In effect this place pays no tax because the workers work for free (so no PAYE) and despite being worth $38 million and turning $1.8 million profit last year paid no tax. This is because they are registered as a charity. And then they take $199K from you and me to “educate” their children. That (given that they say the outside world is evil) is really taking the piss.
I dont feel charitable. What are our MPs and the IRD doing to ensure they fulfill their obligations as we must as citizens? What is being done to protect the vulnerable young people from these patriarchal predators?
I look forward to hearing sometime in the near future that there has been a police visit with CYFS and any other necessary social services in accompaniment.
Just as long as this is not left to drag. The more media coverage there is the more edgy the elders will get, and there might be open hostility when the authorities eventually do visit.
You gotta hand it to the PM – he’s a supreme actor. Look how gleeful he was on TV3 News last night telling the MSM that shouting to the world the whereabouts of our troops was not “news”. He’d just made it THE news ! and I bet he’s pushed the ponytail saga off the front page by doing so. Distraction politics at its best !
Your right Jenny, Wag the Dog at its best, thats what they do, just like the supposed letters of milk powder contamination….we didnt get to see those or hear anything else about them…..remember the letters were brought to our attention just prior to the Northland bi-election, but that backfired on them, ha.
My partner thought he looked and sounded embarrassed but was trying to cover it with nonchalance. She didn’t think it worked. Red face… cracking voice…
I thought he had been drinking just a little too much.
Whatever, it was disgraceful, careless behaviour from the ‘leader’ who has sent 143 brave soldiers into unknown dangers and just handed their so called ‘secure’ whereabouts to the enemy on a platter……. and in enemies part of the world!
This apology of a man is fast becoming a real liability for our country and it’s citizens.
Here are some interesting articles all of which indicate the fallout from bad US policies.
1. Corporate money (political donations to members of the Senate Finance Committee) is being used to influence the Fast Track vote on TTPA bypass democracy in US.
shame on them all trying to cover this up and I hope brownlie is called out on this today. criminals the lot of them.
“The Earthquake Commission (EQC) is trying to shut down adverse findings about its top engineer Graeme Robinson to avoid reopening his 2500 Canterbury assessments.
EQC is worried the findings, if allowed to stand, will have “serious and far reaching implications” for itself and other insurers.
Robinson was found negligent and incompetent by a disciplinary committee of the Institution of Professional Engineers last year. It also found he did not act honestly and with objectivity and integrity, and cancelled his registration.
The findings have not been released officially, although it is understood most of the complaints from 11 Canterbury homeonwers have been fully or partly upheld. Robinson did more than 2500 assessments in Canterbury for EQC after September 4, 2010, and the commission now faces demands for all his assessments to be reopened.
Robinson appealed the disciplinary committee decisions at a Chartered Professional Engineers Council (CPEC) hearing in Wellington last week. Although the hearing was closed to the media, EQC asked to observe and make submissions but its request was declined.
If the appeal fails, Robinson can still appeal to the District Court.
In a December 2014 letter to the CPEC chairman Graham Shaw, obtained by The Press, EQC chief executive Ian Simpson asked the council to keep decisions about Robinson confidential until any appeal of the decisions was completed.
The letter also said EQC believed the disciplinary committee findings were not supported by the evidence and failed to “properly understand and consider the role of EQC and Mr Robinson”.
Public demands to reopen all Robinson’s assessments illustrated “the difficulties which the decisions will inevitably cause for EQC if they are allowed to stand”.
I read about your “horsing about” and it made me realise you may be able to help me with some answers I need in a hurry.
You see, a couple of weeks ago I was in this café, meeting up with a mate. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the place was pumping, with friends hooking up at the end of a hectic week. I couldn’t help noticing a very attractive young woman sitting at a table on the other side of the room. Her hair, her beautiful, lustrous, enticing hair; caught up in a pertly perfect pony tail which flicked and twitched as she nodded and smiled with her companion. Oh! How my fingers itched, just to touch that hair!
“Earth to Micko”, said my friend, “you’re drooling, mate”, and the spell was broken.
Later, I needed the loo, so I got up to go. Without even realising it, I found myself passing directly behind the young woman and couldn’t help myself saying, as I passed behind her, “Your hair looks so enticing” and, just to emphasise the point, I gave her pony tail a little tug. She swung round in her seat, looking to do battle, so I did my “cheeky schoolboy” grin and said, ” Just horsing about.” She continued to stare, but I could tell she was feeling flattered behind the ice-maiden gaze.
On the way back out I had to pass behind her, again. She saw me coming and turned her face towards me, which meant that the pony tail was out of my reach.
“Playing hard to get, are we?” I thought, as I passed, so I waited until I had gone right past her then, when she wasn’t expecting it, reached back in and gave her another little tug. “Ha, Gotcha” I said, flashing her the old million watt smile.
I got back to my table and my friend leaned in close and hissed in my ear, “Hey, Bro! Settle! Can’t you see she doesn’t like it?”
“Nah, she’s lovin’ it”, I said. Well, I could tell she was ‘cos of the way she was still switching that enticing little ponytail, all over the place.
A bit later we got to the stage of arguing over whose turn it was to pay. He held out for a while, insisting it was his turn but eventually, as I knew he would, he gave in and I got up to go and flash the plastic. Can’t have Bill thinking I owe him anything.
On the way back I was taking a look at the young woman’s face when she glanced up and we made eye contact for just a second. She looked away so quickly that I just knew she was being coquettish. Well, inspiration struck, and I went into “Cookie-Bear” monster mode, advancing on her and humming the theme from Jaws. It had just the effect I wanted. She played along beautifully, turning in her chair, so her back was to the wall, and feigning mock horror.
“I’ll still get you”, I thought, as I reached to get my hand between her head and the wall.
Next thing, I’m face down on the floor. My wrist is somewhere between my shoulder blades, there’s a knee in my back, and the end of a ponytail is flicking in my eyes, while the young woman is barking in my ear, “I am a police officer and I’m arresting you for assault”.
So, now my questions for you, John.
Do you think that if I offer this police woman a couple of bottles of nice red wine and explain how I didn’t realise, do you think that might help my case? Or do I risk being done for attempted bribery?
And what about my broken nose? My lawyer says it will go worse for me if I continue to maintain that the bit about me stumbling into the cell door isn’t actually true. He reckons I should just do a brain fade on the issue. Says it works for you. So should I put in a complaint to the IPCC or should I just stay schtum?
He also says that if I was to openly acknowledge my trichophilia, and seek help for it, then the court might be favourably inclined towards leniency. What do you think?
Hoping you can provide me with some answers,
Yours, with much feeling,
Mickomarvel.
I originally posted this on TDB, but don’t want it to disappear so I’m reposting here, slightly edited.
How about you sending it to John Key, all the National MPs, leaders of all parties, Tv1, TV3 and some radio stations too? And may be to NZ Herald or some other publications who might even pay you for the article!
You could try a little honey applied to the bruises to ease the pain, Mick, it’s a lot cheaper than counselling. And if you’ve run out you could get in touch via Farcebook instead of TM, I have a few spare jars. Definitely don’t stay schtum though, you know what happens if you bottle it up. Messy, very messy…
I’m so proud of the Dunedin City Council progressively voting for divesting from investments in oil and guns. It nice to see something positive for a change. The Councillors who voted against the move range from the short sighted and crusty, through the plain bonkers, on to the right wing libertarian.
the council would also no longer invest in tobacco, arms, gambling and pornography, but it was the issue of whether to include fossil fuels which prompted the most vigorous debate.
That debate continues with; Woodhouse against, Turei supportive, while Clark & Curran (the actual electorate MPs, not just MPs resident in the electorate) were either not asked for, or didn’t provide, comment.
Mr Woodhouse said the council’s decision to dump fossil fuels from the city’s $82.5 million Waipori Fund was ”narrow minded idealism” that would cause ”significant harm to the city it purports to serve”.
”This decision sends a strong message that [oil and gas companies] are not welcome in Dunedin…
Mr Woodhouse admitted he had not spoken to anyone in the oil and gas industry about whether divestment would affect a choice on where to base operations…
Mr Woodhouse’s comments also appeared to show he was unaware of his own Government’s policy.
”The Government is a signatory to the United Nation’s Framework Convention on climate change and recently that convention endorsed fossil fuel divestment.”
The council was acting on the wishes of Dunedin people, which had been evidenced clearly through a consultation process last year.
Dunedin based Green Party co leader Metiria Turei said the council had shown ”great leadership” in choosing to divest.
”I’m sure that other councils will be looking at this decision very closely.”
thanks Pasupial, that is so good, but close eh? Congrats to the DCC. It’s a pity that Woodhouse had to make a dork of himself, these people are so on the wrong side of history and will be judged very harshly in years to come.
Hallelujah brothers and you sinful sisters…we God fearing righteous Christians here at Gloriavale must keep the sins of the world at bay! Creatures of Satan, worshippers of Mammon.
Verily did you not hear an evil satanic follower of the false prophet Feminism said unto us that our Christian school should be shut down, that the nearly $200,000 of tainted money we receive from the evil devil infested government should be denied us, for our blessed childrens learning!
Have we not rendered unto Ceasar what is Ceasars? Perhaps not in full, Caesar after all has said that we don’t as a charity owe him a thing, that our Gods mercy in the form of $1.8 million this year we can keep. No taxes to the evil rabble out in the world, no, generous devil Caesar, he blesses us with the additional money to educate our children in the ways of the Lord. Hallelujah.
Now brothers and sisters, the Lords work awaits you, go forth and toil, give your labour to the Lord, no taxes, forth slothful servants. To the greater glory of God and Hopeful Christian…..let’s take from the Devils world what evil tainted Mamman that we can and save it for the Lord (plus Hopefuls legal bills for the next evil accusations of sexual deviancy…) http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68145084/education-researcher-calls-for-gloriavale-school-to-be-closed
“Further detail on the deployment of troops would not be provided “in accordance with our policy on non-identification of personnel and for reasons of operational security,” Brownlee said.
Prime Minister John Key said the first detachment of New Zealand troops – a “fraction” of the total deployment – would go “soonish” but he would not confirm the date.
He said he would not name the exact date for security reasons, on the advice of the Defence Force.
“They don’t go in one group of 106 people, they go in sub-groups of that.”
Oh… and human rights issues in the Middle East and a claim that Key spotted over 70 NZ products during a visit to a local supermarket…. if his lips are moving… there’s a deal to be made.
SNP will take every seat in Scotland.
Labour will get roughly the same percentage as the Tories: 16-18%
Sturgeon does not need to mention Independence: if every seat in Scotland is an SNP one then seperation has commenced.
This is a bloodless revolution. Where is the party on the 8th May? The results will start around 11am on that Friday morning.
538’s projection shows Lib Dems and Labour are highly likely to each win 1 seat in Scotland. There are two other very-close seats for Labour as well, and the southern-most seat only has SNP a hair ahead of both Conservatives and Labour, and Conservatives winning 2 other seats in the south, although one is only just ahead of the Lib Dems:
Either William Hill or Ladbrooks (can’t remember which one) are only offering odds of 3 – 1 for the SNP winning all 59 seats. As way of comparison, they were offering 1000 – 1 at the time of the last election.
Regardless, I guess their up for far more than their present 6 😉
2. Bill Drees said they will win all seats, to which I pointed out some evidence that they won’t. The wager you are offering has you profit, even if SNP doesn’t win all of the seats. So you’re offering a wager on different terms than the claim that I disputed.
3. 538’s model takes into account a lot of available polling data, as well as demographic information. This makes it more reliable than any single poll, especially polls that are written up by media outlets in order to attract readers.
1. Wine?
2. A counter offer wager?
3. I’ve been watching many polls covering Scotland since the beginning of last year. The pollsters have very solid tested data on which to model due to the IndyRef last year. 95% were enrolled and 85% of them voted.
Many, and particularly Ashcroft, have done extensive polling in individual seats around Scotland. Different polling methods, i.e. Phone, Online, Inteview, are coming up with the same trends and similar results. The “Poll of Polls” that Ashcroft presents uses ComRes, ICM, Ipsos-Mori, Opinium, Populus, Survation, TNS-BMRB and YouGov as well as Ashcroft funded polling.
Though I’ve never heard of “538” they are another one to add to the mix. Thank you for drawing them to our attention.
2. The only wager I would consider is my assertion that SNP will not win 100% of the seats in Scotland.
3. 538 correctly predicted the outcome of all 50 states in the 2012 US presidential election, and 49/50 in 2008, far more accurate than any other prediction. Their UK prediction actually comes from this site: http://electionforecast.co.uk/ which rather than a simple ‘poll of polls’, is a mathematical model of UK voting intention, taking the latest polls into account.
Further interesting on Radionz interview with Brit on coming elections there. It sounds hopeful for Labour et al. And apparently there are enough et al to make it work. And there’s more – Ed is talking, now, about limiting ownership of media, capping it or the like. The Brit said that Murdoch’s papers are having a war of words!
UK election race neck and neck – columnist ( 8′ 16″ )
08:41 With eight days to go until the UK General Election, opposition leader Ed Miliband has made a pitch for the youth vote by visiting actor Russell Brand for what’s being called “a kitchen chat” in the comedian’s multi million pound London flat.
I was reminded by my discussion with Tracey yesterday when I read this article. Seems some people want to wrap themselves in cotton wool and not confront anything that they dislike.
All you have done with that link is show me that you completely missed my point, not only in that thread but for posting as I do on this topic (sexual abuse). Which is fine, I need to try to be clearer in my communication of what I mean so that you don’t go off on a wrong tangent in your understanding of my point of view. I did try hard, but must do better to make my writing more understandable for some people..
It wasn’t neccessarily what you personally stated but a number of other commenters expressed opinions around that subject that reflect the views discussed in that article. One person argued that Rugby promotes violence and therefore should not be promoted. You might like to keep a narrow focus but it is an easy step to demanding massive cultural change to accomodate people’s need to feel “Safe” as per the ridiculous attempts outlined in that article.
Lol
On Planet Key a “conversation with Tracey” includes any conversation that Tracey was even slightly involved with before subsequent statements were made, but a “text conversation with the Prime Minister” does not exist if the person who has the job of being Prime Minister declares he was actively texting but only in a private capacity…
I think Cunliffe, Shearer before him, and Goff before him all genuinely believed that if they were matey enough with people like Hooton and Farrar they’d eventually come onside (or at least go easy on them).
It’s a sad delusion and I’m pleased that Andrew doesn’t appear to suffer from it.
Taika Waititi is returning to the small screen in Brown Eye, a satirical look at the news with a Maori perspective which is starting on Maori Television next month.
[…]
Waititi is a producer on the show with Bailey Mackey. He will appear on the show as Uncle Isaac, giving his insight into subjects such as the Treaty of Waitangi.
Taika Waititi is returning to the small screen in Brown Eye, a satirical look at the news with a Maori perspective which is starting on Maori Television next month.
[…]
Waititi is a producer on the show with Bailey Mackey. He will appear on the show as Uncle Isaac, giving his insight into subjects such as the Treaty of Waitangi.
“You’ll see on the video he walked very slow so there was nothing aggressive about him. He didn’t see the humvee coming, he didn’t hear the humvee coming,” Beatty said. “All he knew was that suddenly he was cut off from the cameras. Then he was grabbed by multiple people in riot gear.”
It’s a video and shows that the police went to a great deal of effort to hide their actions from the camera. I suppose this is what to expect in a police state.
Caught a story at lunch today saying there is a 1,000,000 black men in jail in america and as most of there prisons are working ones it made me think it’s slavery by stealth.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Vietnamese victory over imperialism and the day the last American military and ‘diplomatic’ forces left Vietnam, scurrying away on their choppers. A day of abject humiliation for Washington, as they had too many choppers and not enough aircraft carriers, so a whole bunch of Hueys had to be pushed off the aircraft carriers and into the sea.
Not quite. They wanted to make room for the many hundreds of Vietnamese who understandably didn’t want to live under a communist dictatorship. Aircraft Carriers aren’t usually designed to take the land based choppers that were being flown.
They didn’t want to leave too many collaborators behind because (1) many of them had paid huge bribes, and (2) it would look bad next time they invaded a country if they were seen to abandon the torturers and black marketeers who had helped them. A bit like what they’ve done with their little helpers in Afghanistan, in fact.
There is absolutely no reason a land based helicopter can’t be accommodated on an aircraft carrier. Many makes have air force and navy versions, usually differing in the alloys used in some parts. There were just too many trying to land.
They left very many “collaborators” behind, to their eternal shame.
And as to the local losers in that tragic war, the suffering goes on.
In the 1990s if you rode a cycle-rickshaw in Ho Chi Minh City there was every chance it was being pedaled by a former South Vietnam military officer. It was the only sort of work permitted them.
Similarly, the various hill tribes lived under cruel and restrictive laws for many years after the war. Probably still do.
And as to the helicopters – you can’t operate an aircraft carrier with the decks covered in other people’s aircraft. The US Navy had no use for Vietnamese helicopters, land-based or not.
“Dame Jenny Shipley says her appointment as the first independent chair of Oravida is an important move for the company as it seeks to expand its presence in China.”
must go specially alongside her chair of the Chinese bank in Auckland and how well she did as chair of Mainzeal.
maybe someone can investigate the more secret chinese holdings she held previously with drapac … how did they get the lab space at the old DSIR in Mt Albert ? Hard to imagine without largesse and her matronage.
I love the way Fonterra is calling milk prices “volatile”. Prices have plummeted.
And the way they blame the fall on overproduction and lack of demand. NZ milk production has gone from 9.8 billion litres to 20.7 billion litres between 1996-2015
Govt inaction on housing keeping rates high
The Government’s failure to rein in the housing crisis means the Reserve Bank Governor cannot lower interest rates despite inflation being at 15-year lows, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson.
“Inflation is below the target band and the economy has actually deflated in the past two quarters, yet we have among the highest interest rates in the developed world.
“As the Reserve Bank has repeatedly pointed out the biggest reason for that is the Government’s refusal to tackle the housing crisis.
“If it wasn’t for skyrocketing housing prices in Auckland and the increased spending that comes off the back of that, there’s no doubt the Governor would be looking to lower rates.
“That would lower our overvalued dollar, make our exporters more competitive, create jobs and boost incomes, as well as lower mortgage costs for stretched families. Not to mention reduce the serious financial stability risk the Reserve Bank Governor is so worried about.
“In his commentary today, it is clear the Governor is very concerned about the impact of a high dollar on our exporters.
“National is failing to build enough houses and refuses to take action on property speculators. That failure is keeping rates high which is hurting businesses, homeowners, and all Kiwis looking to get ahead.
This is all a brilliant angle from Grant Robertson, he is actually showing he is a better Finance Spokesperson than I thought he was going to be, but then he ruins it all with his last paragraph:
“The decision on interest rates is usually seen as a headache for the Reserve Bank Governor. It’s quickly turning into a headache for everyone, thanks to John Key,” says Grant Robertson.
Come on Grant! You have just put forward a reasoned argument for why National should be doing more to tackle the housing issue, then instead of finishing with what Labour plan to do about it, or just leave it as a well reasoned attack on National’s credibility, he has to bring the political battle back to John Key vs Andrew Little rather than National vs Labour!
National use this tactic because john Key has an almost 4:1 preferred Prime Minister advantage over Andrew Little (according to the latest Colmar Brunton poll), so bringing the arguments back to man against man works for them, but the tenuous links back to John Key at the end of this Media Release is one of the reasons Labour is making no traction in the polls, lot’s of complaints about National using personality politics, then try to counter it with personality politics when you don’t have an overly popular person leading the party (only 1/3rd of his own voters want him as PM)!
When the Prime Minister says the movement of New Zealand forces through a foreign country is not newsworthy, that is the surest signal he no longer trusts the media.
If the Prime Minister, the most accountable public servant, no longer trusts the media, his/her days with that title should be numbered.
the photographic and video images of him they have selected today makes it very clear how they all feel about his ‘middle finger’ to them.
oh, surprise surprise, they have all been changed !! But the Herald one of him with stretching jaws wide open stuffing a burger in his mouth was a perfect derogation of the hollow man.
also, stuff had a most unflattering image of him, but no links .. all gone !! funny that.
‘Gather you cynics throughout all the land,
and don ‘t criticise what you can’t understand …. ‘
( with apologies to Mr Bob Zimmerman), but this:
“The Swiss government has a long and widely-respected history of neutrality, and therefore, reports from this government on controversial subjects need to be taken more seriously than other reports from countries that are more strongly influenced by present economic and political constituencies. When one considers that two of the top five largest drug companies in the world have their headquarters in Switzerland, one might assume that this country would have a heavy interest in and bias toward conventional medicine, but such assumptions would be wrong.
In late 2011, the Swiss government’s report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government and was just published in book form in English (Bornhoft and Matthiessen, 2011).
This breakthrough report affirmed that homeopathic treatment is both effective and cost-effective and that homeopathic treatment should be reimbursed by Switzerland’s national health insurance program.
The Swiss government’s inquiry into homeopathy and complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments resulted from the high demand and widespread use of alternatives to conventional medicine in Switzerland, not only from consumers but from physicians as well. Approximately half of the Swiss population have used CAM treatments and value them. Further, about half of Swiss physicians consider CAM treatments to be effective. Perhaps most significantly, 85 percent of the Swiss population wants CAM therapies to be a part of their country’s health insurance program.”
There has been many, many, more peaceful protests than violent ones – and still the MSM media won’t discuss the fact some 300 people have been murder by police in the last year. And the overwhelming majority of these people being killed are Black Americans.
I mention that I did a piece honouring Ettie Rout late yesterday which probably will drop out of sight. She was a WW1 war heroine who receved little ackowledgement and lost her position in society and friends resuting in her taking her life. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29042015/#comment-1007830
absolutely she deserves a retrospective award … wonderful heroine who saved so many lives from syphilis and other venereal death sentences. thanks for posting, grey.
did you see the fine sam neill doco on maori tv on anzac day .. he gave her an elegant and deserved eulogy.
link for you, and it reminds well of what very good television looks like …
Earlier today, Ingleby, a postdoc at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, posted two excerpts of the anonymous review. “It would probably … be beneficial to find one or two male biologists to work with (or at least obtain internal peer review from, but better yet as active co-authors)” to prevent the manuscript from “drifting too far away from empirical evidence into ideologically biased assumptions,” the reviewer wrote in one portion.
It doesn’t matter how many extensions there are as it’s the length of the wharves that’s the problem. One will still be narrowing the width of the harbour.
“The workers and their union are asking New Zealanders not to eat at McDonald’s on May Day, and if you drive past a picket line, please toot your horn and wave in support.”
Felix Geiringer is so tongue in cheek it’s easy to miss what he really means … he is neither fisi or bob jones … suffice to know he was tweeting the other day that he was very happy to help Amanda Bailey if she needed legal advice or representation ? -)
Oh rawshark-yeshe. I immediately and fully understood that Felix was demonstrating just how absurd the Key supporters position is. (Just in case anyone thought I took him seriously. But Fisi and Jones do sound just like Felix writes.) And being very funny as well. The Geiringer family has a long and noble history of doing the right thing
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In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
The White Lotus star reflects on her life in TV, including the local ad reference that doesn’t work in Australia, and her bananas co-star on Neighbours.Morgana O’Reilly was scrolling her phone next to her sleeping son on an idle Saturday morning when she got the call confirming that she ...
Claire Mabey explores the pros and cons of puff quotes on book covers.In January, Publishers Weekly put out an article by Sean Manning – publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship US imprint – in which he said he’d “no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books”.The ...
New Zealand’s Entomological Society is hosting its annual bug of the year contest. Here are some of the insects in the running. For some reason – perhaps humans’ inherent competitiveness, the idealisation of democracy, the need to demarcate winners and losers – one of the best ways to get people ...
A journey along the border, with words and illustrations by Bob Kerr.The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.The Sunset Limited leaves Union Station New Orleans on time at nine in the morning. We ...
Neville Peat is the 2024 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in nonfiction. He’s written 56 books, mostly on natural history; this excerpt is from The Falcon and the Lark: A New Zealand High Country Journal, first published in 1992. The falcon wintering on the Rock and ...
It was a light-hearted gesture Greta Pilkington will be forever grateful for – thanks to an Aussie rival who jumped in when the Olympic sailor couldn’t be at her own graduation.Pilkington, then 20, had been leading a double life – while qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the ILCA ...
I was born in the back of my grandfather’s ute, by an overgrown windbreak in a remote place called Wahi-Rakauyou can’t find on a map. I was born a girl but given the man’s name Harvey, as my dad always wanted a violent-minded boy to one day help him ...
“We’re not here to interfere in people’s property rights,” Ngāi Tahu’s Te Maire Tau has told the High Court.Tau, a historian, Upoko (traditional leader) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and a university professor of history, is the lead witness in a case designed to force the Crown to recognise the tribe’s rangatiratanga ...
Pacific Media Watch Trump administration officials barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from covering White House events this week because the US-based independent news agency did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda. The AP is being punished for using the term “Gulf of Mexico,” ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which ...
By bringing these global voices to the fight for free expression in New Zealand, we’ll continue to protect and expand our culture of free speech, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech Union's Events Manager. ...
The issue is no longer a hypothetical one. US President Donald Trump will not explicitly suggest death camps, but he has already consented to Israel’s continuing a war that is not a war but rather a barbaric assault on a desolate stretch of land. From there, the road to annihilation is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cecelia Cmielewski, Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University To be selected as the artist and curator team to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale is considered the ultimate exhibition for an artistic team. To have your selection rescinded, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia and is likely to make landfall early Friday evening. It’s a monster storm of great concern to Western Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor, ANU National Security College, Australian National University A Victorian government decision to allow dingo culling in the state’s east until 2028 has reignited debate over what has been dubbed Australia’s most controversial animal. Animals Australia, an animal welfare ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Overnight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the secretary of the US Health and Human Services Department. Put simply, this makes him the most influential figure in overseeing the health and wellbeing of more ...
Everything you missed from day five of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard eight hours of submissions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.It was another work from home day for the Justice Committee, the only people in Room 3 being security guards, committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Juris Teivans/Shutterstock In Australia, fatal road crashes are climbing again, especially since the pandemic, and despite years of attempts to reduce road trauma, the numbers ...
In its eagerness to appease supporters of Israel, the media is happy to ride roughshod over due process and basic rights. It’s damaging Australia’s (and New Zealand’s?) democracy.COMMENTARY:By Bernard Keane Two moments stand out so far from the Federal Court hearings relating to Antoinette Lattouf’s sacking by the ...
“The reality is we’re getting poorer. The government this year is leaning heavy on chasing economic growth, which is absolutely the right thing to do.” ...
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Gloriavale. A place run by a convicted sex offender and his patriarchal mates. Heres what they take from you and me. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68145084/education-researcher-calls-for-gloriavale-school-to-be-closed
In effect this place pays no tax because the workers work for free (so no PAYE) and despite being worth $38 million and turning $1.8 million profit last year paid no tax. This is because they are registered as a charity. And then they take $199K from you and me to “educate” their children. That (given that they say the outside world is evil) is really taking the piss.
I dont feel charitable. What are our MPs and the IRD doing to ensure they fulfill their obligations as we must as citizens? What is being done to protect the vulnerable young people from these patriarchal predators?
Nothing.
I look forward to hearing sometime in the near future that there has been a police visit with CYFS and any other necessary social services in accompaniment.
Just as long as this is not left to drag. The more media coverage there is the more edgy the elders will get, and there might be open hostility when the authorities eventually do visit.
You gotta hand it to the PM – he’s a supreme actor. Look how gleeful he was on TV3 News last night telling the MSM that shouting to the world the whereabouts of our troops was not “news”. He’d just made it THE news ! and I bet he’s pushed the ponytail saga off the front page by doing so. Distraction politics at its best !
Your right Jenny, Wag the Dog at its best, thats what they do, just like the supposed letters of milk powder contamination….we didnt get to see those or hear anything else about them…..remember the letters were brought to our attention just prior to the Northland bi-election, but that backfired on them, ha.
I call it big noting – a little man on the world stage getting his jollies off – he is not a very insightful person – a hollow man.
My partner thought he looked and sounded embarrassed but was trying to cover it with nonchalance. She didn’t think it worked. Red face… cracking voice…
He always does this. He is desperate to impress those in power so he runs his mouth off.
spot on
I thought he had been drinking just a little too much.
Whatever, it was disgraceful, careless behaviour from the ‘leader’ who has sent 143 brave soldiers into unknown dangers and just handed their so called ‘secure’ whereabouts to the enemy on a platter……. and in enemies part of the world!
This apology of a man is fast becoming a real liability for our country and it’s citizens.
I am so mad at him and his blind followers.
Here are some interesting articles all of which indicate the fallout from bad US policies.
1. Corporate money (political donations to members of the Senate Finance Committee) is being used to influence the Fast Track vote on TTPA bypass democracy in US.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/04/29/corporate-cash-vs-rest-us-fast-track
2. An example of how US foreign policy created the incentive for a journalist to become a terrorist.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/29/life-death-al-qaeda-spokesman/
3. Yet another report on the rorts of Charter Schools in the US
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/04/29/fraud-waste-and-lies-charter-schools-cheating-communities-out-millions-dollars
shame on them all trying to cover this up and I hope brownlie is called out on this today. criminals the lot of them.
“The Earthquake Commission (EQC) is trying to shut down adverse findings about its top engineer Graeme Robinson to avoid reopening his 2500 Canterbury assessments.
EQC is worried the findings, if allowed to stand, will have “serious and far reaching implications” for itself and other insurers.
Robinson was found negligent and incompetent by a disciplinary committee of the Institution of Professional Engineers last year. It also found he did not act honestly and with objectivity and integrity, and cancelled his registration.
The findings have not been released officially, although it is understood most of the complaints from 11 Canterbury homeonwers have been fully or partly upheld. Robinson did more than 2500 assessments in Canterbury for EQC after September 4, 2010, and the commission now faces demands for all his assessments to be reopened.
Robinson appealed the disciplinary committee decisions at a Chartered Professional Engineers Council (CPEC) hearing in Wellington last week. Although the hearing was closed to the media, EQC asked to observe and make submissions but its request was declined.
If the appeal fails, Robinson can still appeal to the District Court.
In a December 2014 letter to the CPEC chairman Graham Shaw, obtained by The Press, EQC chief executive Ian Simpson asked the council to keep decisions about Robinson confidential until any appeal of the decisions was completed.
The letter also said EQC believed the disciplinary committee findings were not supported by the evidence and failed to “properly understand and consider the role of EQC and Mr Robinson”.
Public demands to reopen all Robinson’s assessments illustrated “the difficulties which the decisions will inevitably cause for EQC if they are allowed to stand”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/68135509/eqc-fights-adverse-findings-against-its-top-engineer
Dear John,
I read about your “horsing about” and it made me realise you may be able to help me with some answers I need in a hurry.
You see, a couple of weeks ago I was in this café, meeting up with a mate. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the place was pumping, with friends hooking up at the end of a hectic week. I couldn’t help noticing a very attractive young woman sitting at a table on the other side of the room. Her hair, her beautiful, lustrous, enticing hair; caught up in a pertly perfect pony tail which flicked and twitched as she nodded and smiled with her companion. Oh! How my fingers itched, just to touch that hair!
“Earth to Micko”, said my friend, “you’re drooling, mate”, and the spell was broken.
Later, I needed the loo, so I got up to go. Without even realising it, I found myself passing directly behind the young woman and couldn’t help myself saying, as I passed behind her, “Your hair looks so enticing” and, just to emphasise the point, I gave her pony tail a little tug. She swung round in her seat, looking to do battle, so I did my “cheeky schoolboy” grin and said, ” Just horsing about.” She continued to stare, but I could tell she was feeling flattered behind the ice-maiden gaze.
On the way back out I had to pass behind her, again. She saw me coming and turned her face towards me, which meant that the pony tail was out of my reach.
“Playing hard to get, are we?” I thought, as I passed, so I waited until I had gone right past her then, when she wasn’t expecting it, reached back in and gave her another little tug. “Ha, Gotcha” I said, flashing her the old million watt smile.
I got back to my table and my friend leaned in close and hissed in my ear, “Hey, Bro! Settle! Can’t you see she doesn’t like it?”
“Nah, she’s lovin’ it”, I said. Well, I could tell she was ‘cos of the way she was still switching that enticing little ponytail, all over the place.
A bit later we got to the stage of arguing over whose turn it was to pay. He held out for a while, insisting it was his turn but eventually, as I knew he would, he gave in and I got up to go and flash the plastic. Can’t have Bill thinking I owe him anything.
On the way back I was taking a look at the young woman’s face when she glanced up and we made eye contact for just a second. She looked away so quickly that I just knew she was being coquettish. Well, inspiration struck, and I went into “Cookie-Bear” monster mode, advancing on her and humming the theme from Jaws. It had just the effect I wanted. She played along beautifully, turning in her chair, so her back was to the wall, and feigning mock horror.
“I’ll still get you”, I thought, as I reached to get my hand between her head and the wall.
Next thing, I’m face down on the floor. My wrist is somewhere between my shoulder blades, there’s a knee in my back, and the end of a ponytail is flicking in my eyes, while the young woman is barking in my ear, “I am a police officer and I’m arresting you for assault”.
So, now my questions for you, John.
Do you think that if I offer this police woman a couple of bottles of nice red wine and explain how I didn’t realise, do you think that might help my case? Or do I risk being done for attempted bribery?
And what about my broken nose? My lawyer says it will go worse for me if I continue to maintain that the bit about me stumbling into the cell door isn’t actually true. He reckons I should just do a brain fade on the issue. Says it works for you. So should I put in a complaint to the IPCC or should I just stay schtum?
He also says that if I was to openly acknowledge my trichophilia, and seek help for it, then the court might be favourably inclined towards leniency. What do you think?
Hoping you can provide me with some answers,
Yours, with much feeling,
Mickomarvel.
I originally posted this on TDB, but don’t want it to disappear so I’m reposting here, slightly edited.
Mickomarvel – very funny. Perhaps you can meet up at a cafe to discuss your mutual fascination with ponytails! ?
Mickomarvel, you’re on planet earth remember, not planet key
That needs to go here
https://www.facebook.com/groups/657685857619031/?pnref=lhc
Nice one.
Best ‘Dear John” letter ever written lol .. please ensure you will advise us any reply received from said ‘john’.
How about you sending it to John Key, all the National MPs, leaders of all parties, Tv1, TV3 and some radio stations too? And may be to NZ Herald or some other publications who might even pay you for the article!
You could try a little honey applied to the bruises to ease the pain, Mick, it’s a lot cheaper than counselling. And if you’ve run out you could get in touch via Farcebook instead of TM, I have a few spare jars. Definitely don’t stay schtum though, you know what happens if you bottle it up. Messy, very messy…
I’m so proud of the Dunedin City Council progressively voting for divesting from investments in oil and guns. It nice to see something positive for a change. The Councillors who voted against the move range from the short sighted and crusty, through the plain bonkers, on to the right wing libertarian.
Which way did the vote go?
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/340505/dcc-quitting-its-fossil-fuel-shares
That debate continues with; Woodhouse against, Turei supportive, while Clark & Curran (the actual electorate MPs, not just MPs resident in the electorate) were either not asked for, or didn’t provide, comment.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/340602/dcc-fossil-fuel-divestment-decision-raises-row
Weka
The vote was split 7/7 for/against amongst the councilors, with the mayor casting the deciding vote for divestment.
thanks Pasupial, that is so good, but close eh? Congrats to the DCC. It’s a pity that Woodhouse had to make a dork of himself, these people are so on the wrong side of history and will be judged very harshly in years to come.
I just found the a few links too,
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2015/04/council-joins-global-movement/
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1405/S00253/dunedin-becomes-first-nz-city-to-divest-from-fossil-fuels.htm
Hallelujah brothers and you sinful sisters…we God fearing righteous Christians here at Gloriavale must keep the sins of the world at bay! Creatures of Satan, worshippers of Mammon.
Verily did you not hear an evil satanic follower of the false prophet Feminism said unto us that our Christian school should be shut down, that the nearly $200,000 of tainted money we receive from the evil devil infested government should be denied us, for our blessed childrens learning!
Have we not rendered unto Ceasar what is Ceasars? Perhaps not in full, Caesar after all has said that we don’t as a charity owe him a thing, that our Gods mercy in the form of $1.8 million this year we can keep. No taxes to the evil rabble out in the world, no, generous devil Caesar, he blesses us with the additional money to educate our children in the ways of the Lord. Hallelujah.
Now brothers and sisters, the Lords work awaits you, go forth and toil, give your labour to the Lord, no taxes, forth slothful servants. To the greater glory of God and Hopeful Christian…..let’s take from the Devils world what evil tainted Mamman that we can and save it for the Lord (plus Hopefuls legal bills for the next evil accusations of sexual deviancy…)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68145084/education-researcher-calls-for-gloriavale-school-to-be-closed
WTF!!!
Russell Brand and Ed Miliband on the Trews. Guardian link
The full Trews here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDZm9_uKtyo
Just watching it now, good value so far. Miliband is going to be a great PM, I reckon!
“Further detail on the deployment of troops would not be provided “in accordance with our policy on non-identification of personnel and for reasons of operational security,” Brownlee said.
Prime Minister John Key said the first detachment of New Zealand troops – a “fraction” of the total deployment – would go “soonish” but he would not confirm the date.
He said he would not name the exact date for security reasons, on the advice of the Defence Force.
“They don’t go in one group of 106 people, they go in sub-groups of that.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/67756596/first-new-zealand-troops-set-to-deploy-to-iraq
Oh… and human rights issues in the Middle East and a claim that Key spotted over 70 NZ products during a visit to a local supermarket…. if his lips are moving… there’s a deal to be made.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/2015/04/27/New-Zealand-ISIS-fighters-prompt-security-talks.html
SNP will take every seat in Scotland.
Labour will get roughly the same percentage as the Tories: 16-18%
Sturgeon does not need to mention Independence: if every seat in Scotland is an SNP one then seperation has commenced.
This is a bloodless revolution. Where is the party on the 8th May? The results will start around 11am on that Friday morning.
538’s projection shows Lib Dems and Labour are highly likely to each win 1 seat in Scotland. There are two other very-close seats for Labour as well, and the southern-most seat only has SNP a hair ahead of both Conservatives and Labour, and Conservatives winning 2 other seats in the south, although one is only just ahead of the Lib Dems:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/
Based solely on these predictions, the chances of SNP winning all seats in Scotland is essentially nil.
Either William Hill or Ladbrooks (can’t remember which one) are only offering odds of 3 – 1 for the SNP winning all 59 seats. As way of comparison, they were offering 1000 – 1 at the time of the last election.
Regardless, I guess their up for far more than their present 6 😉
Are you a betting person Lanthanide?
The Scotsman -Edinburgh: SNP on course to win every Scottish Seat.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/snp-on-course-to-win-every-scottish-seat-1-3757713
The Herald – Glasgow: Poll: SNP could win all 59 Scottish seats in general election.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/poll-snp-could-win-all-59-scottish-seats-in-general-election.1430300172
The Independent – London: “….as new poll predicts SNP will win all seats north of the border”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-2015-labours-scottish-leader-predicts-cameron-will-remain-as-pm-as-new-poll-predicts-snp-will-win-all-seats-north-of-the-border-10214211.html
What say I buy you an pint for every non SNP seat and you buy me a pint for every SNP seat over 50?
1. I don’t drink beer.
2. Bill Drees said they will win all seats, to which I pointed out some evidence that they won’t. The wager you are offering has you profit, even if SNP doesn’t win all of the seats. So you’re offering a wager on different terms than the claim that I disputed.
3. 538’s model takes into account a lot of available polling data, as well as demographic information. This makes it more reliable than any single poll, especially polls that are written up by media outlets in order to attract readers.
1. Wine?
2. A counter offer wager?
3. I’ve been watching many polls covering Scotland since the beginning of last year. The pollsters have very solid tested data on which to model due to the IndyRef last year. 95% were enrolled and 85% of them voted.
Many, and particularly Ashcroft, have done extensive polling in individual seats around Scotland. Different polling methods, i.e. Phone, Online, Inteview, are coming up with the same trends and similar results. The “Poll of Polls” that Ashcroft presents uses ComRes, ICM, Ipsos-Mori, Opinium, Populus, Survation, TNS-BMRB and YouGov as well as Ashcroft funded polling.
Though I’ve never heard of “538” they are another one to add to the mix. Thank you for drawing them to our attention.
1. Wine comes in Pints?
2. The only wager I would consider is my assertion that SNP will not win 100% of the seats in Scotland.
3. 538 correctly predicted the outcome of all 50 states in the 2012 US presidential election, and 49/50 in 2008, far more accurate than any other prediction. Their UK prediction actually comes from this site: http://electionforecast.co.uk/ which rather than a simple ‘poll of polls’, is a mathematical model of UK voting intention, taking the latest polls into account.
Further interesting on Radionz interview with Brit on coming elections there. It sounds hopeful for Labour et al. And apparently there are enough et al to make it work. And there’s more – Ed is talking, now, about limiting ownership of media, capping it or the like. The Brit said that Murdoch’s papers are having a war of words!
UK election race neck and neck – columnist ( 8′ 16″ )
08:41 With eight days to go until the UK General Election, opposition leader Ed Miliband has made a pitch for the youth vote by visiting actor Russell Brand for what’s being called “a kitchen chat” in the comedian’s multi million pound London flat.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201752458
I was reminded by my discussion with Tracey yesterday when I read this article. Seems some people want to wrap themselves in cotton wool and not confront anything that they dislike.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0
Yes mean the way you refuse to discuss anything you can’t quantify as an economic equation?
All you have done with that link is show me that you completely missed my point, not only in that thread but for posting as I do on this topic (sexual abuse). Which is fine, I need to try to be clearer in my communication of what I mean so that you don’t go off on a wrong tangent in your understanding of my point of view. I did try hard, but must do better to make my writing more understandable for some people..
It wasn’t neccessarily what you personally stated but a number of other commenters expressed opinions around that subject that reflect the views discussed in that article. One person argued that Rugby promotes violence and therefore should not be promoted. You might like to keep a narrow focus but it is an easy step to demanding massive cultural change to accomodate people’s need to feel “Safe” as per the ridiculous attempts outlined in that article.
Then why name me specifically if it was what “other commenters expresed opinions around”?
Sigh, cos asking to be respected requires a “massive” cultural change just so lsome people can feel “safe” … do you ever re-read what you write?
Because the discussion was around a topic you kicked off.
Lol
On Planet Key a “conversation with Tracey” includes any conversation that Tracey was even slightly involved with before subsequent statements were made, but a “text conversation with the Prime Minister” does not exist if the person who has the job of being Prime Minister declares he was actively texting but only in a private capacity…
Starting right now on Nine to Noon, Muslim women’s rights with Mona Eltahawy, Egyptian author of Headscarves and Hymens.
need a laff..?
hooton and little are clawing at each other..
..little has called hooton a ‘total nutbar’…
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/andrew-little-and-matthew-hooton-have-a-twit-spat-little-calls-hooton-a-total-nutbar/
Thems fighting words!
Can’t imagine Cunliffe would’ve said something like that.
I think Cunliffe, Shearer before him, and Goff before him all genuinely believed that if they were matey enough with people like Hooton and Farrar they’d eventually come onside (or at least go easy on them).
It’s a sad delusion and I’m pleased that Andrew doesn’t appear to suffer from it.
and two of them weren’t sure they could oppose some issues with a straight face
Shearer? YES.
Cunliffe? NO.
Māori Television takes the lead, again.
Taika Waititi is returning to the small screen in Brown Eye, a satirical look at the news with a Maori perspective which is starting on Maori Television next month.
[…]
Waititi is a producer on the show with Bailey Mackey. He will appear on the show as Uncle Isaac, giving his insight into subjects such as the Treaty of Waitangi.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11440530
Thanks joe
Something to look forward to on Māori Television.
Taika Waititi is returning to the small screen in Brown Eye, a satirical look at the news with a Maori perspective which is starting on Maori Television next month.
[…]
Waititi is a producer on the show with Bailey Mackey. He will appear on the show as Uncle Isaac, giving his insight into subjects such as the Treaty of Waitangi.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11440530
Baltimore activist ‘kidnapped’ on live TV is in jail despite having hands up ‘the whole time’
It’s a video and shows that the police went to a great deal of effort to hide their actions from the camera. I suppose this is what to expect in a police state.
He was calmly urging others to refrain from violence and to go home peacefully.
Can’t be having that. The only peace that counts is a peace imposed by force and fear.
The KKK is alive and well in the USA. And it wears blue. The Grand Dragons are now ‘Police Commissioners’.
Caught a story at lunch today saying there is a 1,000,000 black men in jail in america and as most of there prisons are working ones it made me think it’s slavery by stealth.
The new Jim Crow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Jim_Crow
http://newjimcrow.com/about
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Vietnamese victory over imperialism and the day the last American military and ‘diplomatic’ forces left Vietnam, scurrying away on their choppers. A day of abject humiliation for Washington, as they had too many choppers and not enough aircraft carriers, so a whole bunch of Hueys had to be pushed off the aircraft carriers and into the sea.
I’ve written about the Vietnam War, or as the Vietnamese called it, The Great Patriotic War, here: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/29/vietnam-40th-anniversary-of-the-triumph-over-imperialism/
Phil
Not quite. They wanted to make room for the many hundreds of Vietnamese who understandably didn’t want to live under a communist dictatorship. Aircraft Carriers aren’t usually designed to take the land based choppers that were being flown.
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/312/563/05d.jpg
They didn’t want to leave too many collaborators behind because (1) many of them had paid huge bribes, and (2) it would look bad next time they invaded a country if they were seen to abandon the torturers and black marketeers who had helped them. A bit like what they’ve done with their little helpers in Afghanistan, in fact.
There is absolutely no reason a land based helicopter can’t be accommodated on an aircraft carrier. Many makes have air force and navy versions, usually differing in the alloys used in some parts. There were just too many trying to land.
They left very many “collaborators” behind, to their eternal shame.
And as to the local losers in that tragic war, the suffering goes on.
In the 1990s if you rode a cycle-rickshaw in Ho Chi Minh City there was every chance it was being pedaled by a former South Vietnam military officer. It was the only sort of work permitted them.
Similarly, the various hill tribes lived under cruel and restrictive laws for many years after the war. Probably still do.
And as to the helicopters – you can’t operate an aircraft carrier with the decks covered in other people’s aircraft. The US Navy had no use for Vietnamese helicopters, land-based or not.
Indeed. And it wasn’t a “war” and it was a draw not a loss /sarc
:pokey tongue out face:
Library access to scoop.co.nz denied
Independent of what/who
“Dame Jenny Shipley says her appointment as the first independent chair of Oravida is an important move for the company as it seeks to expand its presence in China.”
must go specially alongside her chair of the Chinese bank in Auckland and how well she did as chair of Mainzeal.
maybe someone can investigate the more secret chinese holdings she held previously with drapac … how did they get the lab space at the old DSIR in Mt Albert ? Hard to imagine without largesse and her matronage.
Shipley would be the ideal candidate to be independent of integrity, accountability, honesty, public service, and ethics.
Engish as NZ traitor: headline says it all.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/68152582/government-offloads-2800-state-houses-to-auckland-development-company
nb: use of the verb “offload’ in the headline.
nb2: English’s action includes givng the developer a $200 million instant line of credit to get them start !
Brian Donnelly has been involved in “developing” state housing for a while now.
http://www.nzsef.org.nz/the-2007-fellowship/brian-donnelly
Thanks for the link Murray. It is well worth a read folks.
It is kind of what the Housing Corporation used to do? Now they rely on direct funding from the public.
But quick. Look over there, people are taking up the grants to buy their own houses… Govt is good for low income folks looking for a home..
I love the way Fonterra is calling milk prices “volatile”. Prices have plummeted.
And the way they blame the fall on overproduction and lack of demand. NZ milk production has gone from 9.8 billion litres to 20.7 billion litres between 1996-2015
Power problem. Fallback failed yet again.
Sneaker fallback worked. May as well take lunch back with me.
When are Labour going to learn!
Press release this morning from Grant Robertson:
Govt inaction on housing keeping rates high
The Government’s failure to rein in the housing crisis means the Reserve Bank Governor cannot lower interest rates despite inflation being at 15-year lows, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson.
“Inflation is below the target band and the economy has actually deflated in the past two quarters, yet we have among the highest interest rates in the developed world.
“As the Reserve Bank has repeatedly pointed out the biggest reason for that is the Government’s refusal to tackle the housing crisis.
“If it wasn’t for skyrocketing housing prices in Auckland and the increased spending that comes off the back of that, there’s no doubt the Governor would be looking to lower rates.
“That would lower our overvalued dollar, make our exporters more competitive, create jobs and boost incomes, as well as lower mortgage costs for stretched families. Not to mention reduce the serious financial stability risk the Reserve Bank Governor is so worried about.
“In his commentary today, it is clear the Governor is very concerned about the impact of a high dollar on our exporters.
“National is failing to build enough houses and refuses to take action on property speculators. That failure is keeping rates high which is hurting businesses, homeowners, and all Kiwis looking to get ahead.
This is all a brilliant angle from Grant Robertson, he is actually showing he is a better Finance Spokesperson than I thought he was going to be, but then he ruins it all with his last paragraph:
“The decision on interest rates is usually seen as a headache for the Reserve Bank Governor. It’s quickly turning into a headache for everyone, thanks to John Key,” says Grant Robertson.
Come on Grant! You have just put forward a reasoned argument for why National should be doing more to tackle the housing issue, then instead of finishing with what Labour plan to do about it, or just leave it as a well reasoned attack on National’s credibility, he has to bring the political battle back to John Key vs Andrew Little rather than National vs Labour!
National use this tactic because john Key has an almost 4:1 preferred Prime Minister advantage over Andrew Little (according to the latest Colmar Brunton poll), so bringing the arguments back to man against man works for them, but the tenuous links back to John Key at the end of this Media Release is one of the reasons Labour is making no traction in the polls, lot’s of complaints about National using personality politics, then try to counter it with personality politics when you don’t have an overly popular person leading the party (only 1/3rd of his own voters want him as PM)!
When the Prime Minister says the movement of New Zealand forces through a foreign country is not newsworthy, that is the surest signal he no longer trusts the media.
If the Prime Minister, the most accountable public servant, no longer trusts the media, his/her days with that title should be numbered.
the photographic and video images of him they have selected today makes it very clear how they all feel about his ‘middle finger’ to them.
oh, surprise surprise, they have all been changed !! But the Herald one of him with stretching jaws wide open stuffing a burger in his mouth was a perfect derogation of the hollow man.
also, stuff had a most unflattering image of him, but no links .. all gone !! funny that.
the ice is thinning under key’s feet.
but this odd choice of image survives on TV3 .. proves my point !
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/key-troop-deployment-not-newsworthy-2015042911#axzz3Yb448UjV
‘Gather you cynics throughout all the land,
and don ‘t criticise what you can’t understand …. ‘
( with apologies to Mr Bob Zimmerman), but this:
“The Swiss government has a long and widely-respected history of neutrality, and therefore, reports from this government on controversial subjects need to be taken more seriously than other reports from countries that are more strongly influenced by present economic and political constituencies. When one considers that two of the top five largest drug companies in the world have their headquarters in Switzerland, one might assume that this country would have a heavy interest in and bias toward conventional medicine, but such assumptions would be wrong.
In late 2011, the Swiss government’s report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government and was just published in book form in English (Bornhoft and Matthiessen, 2011).
This breakthrough report affirmed that homeopathic treatment is both effective and cost-effective and that homeopathic treatment should be reimbursed by Switzerland’s national health insurance program.
The Swiss government’s inquiry into homeopathy and complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments resulted from the high demand and widespread use of alternatives to conventional medicine in Switzerland, not only from consumers but from physicians as well. Approximately half of the Swiss population have used CAM treatments and value them. Further, about half of Swiss physicians consider CAM treatments to be effective. Perhaps most significantly, 85 percent of the Swiss population wants CAM therapies to be a part of their country’s health insurance program.”
Full article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/homeopathic-medicine-_b_1258607.html
“For the times, they are a changin’ ” …
Well worth watching – Good work by the activist. Great media work.
Also good analysis from the folks from Young Turks.
https://twitter.com/deray
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing
#baltimoreuprising
There has been many, many, more peaceful protests than violent ones – and still the MSM media won’t discuss the fact some 300 people have been murder by police in the last year. And the overwhelming majority of these people being killed are Black Americans.
Lest we forget – Freddie Gray.
In four months 386 people have been killed by police.
http://www.killedbypolice.net/
https://www.facebook.com/KilledByPolice?fref=nf
Maybe it was 300 people since the start of the year, was the quote I heard.
That said, any figure over 0 is a tragedy. 300+ is morally bankrupt, corrupt system that is failing.
I mention that I did a piece honouring Ettie Rout late yesterday which probably will drop out of sight. She was a WW1 war heroine who receved little ackowledgement and lost her position in society and friends resuting in her taking her life.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29042015/#comment-1007830
absolutely she deserves a retrospective award … wonderful heroine who saved so many lives from syphilis and other venereal death sentences. thanks for posting, grey.
did you see the fine sam neill doco on maori tv on anzac day .. he gave her an elegant and deserved eulogy.
link for you, and it reminds well of what very good television looks like …
https://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/anzac-2015/S01E001/anzac-2015-anzac-tides-blood
Thanks for thinking of that r-yeshe. I haven’t got tv at moment but should get set up for Maori TV.
you can watch online if you have a computer … just use the same link …
Updated: Sexist peer review elicits furious Twitter response, PLOS apology
Bold mine and all I can say to that is: WTF???
wow
comments are an interesting read (plus that video, lolz).
Can’t say I’m too surprised. Women talking about gender, how could they not be biased 😉
Is Len Brown a corporate stooge or is it just that he’s overly thick and mendacious ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11441189
A bit of both?
It doesn’t matter how many extensions there are as it’s the length of the wharves that’s the problem. One will still be narrowing the width of the harbour.
@Draco..yes pretty much.
They say we get the leaders we deserve… not sure what we did to deserve our current local and government leaders.
Boycott McDonald’s Tomorrow : May 1 :
“The workers and their union are asking New Zealanders not to eat at McDonald’s on May Day, and if you drive past a picket line, please toot your horn and wave in support.”
See more at:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/30/guest-blog-anonymous-mcdonalds-worker-old-mcdonalds-had-a-strike/#sthash.cBVnfPll.dpuf
I’m glad to say that will be very easy for me…never eaten there and never intend to do so.
“Louise Upston spouts meaningless waffle when she talks about women’s issues.”
Dita de BonI writes:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11440715
Felix Geiringer: “Will ‘bit of fun’ end up like pate polishing? “A very funny look at the Hair Pulling Brigade. Sounds just like Fisi or Bob Jones.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11440603
(Funny thing is that to click on the agree hand the vote evaporates when reloading page.)
Felix Geiringer is so tongue in cheek it’s easy to miss what he really means … he is neither fisi or bob jones … suffice to know he was tweeting the other day that he was very happy to help Amanda Bailey if she needed legal advice or representation ? -)
Oh rawshark-yeshe. I immediately and fully understood that Felix was demonstrating just how absurd the Key supporters position is. (Just in case anyone thought I took him seriously. But Fisi and Jones do sound just like Felix writes.) And being very funny as well. The Geiringer family has a long and noble history of doing the right thing
it was the fisi reference that had me fooled ! no insult to you intended ianmac!