Labour & Greens have fielded very strong candidates who appeal to many, more so than the weak candidates they stood in 2014. While Savage is pragmatic about Jones standing, I think Ash won’t cut any deal and given the Greens co leader has come out staunchly opposed to Jones. There will be no change in Whangarei Reti is it.
Don’t forget that Whangarei is completely encircled by Winston’s electorate and we’ve still got an awful lot of one-way bridges up here – the trains still aren’t running and the trucks on the roads are getting worse
Pete George,
All of the candidates that you have listed have been through a process of selection within their parties, particularly National and Labour who normally have vigorous process.
Shane Jones did not go through any process.
NZ First is a sham political party.
Contemporary voting is based more on personalities than parties. Jones might significantly increase NZF party votes. That’s a major reason for him to run.
MSM are fawning all over Jones even had a couple asking if I will be there. Yeah I will get along box off a deal or 2 given they both know I hold the key for any upset victory up here.
Interesting one of the MSM shills outed this;
“One of National’s most senior MPs has even told me he thought Jones would win and Reti would lose.”
Apparently it was Gerry Brownlee who said this. Not good a inner circle Minister thinks this of the ‘strong local voice’. Though Jabba was bitter his mini me Jones never beat Reti for the candidacy.
On that very score (James @ 1 above) I’m rethinking my intended repeat vote for Winston Peters in Northland electorate. Additionally, the great ‘me me me’ void which is Jones quite repels this voter. It’s a question of character.
In the Northland by-election it actually made a difference whether you voted for Peters, the Nat wotzit, or any of the others. Because before the by-election the Nats only needed one of Rimmer or the hairdo or the Maori Party for a majority. After Peters won, the Nats needed the Maori Party or both Rimmer and the hairdo. That’s a major shift in the balance of power.
In the coming election, it’s back to just the party vote that matters, unless you’re in Epsom, Ohariu, or the Maori electorates. For the other electorates, at most the electorate result just shuffles who’s in or out in the lower part of the list.
Still awaiting your opinion on the real issues that affect many people in this country.
How does New Zealand tackle the extreme levels of inequality
How does New Zealand tackle child poverty
How does New Zealand tackle extreme levels of suicide
How does New Zealand tackle The housing crisis
How does New Zealand tackle its alcohol problem
How does New Zealand tackle the P epidemic
How does New Zealand tackle Obesity
As to suicde/mental health/drugs, a Scandinavian country took a different approach. (I heard this on rnz about a month ago)
They invested heavily in activities youth enjoy: sport music,cultural activities. The thinking was that the happy chemicals serotonin and dopamine are released in a sustainable way.
Some of the effects were far less time on their devices, increased time with parents and a drop in the statistics that we kiwi are excelling in.
This all takes time, which ironically, is a key by product of a UBI!
“Show me the money”, I hear the Tories whine, a FTT, home tax, tobin tax.
All doable we merely lack the will.
And in Iceland they developed a huge amount time/money in activity for young people. Alcohol use in teens dropped from 40% to 5%. The streets of Rechaivik (sp?) are now empty of loitering kids as they are too busy being active.
the tax on equity securities nuked most domestic bond speculation – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The ones in Switzerland and Taiwan rake in billions a year, so really it’s in how you implement it. How’s the one in Colombia doing? France? Italy? Peru? Belgium? the USA? In the 30-odd other countries that have some form of FTT?
If we are to believe Chang Ha-Joon, Switzerland’s relative prosperity relates to their having the highest consumption of locally manufactured goods – the financial sector contributes remarkably little to the great majority of the populace.
Hi gosman,
I am not familiar with the Swede example,
If you benefit from the tax spend you would think it was good.
If your previously untaxed habits become liable for a .01% tax, you may have a differing opinion.
From what I have read it is one of the initiatives that appeals across the political spectrum.
From the left it lessens inequality, from the right it allows more participants in the ‘market’.
Read Labour’s announced policies, Ed. Easy to find on their website. That will answer some of your queries – oh, and also read Andrew Little’s speeches – those should answer the rest of your queries.
being a masseuse didn’t end happily for me, I took the Reiki just an inch too far and it got weird, and I got fired from the braille job after an incident with a sesame seed bun.
I’d keep getting kicked out of the House for telling tories to suck my balls. I really did work venue security for years, and the patois of the street is difficult to shake. And there’s something about smiling tories that makes my fists itch.
But there are plenty of opportunities to slog away for the good fight while being restrained from general public contact. And the last six months or so I’ve been working with a local community culture&heritage group – you’d be amazed at how many people need a halfway decent bureaucrat. When their place is up and running I’ll be slamming together just a basic excel worksheet for people and skillsets that will flag when safety and competency certifications (first aid/fire/etc) are due to expire – you know, the sort of things that slip off the radar and then cause havoc five years later when auditors discover they’re noncompliant.
Scoop is holding a consultation on housing using the HiveMind platform – a modern civics application that supports text analysis of different viewpoints.
There is plenty of information on the page but essentially we have sourced ideas from across the political spectrum from – NZ initiative, Renters United, Community Housing Aotearoa, government policy, party manifestos, research articles and so on.
If you are able I’d be delighted if you can take part. The output will be a report on the diversity of views proposed and analysis of approaches that seem to have wide endorsement. We have contacted hundreds of people interested in the area – people involved in public housing, rental campaigns, property companies, estate agents, builders and developers as well as our readership.
i had a look at the last election results , unfortunately the chances of jones and reti splitting the vote far enough for labour to get in is unlikely, unless the greens pull their person
But ask yourself this? How appropriate will Shane Jones be as a New Zealand First candidate given his past history? He was after all the minister that controversially approved citizenship for businessman Bill Liu, a man convicted in May of money laundering. How does that fit with New Zealand First’s immigration and law and order stances?
Shane Jones is a near-perfect candidate for New Zealand First.
While he won’t win in Whangarei, he will get a good list placing and will strengthen the NZF firepower in parliament whether they are a part of the government or not. If they do get in to government, he is already an experienced Minister.
He is an excellent campaigner, always funny at the podium, self-funding, well versed, charming (if that kind of thing appeals), takes no prisoners, qualified Masters in Public Administration with further study at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Management, and now on top of that plenty of diplomatic and commercial experience across the Pacific.
If a Labour and Greens binary grouping cannot work with Shane Jones, they have absolutely no chance of being in power until 2020, and it will be their fault not his.
I reckon Jones is bought and paid for by National and will serve only them no matter what position he holds. Labour and The Greens can do nothing about that.
Given Jones’ antipathy towards the Greens and the Greens willingness and ability to work with anyone in shared policy, I think your analysis is flawed. But another good reason for lefties to not vote NZF, jones would be just as happy with national.
The Greens don’t need NZF. If you want change but not power for its own sake then you don’t have to play those games in that way.
I would say the ball is in Labour’s court on this. I’ve seen the argument that Labour should just come out and say it won’t work with NZF and then centrist/swing voters can choose if they want to change the govt or not. Of course Labour aren’t going to do that but it does sharpen the mind.
Plus it’s up to swing, centrist and left wing voters generally. I don’t have a problem with NZF being in a coalition with Labour and the Greens, and I can certainly see why NZF appeals to many people needing a better government than we’ve had. But I do have a problem with Peters in that because despite the useful things he’s done, he has also routinely used MMP to lessen representation and consolidate power to the middle and the right. I full expect him to continue to do that including in post-election negotiations.
There should be a line beyond which the powermongering has to be resisted for its own sake and I’d prefer the Greens to stay out of government rather than be so compromised as to see themselves as having to bow down to the anti-democratic positions of Peters and Jones if that’s what Peters insists upon. I would trust the Greens to know where that line is, but it would also be very hard given how hard they’ve worked to get into govt. Not sure what the membership would do, and a lot will depend on them.
I don’t mind the Greens becoming more mainstream, while it lessens their progressiveness somewhat it moves NZ in a better direction. But if NZ chooses a centrist, right of Labour govt via NZF, then we need the Greens to hold the left position because there is literally no-one else to do it. They can’t do that if the kaupapa is appeasing Shane Jones in order to gain power.
He has the kind of “charm” that does not appeal, in fact it makes me want to smack him in the face: smug, pompous false bonhomie, always with a strand of malicious bigotry underlying it.
He may have been to a fancy university and been a hit on the local cocktail circuit, but the only things he’s famous for are ones that prompt the suspicion that he’s corrupt. He’d fit right in to a National cabinet, but I guess he prefers to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
Certainly Labour and the Greens would be nuts to have anything to do with him.
2.55A Minister of the Crown, while holding a ministerial warrant, acts in a number of different capacities:
in a ministerial capacity, making decisions and determining and promoting policy within particular portfolios;
in a political capacity as a member of Parliament, representing a constituency or particular community of interest; and
in a personal capacity.
2.56In all these roles and at all times, Ministers are expected to act lawfully and to behave in a way that upholds, and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical standards.
This includes exercising a professional approach and good judgement in their interactions with the public and officials, and in all their communications, personal and professional.
Ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.
2.57Holding ministerial office is regarded as a full-time occupation and is remunerated as such. Accordingly:
accepting additional payment for doing anything that could be regarded as a ministerial function is not permissible; and
accepting payment for any other activities requires the prior approval of the Prime Minister.
_____________________________
The problem?
“Ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.”
What happens when the Prime Minister arguably does NOT act lawfully and behaves in a way that does NOT uphold and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical standards?
Is the Prime Minister going to sack himself?
Unlikely.
So – I guess that becomes the job of the voting public on 23 September 2017?
Penny is citing the Cabinet manual, proposing that it has no real effect, then saying the election is the real law. On both counts she is wrong, and dumb. Bill English will be re-elected by a country mile but that does not make what he did right. Nor does it make the Cabinet manual ineffective. Penny should hold her breath until the Police have completed the further examination and make a determination.
No a few Hail Mary’s for penance and all his sins are forgiven, a good Catholic will already have confessed.’Bless me father for I have sinned etc’.See no quilt.
The RNZ “In The House” This link is the privatisation of government services, including Universities. Also the dire state of RNZ being defended by Richard Griffen. This has recieved minimum coverage in the MSM and was difficult to find on the RNZ website. Disgraceful.
Illustrates what the staff there are dealing with. Long list of issues presented:
“There’s a concern that RNZ hasn’t managed reasonably well on its reduced funding. There’s a downgrade in regional coverage, cuts in key programs, there’s no buffer in the staffing – so they’re down to a skeleton staff on the weekends, there’s key staff resignations, a loss of experience, thin cover in the newsroom, the closure of regional offices including Tauranga and Queenstown – no journalists now between Hamilton and Napier,”
To which the board chair Richard Griffin apparently considers this a compelling rebuttal:
“Our audience is bigger both online and on-air than they’ve ever been.”
It’s an object lesson in why you shouldn’t appoint right-wingers to run public-sector organisations.
national treat every govt dept and SOE as a potential opportunity to further their interests, shore up positions and dish out sinecures.
RNZ/TVNZ are willing participants under griffin and house of travel kev after recycling rik laid the groundwork, blew sheds of cash on tivo and gave heartland away to sky.
Exactly. Commercial radio is so appallingly bad that people flee to National Radio, and a dumb-arse commercialist uses this as an excuse for deliberate underfunding of National Radio. (I refuse to agree to all the expensive name-changes that National Radio has undergone over recent years.)
National are in trouble on the Peter Thiel “12 days” scandal. It is something the public can easily understand, and smacks of privilege and favouritism to mates.
But it is worse than that. On RNZ Nine to Noon just now the comedians, Raybon Kan and Michelle O’Court couldn’t resist the issue and roasted it.
O’Court suggested that when the Americas Cup comes to Auckland this would mean a lot of rich white men would come too, so the government should open a Citizenship Kiosk, handing out passports to the rich white men as they would be here for longer than 12 days.
Raybon Kan, having listened to Nathan Guy’s reasons for granting citizenship, said that Guy was worshiping Thiel like he was Harry Styles, and that Guy must have a poster of Thiel up in his room.
When the comedians are finding such fertile ground for irony in a government decision, they are in trouble.
They’re right. Citizenship for sale is something that should make those who have given up their lives to move to NZ, gone through the process, and become a citizen through proper channels, very mad.
We still haven’t seen any compelling reasons as to why he was given citizenship. Apart from a vulture fund that benefited Thiel, and a few million pumped into Xero (and likely sold when it hit $50 a share)…
He was supposed to promote NZ on the world stage? A quick Google shows he has never mentioned NZ in his multiple speaking engagements over the last two years… And he deals a lot with the IT sector, which he was supposed to promote NZ to.
So, this is something that should be taken further. Judicial review a possibility?
A’Court-thanks. Not sure if judicial review would work as outside statutory period to lodge. But you have reminded me of something else Raybon Kan alluded to, which was: Who else has had the same treatment?
Maybe we need an OIA request asking for info on any other dubious citizenship approvals over the last few years.
Chimpanzees have their limitations too. Mothers may group together and raid another group and catch and eat their babies. Also when one chimpanzee became ill and its fur changed colour or something, he was rejected from his group who wouldn’t groom him. Jane had to help him as a fellow group member to gather the materials for his nest each night as no-one else would.
The old primitive things that come up in our minds need to be dealt to with our superior intellect, but usually aren’t and often we use that intellect to impose harm to a psychotic degree.
“Jane had to help him”
You mean that that miserable bugger Tarzan, the supposed “Tarzan of the apes” didn’t do it first?
Or do you have some other Jane in mind?
Alwyn
I just presumed that any informed person on TS would know about Jane Goodall and her groundbreaking research and study on chimpanzees.
A woman whose work is all good. Easy to remember her name.
The official title for her work is Primatologist also ethologist, anthropologist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall
There you are. An information capsule – just slip it in the nearest gap in your head.
Sorry Alwyn you were making a funny which I consider good medicine but you just touched a nerve there. I tend to revere people like Jane Goodall who stick to their task of finding out things we need to know that make us better and more informed even though they get flak along the way.
Yes, it was only mean’t as a simple joke.
I should have realised who you were talking abot as you had given the full name a couple of comments earliar. I just didn’t connect the two.
Blame it on jet lag.
Carolyn-nth
Perhaps that’s Labour’s random act of beauty and kindness for the day encouraging people to do what they are praised for. That would be clever thinking.
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The Greens have shaken up the election campaign with the announcement of their radical poverty and action plan to reform welfare provision and introduce a new wealth tax for millionaires. It’s a big-thinking, controversial policy and has generated a lot of disagreement over how radical it is, whether it could ...
My house is currently supplied electricity by Meridian. As soon as I can change I will because Meridian spilled water to hike electricity prices. They got consumers to spend an extra $80 million on power unnecessarily. Clever them. The Electricity Authority has called their behaviour an “undesirable trading situation”, or ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First leader Winston Peters today scoffed at suggestions that a team of six political operatives have been dispatched to New Zealand to assist his campaign. ‘As President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘there they go again.’ ‘The clickbait journos can’t ...
New Zealand First is pleased to announce Jenny Marcroft as the party’s election 2020 candidate for the Auckland Central electorate. Jenny spent years working in Auckland Central, having spent a vast proportion of her broadcasting career there. She says she, "knows the place and knows the people." Ms Marcroft says ...
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...
This week we moved into the second half of 2020 - and our Government delivered another week of big changes and major progress for New Zealanders. Read below for a wrap of the key things moments from the week - from extending paid parental leave, to making major investments in ...
The Green Party has opposed the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Bill which shortcuts normal consenting processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA), reduces public participation and narrows environmental considerations. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development A regional freight hub for the lower North Island will be built just northeast of Palmerston North, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Government is investing $40 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to designate and buy land and design ...
Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson is calling for the introduction of a Guaranteed Minimum Income to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty and prevent more families entering into further debt with the Ministry of Social Development. ...
There has been renewed focus on New Zealand First acting as a handbrake on the Government after our decision to not support Auckland light rail. We are a handbrake for bad ideas, that istrue, but our track record since 2017 has seen New Zealand First constructively also serve as an ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP New Zealand First’s Fair Residency for Superannuation Bill passed its First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill makes a significant change to NZ Super by raising the minimum residency requirement from 10 to 20 years, after age 20. “Currently, a migrant of ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill in the name of Darroch Ball introducing a six-month minimum prison sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its second reading in Parliament. The new offence of "injuring a first responder or corrections officer with ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Deputy Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First welcomes the launch of the new Criminal Cases Review Commission, gifted with the name from Waikato-Tainui - Te Kāhui Tātari Ture, announced in Hamilton today by Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealand First has long believed in and ...
The Green Party is celebrating over $800m in new funding for green projects, which will get people into jobs while solving New Zealand’s long-term challenges. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is appalled that Meridian seems to have been unnecessarily spilling water from its dams to drive up its profits."While New Zealanders have been coming together in some of our darkest hours, we don’t expect power gentailers to waste water and ...
We wrapped up the first half of 2020 with a busy month, taking additional steps to support New Zealanders as we continue with our economic recovery. We rolled out targeted packages to support key industries like tourism and construction, helped create jobs in the environmental and agriculture sectors, and set ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Infrastructure Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has welcomed the appointment of Maurice Davis and his deep infrastructure and construction experience to the board of the Infrastructure Commission. Mr Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto), is the seventh and final appointment to the board led by former Reserve Bank Governor ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand’s click bait journalism is taking a turn for the worse, with yet another example of sensationalist, wilful-misrepresentation of the facts. “New Zealand First has worked constructively with its Coalition partner on hundreds of pieces of legislation and policy, and ...
The Green Party is today unveiling its Poverty Action Plan, which includes a Guaranteed Minimum Income to ensure people have enough to live with dignity. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Rotorua Museum redevelopment and Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest projects will be accelerated thanks to a $2.09 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) boost, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
Hon Shane Jones, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises A new ‘super depot’ to be built for NZ Post in Wellington will create around 350 jobs during construction, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises Shane Jones says. Shane Jones today attended a ground-breaking and blessing ceremony for the parcel-processing depot ...
Our strong economic management prior to COVID-19 - with surpluses, low debt and near-record-low unemployment - put us in a good position to weather the impact of the virus and start to rebuild our economy much earlier than many other countries.Now we're putting our plan to recover and rebuild ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Law and Order Recently released Police fleeing driver statistics have shown yet another increase in incidents with another record-high in the latest quarter. “This new quarterly record-high is the latest in a string of record-high numbers since 2014. The data shows incidents ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...
Wildlife institutions affected by a loss of visitor revenue during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to receive government support with nearly $15 million of funding available announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Eco-sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and wildlife rescue, hospital and rehabilitation facilities provide crucial support for the recovery ...
The Government is expanding and accelerating frontline mental health and wellbeing services at tertiary education institutes (TEI) to help students manage ongoing stresses related to COVID-19. “The lockdown has been hugely disruptive for students. Many of them have had to relocate and move to online learning, isolating them from their ...
The Minister of Police says a major operation against the Mongrel Mob in Waikato will make a big dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks. “Senior leadership of the Waikato Mongrel Mob has been taken out as a result of Operation Kingsville, which resulted in ...
The Government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on 24 August2020, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly ...
A project to support volunteer efforts to look after streams and rivers is getting a boost thanks to support from DOC’s Community Conservation Fund announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “The government is backing efforts to look after waterways with $199,400 for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust from ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter today announced that funding for the COVID-19 Community Fund for women and girls will be doubled, as the first successful funding applications for the initial $1million were revealed. “Women and girls across the country have suffered because of the effects of COVID-19, and I ...
The Government’s books were better than forecast with a higher GST take as the economy got moving again after lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the 11 months to the end of May indicate the year end results for tax revenue will be stronger than forecast. ...
A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path was unveiled today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The newly-released report - Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector - was developed by the Wool Industry Project Action Group ...
Community efforts to create a Predator Free Whangārei will receive a $6 million boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The new funding, through Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd, will create around 12 jobs while enabling the complete removal of possums over ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that the New Zealand Government is reviewing the settings of its relationship with Hong Kong. “China’s decision to pass a new national security law for Hong Kong has fundamentally changed the environment for international engagement there,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand remains deeply ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced details of a multimillion-dollar investment in Whangārei for infrastructure projects that will help it recover from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created through the $26 million investment from the Government’s rejuvenation package ...
Following a second incident in which a person escaped from a managed isolation facility, security is being enhanced, including more police presence onsite, Minister Megan Woods said. “The actions of some individuals who choose to break the very clear rules to stay within the facilities means that more resourcing is ...
Waste reduction and recycling programmes in Kaipara are set to get a boost with Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announcing a $361,447 grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) Sustainable Kaipara. “The new funding will allow Sustainable Kaipara to partner with local schools, kura, community ...
The Government will support the Southland economy in the wake of multinational mining company Rio Tinto’s decision to follow through with its long signalled closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. “This day has unfortunately been on the cards for some time now, but nevertheless the final decision is a ...
New tools being developed to help boost Aotearoa’s Predator Free 2050 effort were unveiled today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. A new rat poison, a camera with predator recognition software to detect and report predators, a new predator lure and a ...
The Coalition Government has approved the purchase of a fleet of Bushmaster vehicles to replace the New Zealand Army’s armoured Pinzgauers, Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced today. The new fleet of 43 Australian-designed and built Bushmaster NZ5.5 will provide better protection for personnel and improved carrying capacity. “The age ...
The Government’s three prevention frameworks to reduce family violence in Aotearoa were launched this week by Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams. The frameworks were developed in partnership with communities around New Zealand, and build on the work the Government has already begun with its new family violence prevention ...
The Government is pleased to confirm funding for improvements to radiology and surgical services at Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. "The Minister of Finance the Hon Grant Robertson and former Health Minister Dr David Clark approved funding for Hawke's Bay DHB’s redevelopment of their radiology facilities ...
• New funding for four beds at Napier’s Springhill Residential Addiction Centre • A new managed withdrawal home and community service, and peer support before and after residential care at Tairāwhiti DHB • A co-ordinated network of withdrawal management services throughout the South Island • Peer support in Rotorua and ...
Introduction, seafarers and POAL Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be online with you all today. Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that COVID-19 has disrupted the maritime sector on an unprecedented scale. The work of seafarers and the maritime industry is keeping many economies around the world ...
A $13 million investment from Government will create jobs and improve the resilience of the rail connection between Christchurch and the West Coast, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones and Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau say. The funding comes from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2020 for infrastructure projects ...
The Government is investing $761 million to assist local government upgrade under-pressure water services across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The announcement was made at the site of the water bore that was found to be the source of the fatal ...
Recognised Seasonal Employers and migrant seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand will be able to continue working and supporting themselves with more flexible hours and roles, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The time-limited visa changes are: Stranded RSE workers will be able to work part-time (a minimum of 15 hours ...
The Government is making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers, while also ensuring New Zealanders needing work are prioritised, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. We are: Extending temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 ...
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM has been appointed as Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Alternate Environment Court Judge Craig James Thompson as Deputy Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the newly established Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). Environment Minister David Parker today also announced the appointment of Chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook as the ...
Auckland Queen’s Counsel Neil Campbell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Campbell graduated with a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1992. He spent two years with Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Auckland before travelling to the United ...
The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to better enable the development and operation of commercial film and video facilities in Christchurch. The Proposal, developed by Regenerate Christchurch in response to a request from Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section ...
The Government has launched a bold plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade, while protecting the environment and growing jobs. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today released Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential, a 10-year roadmap to unlock greater value ...
A new approach to prevent family harm that encourages greater collaboration across government and community groups is being celebrated at the opening of a new facility in Auckland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today opened the Multi-Disciplinary Family Harm Prevention Hub Te Taanga Manawa in Lambie Road in Manukau. The facility ...
The Government has released a major new report on the options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations while deferring any decision on the issue. “That decision needs to be informed by policy analysis that is still to be completed. As a result it will be up to a ...
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today. “I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti ...
Bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into New Zealand will be managed in the short term to ensure the Government is able to safely place New Zealanders arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility, says Housing Minister Megan Woods. “Last week Air Commodore Darryn Webb and I ...
Grant Robertson has today announced the first major release of funding from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020. “Today we’re setting out how $80 million will be invested, with $54 million of that over the 2020/2021 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite ...
The Government is maintaining current levy rates for the next 2 years, as part of a set of changes to help ease the financial pressures of COVID-19 providing certainty for businesses and New Zealanders, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “New Zealanders and businesses are facing unprecedented financial pressures as a ...
Small businesses are getting greater certainty about access to finance with an extension to the interest-free cashflow loan scheme to the end of the year. The Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has already been extended once, to 24 July. Revenue and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says it will be ...
A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced today. The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara ...
Tena koutou katoa Nga tangata whenua o tenei rohe o Pōneke, tena koutou Nau mai, haere mai ki te hui a tau mo te roopu reipa Ko tatou! Ko to tatou mana! Ko to tatou kaupapa kei te kokiri whakamua Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa Welcome. I ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $1.5 million to ensure QE Health in Rotorua can proceed with its world class health service and save 75 existing jobs, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF funding announced today is in addition to the $8 million ...
A new programme, which sets a firm course for the Building and Construction sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has been announced by the Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. “A significant amount of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from the building and construction sector. If we’re serious ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. This week: disgraced MP Hamish Walker.Showing promise The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is true, post on Facebook that he had been door knocking in Mataura when he hadn’t. He lied. The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is ...
It’s one of the most commonly used weedkillers in the world, but pressure to phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate could force us to come up with alternatives quickly. Listen to the full episode of Two Cents Worth below. Subscribe to Two Cents' Worth for free on Apple ...
The Covid-19 crisis has exposed gaps in the funding of early education that we should be bold in responding to, writes Sue Cherrington of Victoria University of Wellington Early childhood education has been in the media a great deal over recent weeks, initially with positive but increasingly with negative news reports. ...
It’s an economic theory that advocates tout as a solution to governments’ debt crises, but critics warn is a recipe for hyperinflation. Either way, modern monetary theory is getting a lot more attention in the era of Covid-19.Two big economic ideas have captured the popular imagination during the Covid-19 pandemic: ...
For one hour a week the supermarket lights are dimmed and the music stops. And it’s a kind of triumph, writes Michelle Langstone.I thought there’d been a power cut. The lights were out at the entrance, so you arrived into a kind of gloom. There was no music, and no ...
It’s no secret that New Zealand’s Covid-19 response was one of the world’s most effective. But to get an idea of how eagerly parts of our economy have rebounded post lockdown, take a look at our electricity demand data.Despite an impending wave of unemployment and looming fiscal challenges down the ...
In the second in the Spnioff’s Last on the list series, Dave King explains what inspired him to stand for the Act Party in Manurewa. At 20th spot on the list, if David Seymour’s party can win around 16% of the party vote, King is parliament bound.It wasn’t that long ...
Basketball is growing massively in popularity around the country, led by thousands of youngsters picking up the game every day. To The Line looks at what it’s like for New Zealand high school kids with hoop dreams.If there’s been a narrative rumbling away in the sports pages, it’s that of ...
Unbelievable. A first-rank world leader picks a needless fight with blameless allies, thus imperiling their unity. But that’s General de Gaulle for you.Impressive work, even by his standards. In 1967, Canada was to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (their Gallipoli – except that they ...
From RNZ Saturday Morning Described by a Guardian reviewer as “superb hate-reading”, writer and columnist Anand Giridharadas‘s latest book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World investigates the hypocrisy of billionaire “do-gooders”. He questions how and why we have become reliant on the philanthropy of the super-rich ...
The Professional Hunting Guides Association is welcoming the High Court decision on DoC’s controversial tahr campaign. The High Court in Wellington was asked on Wednesday by the Tahr Foundation for a judicial review of DoC’s plan to kill thousands ...
With the 2020 general election nearly three months away, a new campaign is asking voters to vote in line with the future. Vote Climate 2020 aims to highlight the opportunity to build momentum behind climate change, ensuring climate justice is a key election ...
“ACT will target the gangs by hitting them where it hurts – their pockets,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour and Firearms Spokesperson Nicole McKee. “New Zealanders deserve to be safe and secure, but violent gangs are a scourge on our ...
Waffles don’t need to be sweet – these cheese and onion numbers make an excellent savoury breakfast with an egg, or an equally tasty dinner with leftover mince.It’s easy to default to sweet breakfasts without thinking. At least that’s the case in our household, as porridge or bircher muesli is ...
The government is revitalising the wool sector, splashing out on freshwater restoration projects, relieving student stress and showing kindness to Muslims by extending the border exception criteria. It is also increasing its support (in announcements from two separate Green Party Ministers) for women and for wildlife institutions. And it is ...
People have called it for it be pulled from the service, but the escapist fantasy of 365 Days is nothing new, writes Alie Benge.To every generation, a bullish alpha-male psychopath is born, and is for someone reason considered a romantic hero. We’ve been through a lot this year, and instead ...
As Aucklanders reluctantly adjust to the inconvenient practice of water conservation, a drought-savvy Northlander shares the tips and temperament needed to get through the dry times.Auckland’s water shortage was recently reported on The Project, and viewers were earnestly exhorted to fill their dishwashers completely before turning them on. My husband ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk A request by the Philippines’ biggest radio and TV network for a new franchise has been rejected by a congressional committee in a vote that will go down in history as a flagrant violation of the country’s constitution, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Paris-based media ...
Hamish Walker's privacy leak debacle dominated the news this week, but it's not the first time a southern MP has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, writes Daisy Hudson. ...
Let’s not allow the focus on big-budget infrastructure projects to detract from the vital role public transport will play in revitalising our cities in a post-Covid world, says Greg Pollock.The recent match between the Blues and the Hurricanes was one of the world’s first major post-lockdown sporting fixtures. It was ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
In the heart of Christchurch is a Designated Character high school. What makes it unique? And should there be more like it? Frank Film visits Hagley College Paddy Grant was a 27-year-old truck driver when he rocked up to Christchurch’s Hagley High School, as it was then known. It was ...
"After he calms down we share the pie and talk about how hard the years since the show have been for him": a short story by Wellington writer Jordan Hamel. Every morning it’s the same. Cling wrap on the toilet seat, a pop up snake in my can of breakfast ...
Childcare centre closures have left families and staff out in the cold. In some cases, they were given just three days’ notice, Laura Walters reports Staff and families of Auckland’s Discoveries Educare branches feel blindsided by the sudden closure of the early childhood education centres. The Ministry of Education has ...
Controversy and the America's Cup go hand-in-hand and the latest edition is no different with Emirates Team New Zealand at the centre of financial mismanagement allegations. Extra Time unpicks the debate and ponders what does the latest Cup drama mean? And should we care? A study has revealed racial bias ...
Over the decades, Mike Fox has witnessed the housing market progressively tilt towards larger, more expensive homes. Without a major overhaul of the current regulatory processes, he says, things will never change.It’s one of the biggest problems our country faces – we cannot produce the affordable housing that’s so desperately ...
So-called dirty deals have been roundly denounced over the years. Hayden Donnell argues that they need to be normalised, and even embraced, in September’s election.Just before the 2011 general election, Patrick Gower was confronted with a political act so stomach-churning, it forced him to abandon his trademark reserve. John Key ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics, University of South Australia Victoria has recorded 288 new COVID-19 cases since yesterday, the largest daily increase we’ve seen so far. This big jump must have the Victorian government and health authorities very concerned, especially since nearly ...
The controversial 101 East episode Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown on 3 July 2020. Video: Al JazeeraPacific Media Watch Newsdesk Malaysian police summoned six Al Jazeera media workers today for questioning relating to an investigation for defamation and violation of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), reports IFJ Asia-Pacific. ...
Analysis - A National MP destroys his career, the government explains how someone with Covid-19 could walk around a supermarket and the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is announced. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Epidemiologist, UNSW Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly today recommended people in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire wear masks when leaving the house: […] If people have symptoms and they need to go for a test, for example, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rochelle Wynne, Director, Western Sydney Nursing & Midwifery Research Centre, Western Sydney University Over the past week, we’ve seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 infections among health-care workers in Victoria. This includes a doctor at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, one ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the return to lockdown in Victoria, National Cabinet setting to slow the flow of Australian’s ...
We prefer our heroes untarnished. And few match the heroism of Winston Churchill. But a recent report in the Times reminds us of the inevitability of human frailty and the consequences of keeping it under wraps.During the second world war, Britain’s greatest single loss of life at sea was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ou Yang, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Donald Trump has ordered US federal agencies to bypass environmental protection laws and fast-track pipeline, highway and other infrastructure projects. Signing the executive order last month, the US president declared regulatory delays would hinder “our ...
SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says "The NZDIA has done the right thing, and we’re glad to see Bertram has been held to account over his actions. He should take this as an opportunity to right his wrongs and show that he takes animal welfare seriously." ...
Takuta Ferris, Te Tai Tonga candidate for the Māori Party, is urging government to place whānau first in the wake of announcements around Tiwai Point. “The declaration that one of the region's major employers the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is closing ...
Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we’re joined by The Spinoff’s managing editor, mall rat and self-confessed food philistine Duncan Greive.On this month’s Dietary Requirements, the gang’s back in the studio, and ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart 1: United States and Australia rising. Chart by Keith Rankin. These charts look at Covid19 incidence in China (the most important first-wave country, with a limited second wave), Italy (the lead second-wave country), and USA and Australia (second-wave countries – drawing their caseload from Europe ...
The Government must listen to the Muslim community to rectify its failure to act in the past, says the Human Rights Commission. The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry was released this week. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Earlier this week, 150 high-profile authors, commentators and scholars signed an open letter in Harper’s magazine ...
You can’t keep a good woman down and Helen Clark is no exception. Her new appointment, as co-chair of a review of how the World Health Organisation handled the coronavirus pandemic, will test her formidable political skills. Sitting with her is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president, who handled the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Connor, Lecturer, James Cook University While many people may enjoy a game of backyard cricket, only a few go on to become elite professional batsmen in Australia. Cricket batting is example of what human skills can achieve. The fastest bowling delivery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Baumgartner, Professor of Fisheries and River Management, Institute for Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University This article is a preview of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a multimedia project launching on Monday July 13. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native ...
CEAC review of pre-election National’s “outline plan” just sent to us by Todd Muller 9/7/20 was actually his speech about his plan and was described as ‘an outline’. So in our review of National Party response to A Greener, Smarter Future; climate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Podger, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, Australian National University In Hidden Hand, China scholars Clive Hamilton and Marieke Ohlberg examine the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in Europe and North America in a similar way to how Hamilton dissected the CCP’s influence ...
“I can see why people are fed up, many are wondering how to clothe and feed their kids, or how they are going to pay their rent next week and still others are wondering what has happened to our beautiful Kiwi Way of Life. Well no party in parliament ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Sixty press freedom groups and civil society organisations, journalism institutions, filmmakers, and other supporters have formed a coalition in support of Maria Ressa and independent media in the Philippines, united around the call to #HoldTheLine. Today the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Center for ...
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Shane Jones to NZ First – Im thinking that this can only be good for National come post election discussions.
Some of the media have been promoting Jones’ chances for months and are now going hard out giving today’s announcement maximum publicity.
Patrick Gower has gone further than most: 12 reasons why Shane Jones can win Whangarei
He missed reason 13 – Paddy power.
There are actually other candidates for Whangarei, not that most people would know from what they hear in the media.
Other contenders are:
Shane Reti (National) – current MP, 13,169 in 2014
Tony Savage (Labour)
Ash Howell (Greens)
Chris Leitch (Democrats)
Labour & Greens have fielded very strong candidates who appeal to many, more so than the weak candidates they stood in 2014. While Savage is pragmatic about Jones standing, I think Ash won’t cut any deal and given the Greens co leader has come out staunchly opposed to Jones. There will be no change in Whangarei Reti is it.
Don’t forget that Whangarei is completely encircled by Winston’s electorate and we’ve still got an awful lot of one-way bridges up here – the trains still aren’t running and the trucks on the roads are getting worse
Pete George,
All of the candidates that you have listed have been through a process of selection within their parties, particularly National and Labour who normally have vigorous process.
Shane Jones did not go through any process.
NZ First is a sham political party.
Bill M. Shane Jones was one of three candidates for the NZF position. To be settled by 1pm today.
More like a WinstonFirst sham process.
@ bill murray
I agree, “NZ First is a sham political party.”
Contemporary voting is based more on personalities than parties. Jones might significantly increase NZF party votes. That’s a major reason for him to run.
MSM are fawning all over Jones even had a couple asking if I will be there. Yeah I will get along box off a deal or 2 given they both know I hold the key for any upset victory up here.
Interesting one of the MSM shills outed this;
“One of National’s most senior MPs has even told me he thought Jones would win and Reti would lose.”
Apparently it was Gerry Brownlee who said this. Not good a inner circle Minister thinks this of the ‘strong local voice’. Though Jabba was bitter his mini me Jones never beat Reti for the candidacy.
On that very score (James @ 1 above) I’m rethinking my intended repeat vote for Winston Peters in Northland electorate. Additionally, the great ‘me me me’ void which is Jones quite repels this voter. It’s a question of character.
oh hell yes ,jones is shit
Quite right North. A vote for NZF is a vote for more bloody National. And that means more pricks like Thiel. Just what we need!
+1. Jones is thoroughly unlikable. A dirty Jerry Brownlee.
@ MUTTONBIRD (1.2.3) … agree.
Jones, the political prince of pawn, is as grubby as they come. Don’t think his selection will go down well with many NZF voters somehow.
In the Northland by-election it actually made a difference whether you voted for Peters, the Nat wotzit, or any of the others. Because before the by-election the Nats only needed one of Rimmer or the hairdo or the Maori Party for a majority. After Peters won, the Nats needed the Maori Party or both Rimmer and the hairdo. That’s a major shift in the balance of power.
In the coming election, it’s back to just the party vote that matters, unless you’re in Epsom, Ohariu, or the Maori electorates. For the other electorates, at most the electorate result just shuffles who’s in or out in the lower part of the list.
Still awaiting your opinion on the real issues that affect many people in this country.
How does New Zealand tackle the extreme levels of inequality
How does New Zealand tackle child poverty
How does New Zealand tackle extreme levels of suicide
How does New Zealand tackle The housing crisis
How does New Zealand tackle its alcohol problem
How does New Zealand tackle the P epidemic
How does New Zealand tackle Obesity
Hi ed,
I will offer a few answers to yr questions.
The inequality/child poverty issue can be impacted by a UBI and a living wage.
Nick hanaeur says it well here: https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_hanauer_beware_fellow_plutocrats_the_pitchforks_are_coming/up-next
20 mins well spent.
As to suicde/mental health/drugs, a Scandinavian country took a different approach. (I heard this on rnz about a month ago)
They invested heavily in activities youth enjoy: sport music,cultural activities. The thinking was that the happy chemicals serotonin and dopamine are released in a sustainable way.
Some of the effects were far less time on their devices, increased time with parents and a drop in the statistics that we kiwi are excelling in.
This all takes time, which ironically, is a key by product of a UBI!
“Show me the money”, I hear the Tories whine, a FTT, home tax, tobin tax.
All doable we merely lack the will.
And in Iceland they developed a huge amount time/money in activity for young people. Alcohol use in teens dropped from 40% to 5%. The streets of Rechaivik (sp?) are now empty of loitering kids as they are too busy being active.
An FTT has been tried before in Sweden I believe. What was the result do you know?
the tax on equity securities nuked most domestic bond speculation – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The ones in Switzerland and Taiwan rake in billions a year, so really it’s in how you implement it. How’s the one in Colombia doing? France? Italy? Peru? Belgium? the USA? In the 30-odd other countries that have some form of FTT?
Thanks ianmac, that will be the one I heard about.
If we are to believe Chang Ha-Joon, Switzerland’s relative prosperity relates to their having the highest consumption of locally manufactured goods – the financial sector contributes remarkably little to the great majority of the populace.
Potentially sounds like in the state in the US that refunded tax to the citizenry because of the huge tax take from marijuana sales.
Hi gosman,
I am not familiar with the Swede example,
If you benefit from the tax spend you would think it was good.
If your previously untaxed habits become liable for a .01% tax, you may have a differing opinion.
From what I have read it is one of the initiatives that appeals across the political spectrum.
From the left it lessens inequality, from the right it allows more participants in the ‘market’.
Read Labour’s announced policies, Ed. Easy to find on their website. That will answer some of your queries – oh, and also read Andrew Little’s speeches – those should answer the rest of your queries.
We have, and we are not amused.
yeah, but when was the last time you were anything other than a glum puritan?
When were you anything but a beige liberal?
Well, I used to be door security for heritage buildings, but decided to give it up after someone kicked me in the portico.
I tried to qualify as a pilot, but it didn’t go well when I winged the test.
Had a short stint as a ghostwriter, but apparently publishers expect more than “ooooooOOOOOOOooooaveeennnggeeemeeeeeee”.
Tried being a plasterer, but got fired after sorting out the plumber’s crack.
Went to med school to be a surgeon, but I just couldn’t cut it.
But I’ve always been a smartarse.
McFlock
Your short stint as a ghostwriter taught you a lot about levity. (That’s meant to be funny in case I am misunderstood.)
Rather relieved that you didn’t try proctology, McFlock
Or is that something to do with ‘smartarse’?
There were some bits of the job I could handle, but in a general sense there was something wrong, on the whole, that I just couldn’t put my finger on.
As they say, it’s a shitty workplace and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
that’s the spirit!
With such sensitive fingers, you should have been a surgeon..
Or a masseur or a Reiki Master or a Braille proof-reader or …
being a masseuse didn’t end happily for me, I took the Reiki just an inch too far and it got weird, and I got fired from the braille job after an incident with a sesame seed bun.
You were in computers for a bit weren’t you?
No, we did go out on a couple of dates but they never went anywhere.
Very good riposte.
Ever considered politics?
lol
I’d keep getting kicked out of the House for telling tories to suck my balls. I really did work venue security for years, and the patois of the street is difficult to shake. And there’s something about smiling tories that makes my fists itch.
But there are plenty of opportunities to slog away for the good fight while being restrained from general public contact. And the last six months or so I’ve been working with a local community culture&heritage group – you’d be amazed at how many people need a halfway decent bureaucrat. When their place is up and running I’ll be slamming together just a basic excel worksheet for people and skillsets that will flag when safety and competency certifications (first aid/fire/etc) are due to expire – you know, the sort of things that slip off the radar and then cause havoc five years later when auditors discover they’re noncompliant.
So still busy busy 🙂
My Plastering always sucked arse.
Paper tape, terrible, bubbles and all sorts of shite.
Then I discovered this product, fucking amazing
http://intex.co.nz/shop/Brands/Fibafuse/x_cat/00860.html
What a difference, I’m no pro but wow you get a good result.
Scoop is holding a consultation on housing using the HiveMind platform – a modern civics application that supports text analysis of different viewpoints.
There is plenty of information on the page but essentially we have sourced ideas from across the political spectrum from – NZ initiative, Renters United, Community Housing Aotearoa, government policy, party manifestos, research articles and so on.
If you are able I’d be delighted if you can take part. The output will be a report on the diversity of views proposed and analysis of approaches that seem to have wide endorsement. We have contacted hundreds of people interested in the area – people involved in public housing, rental campaigns, property companies, estate agents, builders and developers as well as our readership.
The consultation is here http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1706/S00034/making-housing-affordable-lets-crack-it.htm and it got a nice write up on last week’s Media Watch http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/201848483/getting-engaged-with-the-audience and is open till next Sunday 9 July
i had a look at the last election results , unfortunately the chances of jones and reti splitting the vote far enough for labour to get in is unlikely, unless the greens pull their person
Felix Marwick runs against the media tide:
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/opinion/felix-marwick-politicians-so-often-too-cute-with-the-truth/
Shane Jones is a near-perfect candidate for New Zealand First.
While he won’t win in Whangarei, he will get a good list placing and will strengthen the NZF firepower in parliament whether they are a part of the government or not. If they do get in to government, he is already an experienced Minister.
He is an excellent campaigner, always funny at the podium, self-funding, well versed, charming (if that kind of thing appeals), takes no prisoners, qualified Masters in Public Administration with further study at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Management, and now on top of that plenty of diplomatic and commercial experience across the Pacific.
If a Labour and Greens binary grouping cannot work with Shane Jones, they have absolutely no chance of being in power until 2020, and it will be their fault not his.
I reckon Jones is bought and paid for by National and will serve only them no matter what position he holds. Labour and The Greens can do nothing about that.
Given Jones’ antipathy towards the Greens and the Greens willingness and ability to work with anyone in shared policy, I think your analysis is flawed. But another good reason for lefties to not vote NZF, jones would be just as happy with national.
I know why you would say that.
But New Zealand First doesn’t need the Greens.
The Greens need New Zealand First.
The Greens don’t need NZF. If you want change but not power for its own sake then you don’t have to play those games in that way.
I would say the ball is in Labour’s court on this. I’ve seen the argument that Labour should just come out and say it won’t work with NZF and then centrist/swing voters can choose if they want to change the govt or not. Of course Labour aren’t going to do that but it does sharpen the mind.
Plus it’s up to swing, centrist and left wing voters generally. I don’t have a problem with NZF being in a coalition with Labour and the Greens, and I can certainly see why NZF appeals to many people needing a better government than we’ve had. But I do have a problem with Peters in that because despite the useful things he’s done, he has also routinely used MMP to lessen representation and consolidate power to the middle and the right. I full expect him to continue to do that including in post-election negotiations.
There should be a line beyond which the powermongering has to be resisted for its own sake and I’d prefer the Greens to stay out of government rather than be so compromised as to see themselves as having to bow down to the anti-democratic positions of Peters and Jones if that’s what Peters insists upon. I would trust the Greens to know where that line is, but it would also be very hard given how hard they’ve worked to get into govt. Not sure what the membership would do, and a lot will depend on them.
I don’t mind the Greens becoming more mainstream, while it lessens their progressiveness somewhat it moves NZ in a better direction. But if NZ chooses a centrist, right of Labour govt via NZF, then we need the Greens to hold the left position because there is literally no-one else to do it. They can’t do that if the kaupapa is appeasing Shane Jones in order to gain power.
He has the kind of “charm” that does not appeal, in fact it makes me want to smack him in the face: smug, pompous false bonhomie, always with a strand of malicious bigotry underlying it.
He may have been to a fancy university and been a hit on the local cocktail circuit, but the only things he’s famous for are ones that prompt the suspicion that he’s corrupt. He’d fit right in to a National cabinet, but I guess he prefers to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
Certainly Labour and the Greens would be nuts to have anything to do with him.
Im thinking James is correct.
It was always going to happen Robert. 🙂
Like lightning. I’m safe from now on, statistically 🙂
Excellent reply. But you may well be the next Roy Sullivan.
” Sullivan was described as a brawny man with a broad, rugged face, who resembled the actor Gene Hackman.”
This conveniently ‘clocking out’ at will from the NZ ‘Ministerial factory’ is just more utter BILLSHIT.
Seen THIS?
How is being a New Zealand Minister, including the PRIME Minister, not a 24/7 ‘job’?
Here’s what the NZ Cabinet Manual states:
https://dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/supporting-work-cabinet/cabinet-manual/2-ministers-crown-6
Conduct of Ministers
2.55A Minister of the Crown, while holding a ministerial warrant, acts in a number of different capacities:
in a ministerial capacity, making decisions and determining and promoting policy within particular portfolios;
in a political capacity as a member of Parliament, representing a constituency or particular community of interest; and
in a personal capacity.
2.56In all these roles and at all times, Ministers are expected to act lawfully and to behave in a way that upholds, and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical standards.
This includes exercising a professional approach and good judgement in their interactions with the public and officials, and in all their communications, personal and professional.
Ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.
2.57Holding ministerial office is regarded as a full-time occupation and is remunerated as such. Accordingly:
accepting additional payment for doing anything that could be regarded as a ministerial function is not permissible; and
accepting payment for any other activities requires the prior approval of the Prime Minister.
_____________________________
The problem?
“Ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.”
What happens when the Prime Minister arguably does NOT act lawfully and behaves in a way that does NOT uphold and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical standards?
Is the Prime Minister going to sack himself?
Unlikely.
So – I guess that becomes the job of the voting public on 23 September 2017?
Penny Bright
2017 Independent candidate for Tamaki.
So all you are saying that is if Bill English gets re-elected, all his sins are forgiven.
…and a person like Hitler got massive German public approval, even after many misdeeds. What is your real point Ad?
Go for Godwin, so quick!
Penny is citing the Cabinet manual, proposing that it has no real effect, then saying the election is the real law. On both counts she is wrong, and dumb. Bill English will be re-elected by a country mile but that does not make what he did right. Nor does it make the Cabinet manual ineffective. Penny should hold her breath until the Police have completed the further examination and make a determination.
No a few Hail Mary’s for penance and all his sins are forgiven, a good Catholic will already have confessed.’Bless me father for I have sinned etc’.See no quilt.
The RNZ “In The House” This link is the privatisation of government services, including Universities. Also the dire state of RNZ being defended by Richard Griffen. This has recieved minimum coverage in the MSM and was difficult to find on the RNZ website. Disgraceful.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201849371
Covered by Stuff here.
Illustrates what the staff there are dealing with. Long list of issues presented:
“There’s a concern that RNZ hasn’t managed reasonably well on its reduced funding. There’s a downgrade in regional coverage, cuts in key programs, there’s no buffer in the staffing – so they’re down to a skeleton staff on the weekends, there’s key staff resignations, a loss of experience, thin cover in the newsroom, the closure of regional offices including Tauranga and Queenstown – no journalists now between Hamilton and Napier,”
To which the board chair Richard Griffin apparently considers this a compelling rebuttal:
“Our audience is bigger both online and on-air than they’ve ever been.”
It’s an object lesson in why you shouldn’t appoint right-wingers to run public-sector organisations.
national treat every govt dept and SOE as a potential opportunity to further their interests, shore up positions and dish out sinecures.
RNZ/TVNZ are willing participants under griffin and house of travel kev after recycling rik laid the groundwork, blew sheds of cash on tivo and gave heartland away to sky.
Exactly. Commercial radio is so appallingly bad that people flee to National Radio, and a dumb-arse commercialist uses this as an excuse for deliberate underfunding of National Radio. (I refuse to agree to all the expensive name-changes that National Radio has undergone over recent years.)
Ten quick graphs on climate change:
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/10-indicators-that-show-climate-change?utm_source=email-welcome-sequence&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=General
Does anyone know what is happening with Chris Trotter’s Bowalley Road blog?
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz
No update since the end of May.
On the Road?
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/category/bloggers/chris-trotter/
Article on Stuff 3 days ago.
A story of sharing a one bedroom flat between eight people + the baby is now better than anything on offer by the state (ie nothing).
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/06/30/update-family-of-five-including-six-month-old-baby-accommodation-crisis/
National are in trouble on the Peter Thiel “12 days” scandal. It is something the public can easily understand, and smacks of privilege and favouritism to mates.
But it is worse than that. On RNZ Nine to Noon just now the comedians, Raybon Kan and Michelle O’Court couldn’t resist the issue and roasted it.
O’Court suggested that when the Americas Cup comes to Auckland this would mean a lot of rich white men would come too, so the government should open a Citizenship Kiosk, handing out passports to the rich white men as they would be here for longer than 12 days.
Raybon Kan, having listened to Nathan Guy’s reasons for granting citizenship, said that Guy was worshiping Thiel like he was Harry Styles, and that Guy must have a poster of Thiel up in his room.
When the comedians are finding such fertile ground for irony in a government decision, they are in trouble.
A’Court. Not O’Court.
They’re right. Citizenship for sale is something that should make those who have given up their lives to move to NZ, gone through the process, and become a citizen through proper channels, very mad.
We still haven’t seen any compelling reasons as to why he was given citizenship. Apart from a vulture fund that benefited Thiel, and a few million pumped into Xero (and likely sold when it hit $50 a share)…
He was supposed to promote NZ on the world stage? A quick Google shows he has never mentioned NZ in his multiple speaking engagements over the last two years… And he deals a lot with the IT sector, which he was supposed to promote NZ to.
So, this is something that should be taken further. Judicial review a possibility?
@James Thrace
A’Court-thanks. Not sure if judicial review would work as outside statutory period to lodge. But you have reminded me of something else Raybon Kan alluded to, which was: Who else has had the same treatment?
Maybe we need an OIA request asking for info on any other dubious citizenship approvals over the last few years.
I got an email from the Labour Party thanking me for attending the launch of their community action network. Eh? Not me.
I used the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email.
There have been others complaining about this also.
Jane Goodall, now 83, has been travelling the world 300 days a year and her message is to be kind to each other and other animals.
chimpanzees are altruistic, even at personal cost, if it involves reciprocity.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/06/13/1700351114.abstract
Chimpanzees have their limitations too. Mothers may group together and raid another group and catch and eat their babies. Also when one chimpanzee became ill and its fur changed colour or something, he was rejected from his group who wouldn’t groom him. Jane had to help him as a fellow group member to gather the materials for his nest each night as no-one else would.
The old primitive things that come up in our minds need to be dealt to with our superior intellect, but usually aren’t and often we use that intellect to impose harm to a psychotic degree.
“Jane had to help him”
You mean that that miserable bugger Tarzan, the supposed “Tarzan of the apes” didn’t do it first?
Or do you have some other Jane in mind?
Alwyn
I just presumed that any informed person on TS would know about Jane Goodall and her groundbreaking research and study on chimpanzees.
A woman whose work is all good. Easy to remember her name.
The official title for her work is Primatologist also ethologist, anthropologist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall
There you are. An information capsule – just slip it in the nearest gap in your head.
Sorry Alwyn you were making a funny which I consider good medicine but you just touched a nerve there. I tend to revere people like Jane Goodall who stick to their task of finding out things we need to know that make us better and more informed even though they get flak along the way.
Yes, it was only mean’t as a simple joke.
I should have realised who you were talking abot as you had given the full name a couple of comments earliar. I just didn’t connect the two.
Blame it on jet lag.
Carolyn-nth
Perhaps that’s Labour’s random act of beauty and kindness for the day encouraging people to do what they are praised for. That would be clever thinking.