord governance and sector leadership, the CEOs of Government agencies, and leaders from the construction sector. The construction ...
Associate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty was joined this morning by the Mayors of Carterton and Masterton, local Iwi and members of the Wairarapa community to turn the first sod on a package of crucial safety improvements for State Highway 2 in Wairarapa. “The work to improve safety on this ...
The board to take the Milford Opportunities Project (MOP) forward has been announced by Minister of Conservation Poto Williams today. “The Milford Opportunities Project is a once in a generation chance to reshape the gateway to Milford Sound Piopiotahi and redesign our transport infrastructure to benefit locals, visitors, and our ...
A new three year plan to transform the construction industry into a high-performing sector with increased productivity, diversity and innovation has been unveiled by the Minister for Building and Construction Dr Megan Woods and Accord Steering group this morning. As lead minister for the Construction Sector Accord, Dr Woods told ...
For the first time counsellors will be able to become accredited to work in publicly funded clinical roles to support the mental wellbeing of New Zealanders. The Government and the board of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) have developed a new opt-in accreditation pathway so NZCA members can ...
Buzz from the Beehive Safety and security were the common theme in the latest statements – just two – from The Beehive. The first – headed Call for New Zealanders to get on-board with rail safety – tells us this is Rail Safety Week. Transport Minister Michael Wood grabbed the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Shaw, Honorary Senior Fellow in Urban Geography and Planning, The University of Melbourne Author provided Australian cities are good at growing – for decades their states have relied on it. The need to house more people is used to justify ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Stevens, Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management, The University of Melbourne AP Photo/Laurent Rebours Australia, and the world, has lost a unique voice with the passing last week of acclaimed director and writer Shirley Barrett. Barrett gained international ...
We have published our submission to the Finance and Expenditure Committee on the Water Services Entities Bill. Because water services are critical to everyone, our focus is on how the public and Parliament are able to influence the performance of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Santosh Tadakamadla, Associate professor and Discipline Lead for Dentistry, La Trobe University Unsplash/Mieke Campbell, CC BY What is inside teeth? – Nicholas, age 5, Australian Capital Territory Great question, Nicholas. It is important for us to know ...
A gaping hole. That’s how the Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa New Zealand Executive Director is describing the lack of primary and community care funding in the current health reform programme. Angela Francis says the Federation board and ...
E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services are deeply concerned with recent policy announcements in regard to youth unemployment and benefits over the weekend. As an organisation that works with marginalised rangatahi every day, we are always concerned when we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stu Hayes, Lecturer, Tourism, University of Otago Spraying disinfectant on an Indonesian cattle farm infected with foot and mouth disease in July 22.Getty Images Recent warnings of a “doomsday” scenario if foot and mouth disease (FMD) arrived in New Zealand inevitably ...
Be. announce an exciting new Leadership Development Programme to foster a community of disabled and access leaders equipped with the skills for 21st century governance, and to embed accessibility at a strategic level in the board agenda. Over the past ...
Recommendations from the recent Charities Act Review could mean registered charities with operating expenses over $140,000 per year will be required to disclose information about the reserves they hold, and why they hold them, says Barry Baker, Partner and ...
The prime minister has criticised National's proposed welfare changes saying they prove the opposition party doesn't understand the incentives currently in place to help people into work. ...
Manaaki Rangatahi are concerned that punitive approaches to welfare, such as National's latest policy announcement, and current sanction policies for young people in need of financial support from MSD, run the risk of increasing harm for young people and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Physical Culture, University of Waikato Shutterstock Given recent and often sensationalist media coverage of the issue, it’s easy to overlook the fact that transgender athletes have participated in elite sport for decades ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, leader of the Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, UNSW Sydney, and leader of the UNSW Node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Sonnemann, Principal Advisor Education, Grattan Institute www.shutterestock.com This Friday, state and federal education ministers will meet for the first time since the federal election. The stakes are high. Ministers meet as teacher shortages and workload pressures are dominating ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Crown Resorts’ striking new A$2 billion casino on Sydney’s Barangaroo Point opens its doors to gamblers for the first time this week. But only if they are “VIPs”. Its licence to operate remains conditional, ...
One of New Conservative’s core principles is a commitment to the sanctity of life. We believe human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. These principles are not held by the ruling Labour/Greens coalition; neither are they held by National ...
The magenta wash shot through the true blue National branding is one way Christopher Luxon is making his mark as party leader, and he'll be hoping this past weekend's party conference will be another, writes Jane Patterson. ...
New Zealand Defence Force personnel have remembered all those who served in Solomon Islands during World War II, as they attended commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal today. A group of personnel from the Royal New Zealand ...
Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni says there's no evidence National's welfare plan will work, while the Greens say it shows a "depressingly familiar side of the National Party". ...
Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni says there's no evidence National's welfare plan will work, while the Greens say it shows a "depressingly familiar side of the National Party". ...
The Greens are the only party with a comprehensive plan to support people on low incomes so everyone in and out of work has enough to make ends meet and provide for their families. “It is clearer today than ever before that thousands of families ...
Sylvia Wood has been elected President of the National Party by the Party’s board of directors at its annual conference in Christchurch. Ms Wood has been on the board since 2021 and will serve as National’s 18th President after the retirement of ...
PROFESSOR ELIZABETH RATAgave this address – ‘In Defence of Democracy’ – to the New Zealand ACT Party Annual Conference, in Wellington and Auckland, last month. Although the address was given at a political party event, she says she was a guest speaker and the ideas she presents are her ...
National has taken aim at those on welfare for longer than a year, in particular young people, saying it's unacceptable in a time of extreme labour shortages. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Judith Durham, one of Australia’s most recognisable voices, has passed away at 79. An icon of the Australian music industry as lead singer for The Seekers and a solo artist, hers ...
RNZ News Protesters blocked roads in central Auckland this afternoon for the second time in two weeks, marching past the main entrance to the city’s hospital. The Auckland motorway onramp used by protesters two weeks ago was closed ahead of another rally at the Auckland Domain today. Aucklanders were warned ...
National Party outgoing president Peter Goodfellow has acknowledged mistakes in his final speech, but says he does not regret trying to move the party into the 21st century. ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers were dishing out money to musicians and Māori farmers over the past day or so while also announcing awards for women and – in the case of our Minister of Defence – travel plans for a a trip to the Solomon Islands. The announcement of ...
RNZ Pacific The Solomon Islands government has prompted anger by ordering the censorship of the national broadcaster. The government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has forbidden it from publishing material critical of the government, which will vet all stories before broadcast. The Guardian reports that on Monday the government announced ...
PNG Pacific A former Papua New Guinea military commander who drew up a plan 17 years ago to try to end gun violence says the first thing he would do is ban the public from owning guns. Major-General Jerry Singirok compiled a gun control report in 2005. It included 244 ...
By Peter Korugl of the PNG Post-Courier “Shame on yous!” … these are the three powerful words Julie Soso, former governor and candidate for the Eastern Highlands regional seat, had to say for the newly elected members to Papua New Guinea’s Parliament — all men so far. Soso, Carol Mayo ...
National's deputy Nicola Willis has sought to extinguish any doubt over her tax plan, telling members the party will deliver as much relief as it "responsibly can". ...
PSNA is holding nationwide rallies on Saturday August 6th in solidarity with Palestinians resisting ethnic cleansing in Masafer Yatta, an area of the South Hebron hills which is home to over 1200 Palestinians living in 20 villages. “Many of these people ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. A couple of weeks ago I received a number of articles mainly about Covid19 deaths in the United States. (See below.) As I have noted in the past, it is important to address the reported facts, rather than to ignore them. As they stand, these articles ...
Former Labour Party leader Andrew Little and the Prime Minister's chief press secretary have appeared as witnesses in a trial about anonymous donations to the country's two biggest political parties. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has met with her Chinese counterpart face-to-face for the first time at the East Asia and ASEAN summits in Cambodia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Micah DJ Peters, Senior Research Fellow / Director – Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) National Policy Research Unit (Federal Office), University of South Australia Shutterstock Former Health Department Chief Martin Bowles has reportedly proposed “virtual nurses” could help address ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Associate Professor Caroline Fisher discuss the week in politics. Michelle and Caroline discuss the first fortnight sitting of the new parliament, with the government’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt King, Director of the ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, University of Tasmania Shutterstock Atomic clocks, combined with precise astronomical measurements, have revealed that the length of a day is suddenly getting longer, and scientists don’t know ...
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A very good post on the Green Party website by Meteiria Turei condemning the government for pimping out our beautiful coastal environment to the highest bidder.
http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/govt-exposing-auckland-dangers-deep-sea-drilling
But doesn’t the Labour Party as well as the National Party in Government currently also support deep sea oil drilling and exploration?
Could this be the deal breaker for a Labour/Green coalition government?
To have any meaning words need to be backed up with actions.
The Green Party if they choose, could stop deep sea oil drilling now.
A united opposition stand in parliament against deep sea oil exploration and drilling would have the effect of killing off the oil company investors enthusiasm to take up the current government’s offer.
This is the time for the Green Party to put in a serious real world effort to win the Labour Party over to oppose deep sea oil drilling.
To back up her words Meteiria Turei needs to take immediate action in the house, with a Green Party private member’s bill calling for a moratorium on all deep sea oil and gas drilling. And seriously lobby the Labour Party to back it.
This needs to be dealt with now. Not in the closed, heated, hot house environment of rushed coalition talks held behind closed doors following an election.
If the Green Party Bill is drawn from the ballot and the Labour Party refuse to support it and instead choose to stand with the Nats, instead of their future coalition partner, then the respective parties will know where they all stand, and will be able to make their future coalition decisions based on that.
Likewise the voting public will know where to place an informed vote, instead of being kept in the dark and crossing their fingers as they vote, hoping that it works out.
If on the other hand……
The Labour Party do agree to back the Green Party private members bill to turn it into an opposition members bill to banish deep sea oil drilling from our economic zone then this as well as driving investors off, would set the strong foundations for a principled coalition that will stand the test of time.
Mark my words
For the Green Party to ignore this major policy difference between the two major opposition parties at this time and place and leave it for later, will be a major tactical error that will see Turiana’s good words being turned into empty rhetoric in the name of pragmatism and under the pressure of “real politik”, to be left on the cutting room floor, during future coalition talks, to the disappointment of Green Party members and supporters.
Nobody can say it hasn’t happened before.
Trouble about the jobs burble. They are temporary construction stuff and when done they are gone and the new ones arising are fewer and may not be available to locals, but the often tenuous economy of the surrounding towns has changed and life is more difficult, houses dearer etc and still not many jobs.
So Auckland Council wants to consult with Aucklanders about our transport future. There is a significant funding hole if all important projects are proceeded with.
There needs to be a debate about how these projects are funded and it is proper to put the evidence in front of the people and ask them for their view.
So what does the Government do? It effectively sabotages the consultation on day one by ruling out most of the possible funding mechanisms.
Why can’t it wait for the evidence to be properly analysed and for the people to speak? What is it afraid of?
What is it afraid of? My guess would be, reality
Sometimes I am so glad I live in Levin, No traffic Jams, (No Car) cheap rents, can get everywhere by bike. Yep no jobs I know, also no 2 hour stress fest morning and night either.
and we have Te Takere !
but yeah, the dearth of employment opportunities is a growing concern
But it’s also way safer to bring up my 2 year old, very few cars. But I do know one thing my Blood pressure has gone down since I left the Capital, and it’s rat race. But my littley does keep it bouncing now he can climb.
It’s a damn site better than what was offered before and all under the same roof. and it will be good when it’s all finished. Oh well I seem to work when Labour is in power, and am on the dole when the Nats get in, and fuck up the economy again.
Yes David H. We too in Marlborough have all those that you have (but so far we have only roundabouts- no traffic lights where you have 2 sets.) I am bemused that so many people choose to live in big cities! They seem to have so much against making their lives enjoyable. I don’t get it.
Some of us were born in cities, and have our roots there. It’s also where the jobs are. There are also many other exciting benefits to living in cities, if they were organised for the benefit of all, and not dominated by the wealthiest of the propertied classes.
I know Carol being born and bred London style. Now that’s a city. I used to go on the train from Deptford to new Cross and then
Hah! Worked and studied in that area back in the 80s and early 90s – cycled many times between Newcross, Walthamstow and Stockwell – sometimes doing a whole round trip to those areas on the same day, and into the evening. Cycling seemed relatively safe back then too.
I know being London born and bred. Now there’s a city full of history, I used to go to all the Museums (Not fussed on the stately homes) Growing up in South east London in the 60’s was fun working down the Markets at Deptford. I think we got out at the right time 1969.
“I think we got out at the right time 1969.”
You did. What happened next wasn’t pretty.
Well Karol I was born in Sydenham in a hovel owned bybthe Duke of Westminster ,
We were hard up,but happy Then along came Hitler who seemed to have grudge for me bombing us out three times . 3 new places in 6 years finished up in a flat above The shops in Lordship Lane in Dulwich , Then served my apprenticeship in Newmarket . later on moved to Epsom and courted my wife who lived in the East End by biking from Epsom 3 or 4 nights a week . Married and lived in the country ever since ,60m years inFeb.
Used to stop for pie at a pie stall in New Cross on the way back .
Were you born within the sound of Bow Bells Pink Postman? My father was… although his family shifted soon afterwards. He loved telling Kiwis he was a Cockney even though he had no Cockney accent. As a child I never tired of listening to the stories and songs of old London. Seen the Julie Andrews film ‘Mary Poppins’ half a dozen times.
Damn, you’ve seen some changes, TPP. Epsom to the East End is a long commute by bike.
I remember hearing some of the Blitz stories when I lived in London. 60 years married! Congratulations – a full, productive and interesting life so far.
Hi Pink Postman Like to hear others tales about where they come from. You mentioned New Cross I used to go to New Cross as that was where Millwall had there football ground. Great childhood days prior to the Thatcher shit with a lot of care by the so called “lower” classes. I remember as a kid the grown ups putting their hands on the wall of the exit stairs forming a tunnel so all us kids could get out safely. just like today eh. I think it would do good for some of these right wing prats to live in that type of community, it might teach them that there is more to life than screwing everybody for a dollar.
And the Winkle stall, with the Jellied eels, and Pie and Mushy Peas. Ahhh theMemories
My stepfather ran the Centurian public house in Deptford, A 3 story edifice Well to a 11 year old it was, with lots of rooms to play in, and the roof to sit, and get soaked in the Thunderstorms.
Centurian Pub – closed 2004.
But I have found that Roundabouts can be more hazardous to your health, than Traffic lights, especially when on a bike.
David H
Your remark about roundabouts triggered a thought I’ve had for a while. Courtesy on the roads – could be a great facilitator for better conditions and less accidents.
And one thing would be that at roundabouts a driver should slow a little say 10km or change down, which gives time for other traffic to enter or pass safely. The extra seconds provided by just a more deliberate approach to a roundabout, give way etc. would allow other traffic to go. Instead people often maintain a 50 kmh speed up to and through, and hardly seem aware of others around them. Get them up in a high 4WD and they’re like royalty in a world of their own.
In my experience the practices of (mainly Auckland) drivers are puzzling. When there are road works, with signs showing the stretch of road has a 30 or 40 kph speed limit, I seem to be one of the few drivers that actually slow down. And I usually feel pressured by other drivers to go faster.
Usually there are clear reasons why there is a temporarily low speed limit – workers working near to the stream of traffic, uneven road surface, narrowed road with little space for diverging in case of a collision, etc.
Ditto for people slowing down when approaching a pedestrian crossing. Some drivers seem to have no respect for anyone else, just an attitude of getting to their destination as fast as possible. Why the constant need for so much haste?
“More haste, less speed”.
I thought I was the only one who actually slows down to 30.
Pisses me right off seeing people ignore those signs. I don’t mind that they aren’t concerned for their own safety, but they could give a thought to the people working within feet of their hurtling block of steel.
Kasrol
Unfortunately that is the world today. Get out of my fucking way, you are stopping me from making or getting a another dollar.
[lprent: I think that I can help. Would you like to not be able to comment here? That would give you the time.
You really are a dickshit – do something that is more than stupid trolling. Or leave one way or another. ]
Karol
My apologies for spelling your name wrong. My arthritis does not get my fingers on the right keys at times, and I find this site a shit to edit.
Regards
I think halfcrown was echoing a current zeitgeist which he doesn’t agree with – being sarc/satirical.
karol
Is the behaviour we mostly display as drivers an indication of national character? Some people are unwilling to limit or control themselves for their, and others, safety.
That can be applied to more situations than that of driving too.
Drivers seem to be very self-centred – who lifts a hand for a thank-you gesture to a car that makes way for you when not legally obliged, who gives a couple of short toots to a large vehicle that moves over to let you past etc. I usually do, but don’t notice many others though it used to be common in my younger days. (I’m probably thinking prior to 1984 when we were sprayed and saturated with the propaganda of – ‘There is no such thing as society.’)
“a driver should slow a little say 10km” It’s not Rocket Science is it? And when I drove I always slowed down because of the danger.
CHH may be looking for temps, if its any help. It’s not the busy season yet, but they do have a regular turnover in the casual pool. Reasonably well paid, unionised site. They use the temp pool to assess whether to hire workers as permanents, so it might be a foot in the door for you or other family members who are looking for a long term job.
And if you can ever get a start at Graphic Press, you’ve won the job lottery! One of the most amazing worksites I’ve ever been in, with a genuine commitment to profit sharing and total respect for their workers. Lovely place.
Levana … not so much!
Thanks for that TRP will make a few inquiries.
I guess that CHH means Carter Holt Harvey?
30G is just stingy, the rent seeker in our elites just can’t seem to understand, their greed is a corruption of our economic health, and we’d all be richer should they remove the private tax shackles evident in all areas of our economy. In order for them to get rich, they need to leverage their existing capital to multipliers of what is sensible, and to maintain their solvency they need mum and dad nz to pay the interest on the debt. Its wrong, its extortion, its bad economics.
Broadband will open up small town NZ with huge opportunities to have the lifestyle and the means to sustain it. Well it would if the rent seekers weren’t so stingy with 30G a month.
Thanks, micky. I have been thinking of doing another Auckland post, particularly on how the NZ herald is blatantly opposed to the Auckland Unitary Plan. Just too many things happening right now.
But the Auckland Transport Blog has done some very good posts on the NZ Herald’s blatant bias against the AUP and the City Central Rail Loop – so many NZH articles opposed to the AUP that it is looking like a concerted campaign.
It is interesting Karol that out west the Unitary Plan is not raising anything like the sort of opposition that central and north Auckland is showing.
I believe it is because locally we have been talking about intensification around Henderson and New Lynn and in a smaller way around Glen Eden for the past decade as well as at the same time trying to preserve the Waitakere Ranges by holding the MUL in place. The area is already developing the way that the rest of the city will hopefully.
The alternative of uncontrolled urban sprawl is too awful to comprehend. You just have to think about the problems associated with uncontrolled sprawl with a lack of community infrastructure to realise how stupid this is.
We should have learned about this from suburbs such as Kelston, Otara, Managere, Flat Bush, Birkdale etc where they basically plonked a whole lot of houses in with no cultural centre. These areas are full of good people but they are handicapped because they are just a collection of roads and houses and have not social centre.
Surely we should have learned from the experience.
Why does there need to be a debate – Just issue the funds required, at close to zero %, for the key transport programmes to go ahead, get it done!
This continued nonsense of *manufactured scarcity*, and having to
raisesteal the funds, by borrowing and/or picking the pokets of Aucklanders, even further!Only debate needs to be , which projects to get moving first!
MS – which funding options has it ruled out?
The Wellington mandarin’s and the Agri lobby block do not want Auckland to have an dffective tax raising power. And they collectively manipulate Smith et al.
Why stop Auckland have an effective tax base and control over its destiny?
It looks like it will be controlled by leftish people for the foreseeable future.
It is not controlled by big business.
It owes no allegiances to the primary industries sector.
A handy resource for battling the privatisation of Education in New Zealand, and other issues of course http://saveourschoolsnz.wordpress.com/do-something/
Pissed off the Parekura isn’t given as much attention on the front page of Stuff as the Jamie’s World child.
Or the Hanover Thieves getting away with it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8610994/No-SFO-charges-over-Hanover
Yup, scot free for Hotchin/Watson etc not even any corporate breach charges on care of duty issues against boys club members like Muir. Wish I could’ve laid odds at the TAB on it, a shoe in.
This is one reason why we can’t attract foreign investment, no effective policing of the cowboys club. The SFO is a F’n joke just the way neo lib’s like it while they PPP up more incarceration capacity for the masses.
However foreign investors will line up for the family silverware such as MRP etc.
TV3 Reid poll – wrong & poorly constructed question.
There is a load of bias in the lead up to the question. And the question should really be about the spy boss and the role of the PM in providing oversight, not the spy-workers who are most likely following orders or set parameters for their activities.
On Backbenches last week that horrible little turd Jamie Lee Ross once again repeated his favourite trite Thatcherism about how “the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money to spend”.
Apparently he’s too thick to notice that the slogan implies that the people who oppose socialism are the ones who want to spend other people’s money.
Thatcher: evil and thick. Jamie: just thick.
“the problem with capitalism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money to steal”
too true!
Repeating such pure cliché, is the sign of a very ill-informed individual, who was *selected* for his ability to bend over, and to repeat the messages he has been brainwashed into believing!
As felix points out, very thick, but a supporter of evil none the less!
Listening to the news this a.m. First Hanover – after lengthy examination there isn’t enough evidence to hang a criminal case on. Shouldn’t tricksters and negligent and deliberately ignorant businesspeople have a lifetime ban or near, on running any business that involves providing finance! They could open a garage and repair cars, or buy a property and farm, but keep them away from being directors or owners of any other company where they can carpet the floor with NZ’s venture capital and retirement savings.
And second. The politicians have been treated like businesses, limited liability entities. If they couldn’t just step out of the spotlight and into some well-paid job and vanish from sight, leaving their detritus behind them for the people, they might think twice. If John Key and his band of degenerates think they are going to open us up to deep water disasters and ruin our livelihoods for at least a generation, and get off scot-free they are mistaken. The passion that goes into opposing abortion by the febrile fervent, may be a small example of what will come.
‘Climate Collision Course: CO2 Levels About to Hit 400 PPM
In a first in human history, “it looks like the world is going to blow through the 400-ppm level without losing a beat.” ‘
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/29-2
‘Now we know that the Earth has shown a remarkable ability to regulate its temperature within a range conducive to Life, and that several natural carbon cycles have served as temperature regulators. When humans extract carbon from geologic reservoirs hundreds of millions of years old, dumping it into the surface reservoirs (especially the air), we are attacking the Earth’s metabolism.
There’s no known means of getting rid of the excess carbon we’ve already disgorged. The only secure way to sequester carbon is to leave it in the ground. Fossil fuel extraction must stop.’
‘The truth is, we are in terrible, terrible times on every front. Judge that however you wish, call me whatever, but we are in terrible times and they are going to get a lot worse. Climate change is not for the faint of heart, that is for sure. There is a growing number of credible people who are convinced, based on science, that we have very few years left on the planet. Maybe fewer than 10, and certainly no more than 35.
Global warming alone is sufficient to cause extinction of all life, and it is far worse than most people know because all our information is so filtered and politicized. We have triggered between 8 and 12 feedback loops that contribute to increased warming, depending on which expert you pay attention to. Living beings are dying, forests, the oceans, hundreds of species per day are going extinct, plants are dying, rivers are dying, aquifers are depleted, and the dying is going to get a lot bigger before it gets smaller. The things that are causing the dying, including the CO2, are increasing every year. Every year we put however much percentage again over last year’s amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. If we could stop right now, which is not possible, the earth would continue to warm because of the melting glaciers, ice caps and permafrost that have been triggered. The role in climate stability that the ice caps and ice sheets play is critical to understanding what is occurring and what will occur. ‘
The book—titled The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills, written by David Stuckler, an Oxford University political economist, and Sanjay Basu, an epidemiologist at Stanford University—uses historical case studies from around the globe and throughout history to show “how government policy becomes a matter of life and death” during deep or prolonged financial crises.
‘Discovering that the cure to the financial crisis of 2008 was in some ways worse than the affliction, Stucklet and Basu argue that countries “turned their recessions into veritable epidemics” by championing austerity measures that ultimately “ruined or extinguished” thousands of lives in series of “misguided” attempts to balance budgets, appease financial markets, and bow to the economic elite.’
‘New Research: Economic Austerity in US and Europe ‘Is Killing People’
HIV/AIDS, malaria outbreaks, shortages of essential medicines, lost healthcare access, and an epidemic of drug abuse, depression and suicide.’
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/29-1
‘Citing examples from the historical and current record, Stuckler and Basu show that many countries have weathered financial and other crises by investing in public health and innovative social programs.
“Ultimately what we show is that worsening health is not an inevitable consequence of economic recessions. It’s a political choice,” said Professor Basu.’
A bankrupt and in huge debt to the US Socialist UK brought in the NHS and Unemployment benefits.
And more on the appointment of Susan Devoy as Race Relations Commissioner.
TVNZ sought more information on the appointment and ‘other applicants’ and – surprise, surprise – Devoy was not the only sports star considered for the role.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sports-stars-shortlisted-race-relations-top-job-5422082
“Rugby legend Michael Jones and netballer Irene Van Dyk were both shortlisted for the position before it was given to Devoy earlier this year.
The revelation has prompted fresh questions over what qualifications are needed for the job. …
As I/S at NRT says
Like Devoy, its hard to see how either of these people could possibly have been regarded as qualified for the role. Their sole qualification seems to be fame (and in Jones’ case, his strong links with the National Party).
The Human Rights Commission is an important body and a vital watchdog in our society. It deserves better than National’s celebrity crony-appointments.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2013/04/nationals-celebrity-cronyism.html
What a joke. On us.
File under: ‘Contempt For Democracy.’
I was remembering Paul Henry’s sensitive comment about our Governor General with an Indian name not being a real New Zealander. Well Irene Van Dyk was South African wasn’t she, certainly not born and bred in our fair land. But rugby players know how to handle pesky racist name callers etc.
In Paul Henry’s world, white South Africans are real New Zealanders. Unless of course, they’re white South Africans who fought apartheid. I have no idea what van Dyk’s history is in that respect.
Michael Jones probably knows a bit more about race relations than many of the previous holders of the position – what with knowing the oppression first hand and such.
Yup and his religious beliefs caused him issues so he actually would’ve been OK IMO, but he’s too smart to sully his persona being Collins lapdog, Devoy on the other hand….
As recent history shows, that’s a completely incidental consideration.
Collins confuses “probably being good at running a race” with “being good at running Race Relations commission”?
At least Jones seemed aware that he was not the right crony for this job.
When is NZ Prime Minister John Key going to stand down John Banks as a Minister?
The John Banks Private Prosecution has been referred to the Solicitor General with a request that the Crown take over the prosecution and appear for the Informant when Banks is summonsed to appear in the Auckland District Court sometime in May or early June 2013.
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/uncategorized/john-banks-prosecution-referred-to-solicitor-general/
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation campaigner’
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
“When is NZ Prime Minister John Key going to stand down John Banks as a Minister?”
When the ref sends him off, not before.
I’m looking forward to Banks’ day in court, the media scrums where he bleats on and on in his bully/shouty way about how he’s the victim as narcissists typically do. I’m looking forward to Banks doing the walk of shame out of court followed by yet another ‘I am standing tall’ speech. And I’m looking forward to John Key matter-of-factly announcing in the house that he is standing Banks down as a minister as if it’s just an other one of his ‘corrections’.
Also the John Key press conference afterwards where he acts like it’s just some technical thing between Banks and ‘the courts’, like it’s nothing to do with him anyway, like he’d rather talk about ‘jobs’, and like ackshully, he’s not bovvered about it.
The government is trying to run the country on a knife-edge!
And the legs are slipping one slip too far and snjiick off they go.
Such an accurate painting of the totality of Shonkey Python there EM.
Bloody tragic isn’t it ? “That” is our Prime Minister.
Word of warning. I wouldn’t hold my breath over Botox Banks. Shonkey’s spooned with that boy. Would take a very sharp knife !
Thanks for the news and link, Penny.
The link provides a further link to the Judge’s decision to allow the case to go forward.
I had been meaning to read the decision in full and found it well worth reading in terms of how the Judge very fully dealt with the (weak IMO) arguments of Banks’ counsel seeking to have the case thrown out.
Looking forward to the next round. Referral to the Solicitor General leaves the SG and Key etc in a real conundrum!
Another sign that the honeymoon is over? I don’t usually read Travel pieces as my travel days are essentially over, but was drawn to read this one in the Herald by the title – “Why the PM’s wandering eye does matter”.
It’s none of our business if any old Minister of Tourism – or any old Prime Minister, for that matter – chooses to take his family holidays in Hawaii each year.
But when John Key chose to pick up the tourism portfolio he was making a marque declaration about the industry’s importance to New Zealand. Like David Lange baggsying the education portfolio back in the 1980s, this sends a powerful message – look Rest Of The World, this stuff is so important to us that the Prime Minister runs the shop … er, when he’s not tanning himself on Waikiki, of course.
…
When quizzed at last week’s Trenz tourism conference about taking his big holidays in Hawaii rather than in New Zealand, Key – who takes shorter breaks at his holiday home in Omaha – had a smart enough answer.
“The reason I go is not because I don’t love New Zealand. The reason I go is because if I truly want to have a couple of weeks where it’s just me and the family – given the other 50 weeks it’s seven days a week 360-odd days a year – I can’t do that in New Zealand because you can’t switch off being Prime Minster.”
Yep, a smart enough answer. A smarter one might have been to say, “You know what, funny you mention it, next summer we are staying in New Zealand.”
Go on, John, there are plenty of places a millionaire can hole up for a week or two of privacy in Nelson or Coromandel.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10880426
Key’s reply also suggests that the Hawaii holidays are only two weeks a year???? Cannot be bothered checking but IIRC, their summer breaks there are definitely longer than two weeks.
Key probably works ~40 weeks a year. Hard work, sure, but it’s not 50.
“Go on, John, there are plenty of places a millionaire can hole up for a week or two of privacy in Nelson or Coromandel”
or closer to home even, there is a big place in his own electorate that seems perfect to hide away unknown and unseen, worked for that german billionaire, JK never even knew he was there
LOL!
Somehow I don’t think Key would be welcome there from reading KDC’s twitters.
In other STUFF news:
SFO will not be prosecuting Hotchins or Golden Boy *juxtaposed* against the jailing of the ‘dirty filthy’ for drug offences.
I was just thinking (and NOT that I’m an advocate for so called ‘dealers’): Which of the two has caused its victims greater long term damage – given that the Polis generally over-value drug hauls’ street value?
Oh yea – Eric Watshis name!
Just a thought. Let’s imagine for a moment that 100,000 Americans all up and off to some right wing state in the US, there they stole each others phones, three times, and all got locked away for life. How long would the three strikes law last under the weight of that many inmates. The reason why the right wing exists is they know that Americans no longer want to standup and be counted to defend their constitution. geez, like there aren’t 100,000 people jobless in the US.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/397854_10151631553985429_867186158_n.jpg
the message is out, guess we all were wrong. looks like NZ is fine
funny how it does not mention 57 billion dollars of new debt and where oh where do they get the after tax wage increase of 22% since 2008. Aside from a couple of high-end ad guys I know of no-one whose pay jumped by a fifth.
Looks like National’s low pay policies and teacher cuts are already biting them in the bum.
That’s English pulling his bullshit “after tax” wages figure, which after the tax cuts to the wealthy did leap ahead.
Oh, please! the last thing Aucklanders need is Maurice Williamson being let loose on it. In such a case I will likely fast-forward my retirement out of Auckland. Enough is Enough!
I just saw Gerry Brownlee on TV3 explaining why the Government ill not do anything for Auckland’s transport intentions. He ruled out everything except increased rates.
Labour should focus on this. They need to designate someone, eg Phil Twyford as spokesperson for Auckland issues. This person should have no other obligations or roles. All they need to do is take care of Auckland issues, talk about Auckland issues and investigate Auckland issues. With a third of the country’s population in the area this person should, like Len Brown, just talk about Auckland.