Predicting election results in the future with past poll snapshots can only be indicative rather than accurate, with assumptions being in the mix plus normal margins of error and unpredictability of surprise events, but there are some useful trend charts and probability predictions for party vote.
Bugger, looked just like georges site, should keep my comments to a minimum before elevenses 😉
I hate polls, speculative naval gazing, and gambling on elections, this side show rubbish just annoy’s me. And the commentator is a past master at the side show.
My problem with it is that it becomes proscriptive and doesn’t allow for change. What Corbyn is doing couldn’t have been predicted from the polls. If we follow the projected outcome from past polling, may as well hand Peters the sceptre now.
I also believe that some people like to vote for the winning team, so when they are told that x team is winning, that’s who they will vote for.
He’s pretty much spot on with Labour and the Greens, I’d say
I’ve just been analysing Green Party poll trends over the last 4 Elections in order to forecast the party’s 2017 Election Day result, myself – and, in the process, demolish some typically dubious assertions/intellectual sleight-of-hand made by the Notorious National Party agent provocateur, enfant terrible and occasional bon vivant, David Farrar (he insisted a month or two back that the Greens were likely to receive a lower Party-Vote at the September General Election than they’re currently polling).
Currently still in draft form on my Blog – Title – ‘Dark Horse Greens ?’
I’d estimate a Green Party-Vote of 11.3 – 11.9% – not too different from Ellis (though my estimate’s probably slightly lower). Although by no means a major advance, it would represent the Green’s highest ever Party-Vote.
I can’t recall, did Labour support preferential voting in electorate seats in the recent MMP review or not?
If they didn’t, well, how sad, too bad. Duncan Webb shouldn’t feel entitled to have candidates drop out to help him.
The Greens will stand a candidate in Christchurch Central as it’s a place ripe for picking up of party votes.
Nicky Wagner will be in anyway, all it functionally means is who gets in or not further down National’s list. And if it’s Webb or a list member for Labour.
I’d much rather Greens campaign and pick up party votes.
Once again Andrew Little comes on RNZ for another grilling by Suzie Fergusson , who delights in interrupting and harassing and making Andrew sound more like old mumblefuck. It happens every time. Two questions…..
1) Why does he bother?
2) Why not speak with Guyon?
I’m sure he doesn’t get a choice who he speaks to, and RNZ shouldn’t let PMs decide.
The main problem I see with that interview is that they’re talking about different sets of figures. Labour sends out a press release, RNZ use that to do some examples and then ask Little live about them but Little hasn’t seen the calculations so can’t comment. Might have been good to sort that out by email first.
This budget reminds me of just how complicated accessing state support is. I know the WINZ side, and that’s complicated enough (accommodation supplement isn’t as straightforward as Ferguson is making out). But adding tax, WFF, etc, I think there will be plenty of people who aren’t getting those things right simply because they are so complicated.
I think the problem stems from the difficulty in presenting sums on the radio. Once you’ve heard what all the variables are you forget what the equation looks like and vice versa.
One of the examples that Fergusson uses is a family with one teen on $66,000/yr. I tried to look up what the entry threshold based on income tests and can’t find it. All I can find is a series of complicated formulas that I probably can’t be bothered sorting through. So I’m not even sure that RNZ’s basic premise is correct. Can a family on $66,000 even get AS?
AS is basically the same as someone’s weekly rent up to a cap based on area and family size. It is also abated in a similar fashion to WFF, so as income goes up, AS goes down.
Racist grave robber looks like he will be prosecuted.
Mr Hilliam admits having taken human remains from the Poutō foreshore but said they came from hāngī pits, not Māori burial grounds.
That’s caught the attention of Heritage New Zealand, which is now investigating.
Senior archaeologist Frank van der Heijgden said it was a criminal offence to damage an archeological site, and carried a potential penalty of $60,000.
Mr Hilliam said he was forced to take the remains, because no one would issue him a permit.
Indeed. Now he might come to understand what being forced to do something is and that it’s not choosing to steal human remains because someone wouldn’t give him a permit to.
Further to the above:
The above bill is in parliament, that they are rushing through to enable them to sell part of a public reserve for housing.
there were a 100+ submissions on the Bill
95%+ were against the Bill
Local National MP stands up in parliament and says he got alot of feedback and felt “on balance, there is a more pressing need to build 300 more homes for families, and especially for our kids—people who are in need of shelter, warm homes, and clean and modern facilities.” He did not mention, the area is currently waiting for 5K+ houses to be built in the area.
So meanwhile, still waiting to be heard by the whole house the Current running National MP has a public meeting on how work is being done to address window washers at intersections. It was very difficult to raise the “sell part of a public reserve for housing” issue.
Now I always support National. But if this was your electorate what would you do with your vote?
Are these just career politicians? Or do they really represent their electorate?
URGENT ‘ Open Letter’ /OIA request to Minister for Building and Contruction Nick Smith regarding the Pt England Development Enabling Bill, from Independent candidate for Tamaki – Penny Bright.
In my considered opinion, the Local Government and Environment Committee, and the House, have effectively been misled.
In my considered opinion, MPs and the public have been misled, by the effective ‘smoke and mirrors’ exercise that has been carried out, by using similar sounding names for different legal entities regarding the so-called ‘Tamaki Regeneration’, which is actually GENTRIFICATION, and effectively a State-sponsored land grab of public property for private property development.
The ‘Tamaki Redevelopment Company’ (presumably referring to the Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd), actually owns NO houses, and has NO tenants.
2,800 Housing NZ properties were supposed to be transferred to Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd on 31 March 2016.
You, Minister Nick Smith, have been one of two Crown shareholding Ministers in both the Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd, and Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, so, in my opinion, must have been well aware of what exactly was going on.
On your watch, the Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd, (59% Crown and 41% Auckland
Council) which was supposed to have 2,800 Housing NZ properties in Tamaki transferred on
31 March 2016, actually did not end up owning ONE former Tamaki State house.
2,704 former Housing NZ properties were transferred to Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, which is 100% Crown.
TĀMAKI REGENERATION LIMITED (5840214) Registered
To maintain this company log on here
Last updated on 31 Mar 2017
Company SummaryAddressesDirectors (8)Shareholdings (3)Documents (42)PPSR Search
Total Number of Shares:1631161318 Extensive Shareholding:No
Shareholders in Allocation:
Allocation 1:815580609 shares (50.00%)
Minister For FINANCE
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, 6160 , New Zealand
Allocation 2:815580609 shares (50.00%)
Minister For BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, 6160 , New Zealand
Allocation 3:100 shares (0.00%)
TĀMAKI REDEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED
244 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes, Auckland, 1072 , New Zealand
_________________________________________________
Please be advised that I have spent approximately two weeks, unpaid, voluntary work,(from Saturday 15 April 2017 to Sunday 29 April 2017), with the assistance of others, who helped by driving me around all 119 streets in the list of 2,704 former Housing NZ properties now owned by Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, which was provided to me by the General Manager of Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, Mr Neil Porteous.
(As the provided list was neither (street) alphabetical, nor street numbers chronological, it took me some hours to manually reconfigure this Tamaki Regeneration Ltd of 2,704 former Housing NZ properties, in order to make it both coherent and ‘logical’ to follow).
Having retyped this Tamaki Regeneration Ltd list of 2,704 former Housing NZ properties, with the assistance of other community volunteers, who helped by driving street to street, the addresses of ALL 2,704 former Housing NZ properties were checked, in order to establish the following information:
1) Did the former Housing NZ property (house) appear to be occupied?
2) Did the former Housing NZ property (house) appear to be empty / unoccupied?
3) Was the former Housing NZ property now a ‘bare section’, because the former Housing NZ house had been removed?
4) Was the former Housing NZ property now being developed, if so, who was the developer?
Having carried out the above-mentioned ‘due diligence’ – the following information was discovered:
BARE SECTIONS IN THE TAMAKI REGENERATION LIST AS AT 29 APRIL 2017:
MINISTER OF BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, NICK SMITH, PLEASE PROVIDE THE INFORMATION WHICH EXPLAINS THE FOLLOWING:
1) Why are you seeking to turn more public land (one quarter of the Pt England Reserve) into private property development, when ‘on your watch’ as the Minister of Building and Construction, 76 former Housing NZ properties in Tamaki have had (State) houses removed and are now empty, bare sections, and there appear to be also 70 empty former State houses?
2) Why has the Local Government and Select Committee been given, in my considered opinion, such inaccuate advice?
“While not specified in the bill, we were advised that the housing development would be used to rehouse some tenants of the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company whose housing is due for redevelopment, and to provide much-needed additional housing in Auckland.”
3) Please confirm that you have read my following OIA request to the CEO of Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, John Holyoake, and that the Pt England Development Enabling Bill will NOT proceed until the requested information has been fully provided.
(Please be advised that today, 30 May 2017, I received written confirmation that this OIA request has been received and is being processed.)
There’s this amazing thing you can do on the Otago Peninsula, which is go to this specific spot at dusk, and wait for the little Blue Penguins to come in after fishing for the day.
You can barely see then in the grainy light surfing the waves. But if you sit perfectly still, there’s dozens and dozens of them march right close past you as they head to their nests for the evening.
I’d recommend it to everyone as a dose of sheer magic.
It is magic. I’ve seen the little blues swimming in the Otago Harbour too.
Lots of our bird species are heading for extinction and that’s before we take into account climate change 🙁 NZ has the potential to be good at conservation, but we have to make a priority.
That “specific spot” (if I’m guessing correctly) now costs about $40 to get to after a certain time of the day. Used to be free access.
But having witnessed some truly atrocious behaviour around wildlife, I’d be quite happy if not another visitor or tourist came by this way.
Those that have their fingers delving deep into the wallets of tourists off the back of wildlife “safari” shit would probably disagree mind. Though I’d be quite happy for most of them to fuck off too 😉
It’s too big a tourist destination now not to be number-controlled and priced.
The DoC and tour staff were good and clear about enforcing absolute silence and no phone or camera flashes, lest the penguins decide to go and nest elsewhere.
Nice interview with play write and actor Wallace Shawn, (Prince’s Bride) quite interesting to hear him describe his waking up to his white privilege. Might be a bit much for some white folks, you have been warned.
It will be interesting to see how the MSM portray it.
Labour of course did the same by moving talented, younger candidates up the list and some current MPS accordingly dropped. The MSM and a tiny bunch of bitter, twisted formers members (eg. Phil Quin) tried to stir up a hornets nest on the basis there would be ructions inside the Party. It never happened.
TVNZ’s Corin Dann called it a slick performance by the Greens. But he’s only playing the good cop bad cop, I doubt he would relay three positive stories on the left in a row. The status quo has to be protected after all.
There are distinct differences between the MO of Corin Dann and Paddy Gower. One plays it safe and under-estimates everything, the other goes for the jugular and over-estimates everything. The outcome however is the same. Neither gets it right and neither gets it completely wrong. That makes both of them useless as a political sound-board.
Glad to see Golriz Ghahraman go up, and there’s a few other wiggles around in position that seem decent.
Really disappointing to see Hayley Holt and Chloe Swarbrick up so high, they’re really just on there because of name recognition. Swarbrick is at least organised and will work hard, but on what policy position?
It must be galling for a ‘noted activist and expert on climate change’, and an experienced environmental lawyer to be bumped down into a position that’s a massive long shot to get into parliament in order to get a sports TV show presenter a better position.
The study followed workers for 10 years, and redundancy has a big impact on future earnings as people earn substantially less on average (25%) than in their previous jobs, and have 10% higher unemployment rate than the average. This is particularly an issue for older staff than under 30s.
bwaghorn
This came on Radionz today bwaghorn. It gave me some hope for the small farmer and young ones. I haven’t listened to it yet but just the headline was good. I think he had some ideas of his own about how to go about it too. So a thinker.
New Zealand dairy trainee of the year, 24 year old Clay Paton is a young man with a plan, hoping to own a farm, or a large scale sharemilking position by the time he’s 35.
Don’t know JC, I have been trying to do things near grass roots in the town though, and find a lack of spirit to do, change anything in a practical way.. In that spirit, I found his spirit very uplifting, though know not where it will lead. Some people doing – thinking, something, like here for instance, and the young fellow wanting the family farm to continue, gives me encouragement to keep trying.
England, and the Tories who own it, is continuing to demonstrate its parochialism and incompetence of its leadership.
Mays bluster and flag waving is hiding a horrific chasm of ineptitude.
“Protecting the EU single market and institutions was “the only way to build a sound new relationship, if we build something ambiguous then we will have a disaster … you want to take back control, we also want to keep control.”
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Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Hopefully the Labour Party is learning a lot from the integrity and honesty of Jeremy Corbyn’s campaigning.
Here’s just a sample……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2O-RS_yZE
Hopefully the Labour Party is learning a lot from the policies of the UK Labour Party.
100+ Labour policies for a fairer Britain
https://stuartsorensen.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_20170517_143520.png
An interesting polls stats based post: New Zealand general election forecasts
Predicting election results in the future with past poll snapshots can only be indicative rather than accurate, with assumptions being in the mix plus normal margins of error and unpredictability of surprise events, but there are some useful trend charts and probability predictions for party vote.
So this is a link to your own page there peter – how about you be honest about that to start with, I could add more, but lets leave it at that.
The site belongs to Peter Ellis. I agree: let’s leave it at that 🙂
Bugger, looked just like georges site, should keep my comments to a minimum before elevenses 😉
I hate polls, speculative naval gazing, and gambling on elections, this side show rubbish just annoy’s me. And the commentator is a past master at the side show.
My problem with it is that it becomes proscriptive and doesn’t allow for change. What Corbyn is doing couldn’t have been predicted from the polls. If we follow the projected outcome from past polling, may as well hand Peters the sceptre now.
I also believe that some people like to vote for the winning team, so when they are told that x team is winning, that’s who they will vote for.
It’s that constant grind to limit debate, and have us all look in one direction.
I have nothing to do with that website apart from having an interest in what has been posted there.
He’s pretty much spot on with Labour and the Greens, I’d say
I’ve just been analysing Green Party poll trends over the last 4 Elections in order to forecast the party’s 2017 Election Day result, myself – and, in the process, demolish some typically dubious assertions/intellectual sleight-of-hand made by the Notorious National Party agent provocateur, enfant terrible and occasional bon vivant, David Farrar (he insisted a month or two back that the Greens were likely to receive a lower Party-Vote at the September General Election than they’re currently polling).
Currently still in draft form on my Blog – Title – ‘Dark Horse Greens ?’
I’d estimate a Green Party-Vote of 11.3 – 11.9% – not too different from Ellis (though my estimate’s probably slightly lower). Although by no means a major advance, it would represent the Green’s highest ever Party-Vote.
A NZF/Labour Coalition is the most likely outcome, evidently NZF polling quite well and always does better on Election Day ?
Do the Greens need to get out of the way?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93094495/labours-duncan-webb-laments-green-candidacy-in-christchurch-central
Pushing the “Blue-green” thing, ain’t they! Is Maggie Barry a Blue-green? Is Nick Smith?
Webb believes a vote for the Green candidate will essentially be a vote for Nicky Wagner. Vote Green get blue – blue-green.
“Webb believes a vote for the Green candidate will essentially be a vote for Nicky Wagner. Vote Green get blue
blue-green.”fify
I can’t recall, did Labour support preferential voting in electorate seats in the recent MMP review or not?
If they didn’t, well, how sad, too bad. Duncan Webb shouldn’t feel entitled to have candidates drop out to help him.
The Greens will stand a candidate in Christchurch Central as it’s a place ripe for picking up of party votes.
And if Nicky Wagner wins as a result of that it will be too bad for both (Greens, Labour) of them.
Nicky Wagner will be in anyway, all it functionally means is who gets in or not further down National’s list. And if it’s Webb or a list member for Labour.
I’d much rather Greens campaign and pick up party votes.
Once again Andrew Little comes on RNZ for another grilling by Suzie Fergusson , who delights in interrupting and harassing and making Andrew sound more like old mumblefuck. It happens every time. Two questions…..
1) Why does he bother?
2) Why not speak with Guyon?
Do you mean the “Labour say budget’s ‘teenagers tax’ to hurt NZ families” interview?
Just listened to it and I didn’t get that impression. It seemed pretty fair.
Little Shearwater?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/birds-on-morning-report/audio/20146255/little-shearwater
I’m sure he doesn’t get a choice who he speaks to, and RNZ shouldn’t let PMs decide.
The main problem I see with that interview is that they’re talking about different sets of figures. Labour sends out a press release, RNZ use that to do some examples and then ask Little live about them but Little hasn’t seen the calculations so can’t comment. Might have been good to sort that out by email first.
This budget reminds me of just how complicated accessing state support is. I know the WINZ side, and that’s complicated enough (accommodation supplement isn’t as straightforward as Ferguson is making out). But adding tax, WFF, etc, I think there will be plenty of people who aren’t getting those things right simply because they are so complicated.
I think the problem stems from the difficulty in presenting sums on the radio. Once you’ve heard what all the variables are you forget what the equation looks like and vice versa.
One of the examples that Fergusson uses is a family with one teen on $66,000/yr. I tried to look up what the entry threshold based on income tests and can’t find it. All I can find is a series of complicated formulas that I probably can’t be bothered sorting through. So I’m not even sure that RNZ’s basic premise is correct. Can a family on $66,000 even get AS?
Yes they can, depending on area.
AS is basically the same as someone’s weekly rent up to a cap based on area and family size. It is also abated in a similar fashion to WFF, so as income goes up, AS goes down.
Racist grave robber looks like he will be prosecuted.
Mr Hilliam admits having taken human remains from the Poutō foreshore but said they came from hāngī pits, not Māori burial grounds.
That’s caught the attention of Heritage New Zealand, which is now investigating.
Senior archaeologist Frank van der Heijgden said it was a criminal offence to damage an archeological site, and carried a potential penalty of $60,000.
Mr Hilliam said he was forced to take the remains, because no one would issue him a permit.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/331890/man-out-to-prove-maori-not-original-settlers-under-investigation
Yay!
Indeed. Now he might come to understand what being forced to do something is and that it’s not choosing to steal human remains because someone wouldn’t give him a permit to.
This is the same guy who thinks that literally every civilisation going back to the ancient Phonecians came to New Zealand.
And credits John Key, ex-Minister of Tourism, with that.
The type of crime that needs the book thrown at the perpetrator.
I agree. The problem is anything and everything will be used by the conspiracy twerps to reinforce their jaundiced view. Same as it ever was.
That’s similar to what all muggers say to the police..
Read this Point England Development Enabling Bill.pdf
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Point%20England%20Development%20Enabling%20Bill.pdf
or as a more appropriate name
(PUT THE NAME OF YOUR LOCAL PARK HERE..) … ………..Development Enabling Bill.
Or the “Developers Wet Dream Bill”
And the greens are ABSTAINING because it conflicts with their treaty values.
But they do not see the big picture. This is precedent setting.
No RMA Act,No Council Restrictions&No Public Notification!
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Further to the above:
The above bill is in parliament, that they are rushing through to enable them to sell part of a public reserve for housing.
there were a 100+ submissions on the Bill
95%+ were against the Bill
Local National MP stands up in parliament and says he got alot of feedback and felt “on balance, there is a more pressing need to build 300 more homes for families, and especially for our kids—people who are in need of shelter, warm homes, and clean and modern facilities.” He did not mention, the area is currently waiting for 5K+ houses to be built in the area.
So meanwhile, still waiting to be heard by the whole house the Current running National MP has a public meeting on how work is being done to address window washers at intersections. It was very difficult to raise the “sell part of a public reserve for housing” issue.
Now I always support National. But if this was your electorate what would you do with your vote?
Are these just career politicians? Or do they really represent their electorate?
How much of the public reserve will be left as open space, heman ?
13 out of the 45 hectares will be gone.
does that sound like there will be enough left after the fact?
You might think there is enough left? Maybe so but then look at current concept plans, but not sure if there is room for change on this.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Point%20England%20Concept%20Images.pdf
and that may make you think differently.
For me I don’t think it will be a reserve when it is finished, not to mention a whole host of other reasons…
Some images in this article: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/05/28/30765/no-easy-answer-in-pt-england-land-tussle
30 May 2017
URGENT ‘ Open Letter’ /OIA request to Minister for Building and Contruction Nick Smith regarding the Pt England Development Enabling Bill, from Independent candidate for Tamaki – Penny Bright.
Dear Minister,
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/SCR_73903/c3f32f149102b12d9579ec4928427a625f457c5a
” Point England Development Enabling Bill 223—1
[deleted]
________________________
In my considered opinion, the Local Government and Environment Committee, and the House, have effectively been misled.
In my considered opinion, MPs and the public have been misled, by the effective ‘smoke and mirrors’ exercise that has been carried out, by using similar sounding names for different legal entities regarding the so-called ‘Tamaki Regeneration’, which is actually GENTRIFICATION, and effectively a State-sponsored land grab of public property for private property development.
The ‘Tamaki Redevelopment Company’ (presumably referring to the Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd), actually owns NO houses, and has NO tenants.
2,800 Housing NZ properties were supposed to be transferred to Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd on 31 March 2016.
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/51DBSCH_SCR68578_1/244291aaab825db7d3685cce7e3ccd49a2a7589e
“2014/15 ANNUAL REVIEW OF TĀMAKI REDEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED 2
[deleted]
___________________________________________________
You, Minister Nick Smith, have been one of two Crown shareholding Ministers in both the Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd, and Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, so, in my opinion, must have been well aware of what exactly was going on.
https://www.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/3937662/shareholdings
TĀMAKI REDEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED (3937662) Registered
[deleted]
__________________________________________________
On your watch, the Tamaki Redevelopment Company Ltd, (59% Crown and 41% Auckland
Council) which was supposed to have 2,800 Housing NZ properties in Tamaki transferred on
31 March 2016, actually did not end up owning ONE former Tamaki State house.
2,704 former Housing NZ properties were transferred to Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, which is 100% Crown.
https://www.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/5840214/shareholdings?backurl=%2Fcompanies%2Fapp%2Fui%2Fpages%2Fcompanies%2Fsearch%3Fmode%3Dstandard%26type%3Dentities%26q%3DTamaki%2520Regeneration%2520Ltd
TĀMAKI REGENERATION LIMITED (5840214) Registered
To maintain this company log on here
Last updated on 31 Mar 2017
Company SummaryAddressesDirectors (8)Shareholdings (3)Documents (42)PPSR Search
Total Number of Shares:1631161318 Extensive Shareholding:No
Shareholders in Allocation:
Allocation 1:815580609 shares (50.00%)
Minister For FINANCE
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, 6160 , New Zealand
Allocation 2:815580609 shares (50.00%)
Minister For BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, 6160 , New Zealand
Allocation 3:100 shares (0.00%)
TĀMAKI REDEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED
244 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes, Auckland, 1072 , New Zealand
_________________________________________________
Please be advised that I have spent approximately two weeks, unpaid, voluntary work,(from Saturday 15 April 2017 to Sunday 29 April 2017), with the assistance of others, who helped by driving me around all 119 streets in the list of 2,704 former Housing NZ properties now owned by Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, which was provided to me by the General Manager of Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, Mr Neil Porteous.
(As the provided list was neither (street) alphabetical, nor street numbers chronological, it took me some hours to manually reconfigure this Tamaki Regeneration Ltd of 2,704 former Housing NZ properties, in order to make it both coherent and ‘logical’ to follow).
Having retyped this Tamaki Regeneration Ltd list of 2,704 former Housing NZ properties, with the assistance of other community volunteers, who helped by driving street to street, the addresses of ALL 2,704 former Housing NZ properties were checked, in order to establish the following information:
1) Did the former Housing NZ property (house) appear to be occupied?
2) Did the former Housing NZ property (house) appear to be empty / unoccupied?
3) Was the former Housing NZ property now a ‘bare section’, because the former Housing NZ house had been removed?
4) Was the former Housing NZ property now being developed, if so, who was the developer?
Having carried out the above-mentioned ‘due diligence’ – the following information was discovered:
BARE SECTIONS IN THE TAMAKI REGENERATION LIST AS AT 29 APRIL 2017:
[deleted]
___________________________________________________
MINISTER OF BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, NICK SMITH, PLEASE PROVIDE THE INFORMATION WHICH EXPLAINS THE FOLLOWING:
1) Why are you seeking to turn more public land (one quarter of the Pt England Reserve) into private property development, when ‘on your watch’ as the Minister of Building and Construction, 76 former Housing NZ properties in Tamaki have had (State) houses removed and are now empty, bare sections, and there appear to be also 70 empty former State houses?
2) Why has the Local Government and Select Committee been given, in my considered opinion, such inaccuate advice?
“While not specified in the bill, we were advised that the housing development would be used to rehouse some tenants of the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company whose housing is due for redevelopment, and to provide much-needed additional housing in Auckland.”
3) Please confirm that you have read my following OIA request to the CEO of Tamaki Regeneration Ltd, John Holyoake, and that the Pt England Development Enabling Bill will NOT proceed until the requested information has been fully provided.
(Please be advised that today, 30 May 2017, I received written confirmation that this OIA request has been received and is being processed.)
…………
Penny Bright
2017 Independent candidate
Tamaki electorate.
(Exposing the Tamaki GENTRIFICATION $CAM).
[very long pieces of cut and pasted text deleted. Do your own editing next time Penny – weka]
Our Yellow Eyed Penguins to be extinct inside 40 years.
Reported internationally here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-zealand-yellow-eyed-penguin-extinct_us_591e9a4ee4b094cdba52e689?ej&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
There’s this amazing thing you can do on the Otago Peninsula, which is go to this specific spot at dusk, and wait for the little Blue Penguins to come in after fishing for the day.
You can barely see then in the grainy light surfing the waves. But if you sit perfectly still, there’s dozens and dozens of them march right close past you as they head to their nests for the evening.
I’d recommend it to everyone as a dose of sheer magic.
It is magic. I’ve seen the little blues swimming in the Otago Harbour too.
Lots of our bird species are heading for extinction and that’s before we take into account climate change 🙁 NZ has the potential to be good at conservation, but we have to make a priority.
That “specific spot” (if I’m guessing correctly) now costs about $40 to get to after a certain time of the day. Used to be free access.
But having witnessed some truly atrocious behaviour around wildlife, I’d be quite happy if not another visitor or tourist came by this way.
Those that have their fingers delving deep into the wallets of tourists off the back of wildlife “safari” shit would probably disagree mind. Though I’d be quite happy for most of them to fuck off too 😉
It’s too big a tourist destination now not to be number-controlled and priced.
The DoC and tour staff were good and clear about enforcing absolute silence and no phone or camera flashes, lest the penguins decide to go and nest elsewhere.
We were lucky to be there.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/93095967/sea-lions-put-snag-in-aquaculture-plans
Nice interview with play write and actor Wallace Shawn, (Prince’s Bride) quite interesting to hear him describe his waking up to his white privilege. Might be a bit much for some white folks, you have been warned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG05fGYfjWo&ab_channel=RTAmerica
The Green Party finalise their party list. Looks like some shrewd moves to put the high profile candidates further up.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/331902/young-women-candidates-move-up-green-party-list
It will be interesting to see how the MSM portray it.
Labour of course did the same by moving talented, younger candidates up the list and some current MPS accordingly dropped. The MSM and a tiny bunch of bitter, twisted formers members (eg. Phil Quin) tried to stir up a hornets nest on the basis there would be ructions inside the Party. It never happened.
TVNZ’s Corin Dann called it a slick performance by the Greens. But he’s only playing the good cop bad cop, I doubt he would relay three positive stories on the left in a row. The status quo has to be protected after all.
There are distinct differences between the MO of Corin Dann and Paddy Gower. One plays it safe and under-estimates everything, the other goes for the jugular and over-estimates everything. The outcome however is the same. Neither gets it right and neither gets it completely wrong. That makes both of them useless as a political sound-board.
Both are puppets of the establishment.
Switch off the corporate media.
Glad to see Golriz Ghahraman go up, and there’s a few other wiggles around in position that seem decent.
Really disappointing to see Hayley Holt and Chloe Swarbrick up so high, they’re really just on there because of name recognition. Swarbrick is at least organised and will work hard, but on what policy position?
It must be galling for a ‘noted activist and expert on climate change’, and an experienced environmental lawyer to be bumped down into a position that’s a massive long shot to get into parliament in order to get a sports TV show presenter a better position.
So our minister of health thinks it’s fine for fast food to advertise to kids through sport because “a lot of sport in New Zealand right down to the community level wouldn’t take place without that sponsorship.”
That’s what they said about tobacco sponsorship, and guess what? We still have sport.
This government doesn’t care about our health.
It cares about its corporate backers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/93091405/workers-who-lose-their-jobs-are-disadvantaged-for-years
The study followed workers for 10 years, and redundancy has a big impact on future earnings as people earn substantially less on average (25%) than in their previous jobs, and have 10% higher unemployment rate than the average. This is particularly an issue for older staff than under 30s.
bwaghorn
This came on Radionz today bwaghorn. It gave me some hope for the small farmer and young ones. I haven’t listened to it yet but just the headline was good. I think he had some ideas of his own about how to go about it too. So a thinker.
farming
11:25 am today
Young man with a plan, farm ownership by 35
From Nine To Noon, 11:25 am today
Listen duration 17′ :35″
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201845664/young-man-with-a-plan-farm-ownership-by-35
New Zealand dairy trainee of the year, 24 year old Clay Paton is a young man with a plan, hoping to own a farm, or a large scale sharemilking position by the time he’s 35.
Hasn’t the Cow already bolted… despite the sincerity…
Don’t know JC, I have been trying to do things near grass roots in the town though, and find a lack of spirit to do, change anything in a practical way.. In that spirit, I found his spirit very uplifting, though know not where it will lead. Some people doing – thinking, something, like here for instance, and the young fellow wanting the family farm to continue, gives me encouragement to keep trying.
England, and the Tories who own it, is continuing to demonstrate its parochialism and incompetence of its leadership.
Mays bluster and flag waving is hiding a horrific chasm of ineptitude.
“Protecting the EU single market and institutions was “the only way to build a sound new relationship, if we build something ambiguous then we will have a disaster … you want to take back control, we also want to keep control.”
A good one from The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/30/painstaking-detail-brexit-process-revealed-eu-documents