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.
Covid and climate change have been changing the face of tourism. That’s why it seemed oddly premature last week for Tourism Minister Stuart to announce that New Zealand isn’t interested in mass tourism any more, or in attracting the sort of budget visitors who “travel around our country on $10 ...
Here’s a fantastic interview by Moana Maniapoto talking with law professor and courageous public intellectual Jane Kelsey, on her retirement from university life. The whole 17 minutes is really worth watching. It’s good to place Prof Kelsey in context with this brief, accessible retrospective look. She has always struck me ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Kennedy Thousands of people have died attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico. And the crossing is growing even more dangerous as the climate changes. U.S. border security policy in the Southwest is designed to deter unauthorized migration at heavily guarded ...
So we have ourselves yet another promotional clip for The Rings of Power, this time one focusing on the show’s characterisation of Galadriel: Her task has only just begun. Meet Galadriel in #TheRingsOfPower. pic.twitter.com/Ebj9TLph6N— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) August 16, 2022 The usual suspects have been denigrating this ...
What kind of political activists incite fear and alarm, set a goal to make their country “ungovernable”, milk their followers for funds, then encourage them stand for local government posts – but tell them to conceal their affiliations for the sake of attracting votes from the ignorant? The sleazy, in ...
Activist Mike Smith has been in court for the last few days, as part of a case seeking to hold Fonterra, New Zealand Steel, and other large emitters accountable for the pollution they produce. Along the way, the case has raised serious questions about whether the courts are worth anything ...
We have ourselves a new thirty-second Rings of Power clip, which is getting some pushback for allegedly hinting at a romance between Galadriel and the invented character of Halbrand: New promo pic.twitter.com/Lgns310jt5— The Mellon Heads – LOTR Podcast (@mellon_heads) August 15, 2022 Oh, the handwringing. Poor Teleporno finding himself ...
There’s been quite the reaction to the Stuff Circuit documentary covering what took place outside Parliament. Among other things, that has prompted further conversations about not only its direct relationship to the shape of the consumption of modern media, but the media machine itself… and of course the social ...
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a 750,000 word IPCC report is logically worth 750 pictures. John Lang, Net Zero Tracker lead with the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and science communicator, is trying out a new way of seeing climate change, one picture at a time. The length of ...
For the past few years Renters United has been calling for rent controls to stop gouging landlords. Now, that call has been taken up by the Human Rights Commission: The Human Rights Commission/Te Kāhui Tika Tangata is calling for an immediate rent freeze and an increase to the accommodation ...
Totally worth watching: Robbie Nicol (of White Man Behind A Desk) explains …”After the protests [at Parliament Buildings, Wellington] in February, I tried to write a monologue about Facebook and radicalisation — and it ended up being 17 minutes long lol.” Surely Facebook’s twisted, evil, money-at-all-costs approach – radicalising users ...
When it comes to funding and managing public transport, should local government or central government bear most of the responsibility for delivering a quality service? Ratepayers or taxpayers? Those basic questions re-surfaced yesterday, after the government announced its intention to scrap the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) imposed by the ...
Last week’s visit to New Zealand by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was another in a series of high-level calls on the country by top US military and political figures this year. Sherman’s trip to Wellington came soon after a stop in New Zealand’s capital by Admiral John ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Philip Warburg Often described as a giant tower of Jenga blocks, Boston University’s Center for Computing and Data Sciences shows no outward signs of leading the race to sustainable energy design. No rooftop wind turbines grace its heights; no solar panels are ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh 13 August 2022 On Friday 12th, an assailant attacked Salman Rushdie on stage in New York, stabbing him some 15 times. The author was whisked away by helicopter to a hospital and at the time of writing the prognosis is that he will survive though with ...
Even if you only have a cursory interest in politics, it’s likely you’ve heard of an outfit called Counterspin, which is a streaming media outlet that propagates fake news and encourages severe acts of violence. Based along similar lines as Infowars, Counterspin is run by a trumped-up little fascist named ...
He’s got the fire and the furyAt his commandWell, you don’t have to worryIf you hold on to Jesus’ handWe’ll all be safe from SatanWhen the thunder rollsWe just gotta keep the devilWay down in the hole─ Tom Waits, “Way Down In The Hole”WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE about Stuff Circuit’s ...
Back in 2013, the then-National government imposed the public transport operating model, requiring local authorities to contract out their bus services to the lowest bidder. Now, its being reversed: The system that bus drivers and their union say has created the “race to the bottom” is on the out, ...
RNZ had a piece this morning about Waka Kotahi's plans for smart speed cameras allowing things like point-to-point average speed tickets and so on. There are obvious privacy issues here, which waka Kotahi seems to have completely ignored, having signed a contract before they were even investigated, let alone addressed. ...
Gather round the camp-fire, folks. Let me tell you about the Ice Age era of the fourth Labour government, when mean, sabre-toothed tigers like Richard Prebble ranged at large within the Labour caucus. A being so mean and fierce that – legend has it – he once made Michael Cullen ...
Dear Aotearoa, we have a major problem that is inhibiting our success, namely racism. Destroying old and young alike, racism in New Zealand is the silent assassin, a killer that permeates through every facet of our society.On Thursday, the NZ Herald reported:Cricket: Black Caps great Ross Taylor's racism claim outlined ...
CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE IN IMAGES 2022I am just wondering how hot is too hot before we commit to real global action to reduce our emissions and save our climate and natural environment. The images below are what has occurred in the northern hemisphere summer and it is likely we will ...
Salman Rushdie has been stabbed while on stage in New York where he was about to give a talk. He is now undergoing surgery. The British novelist has lived under death threats since the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him in 1989 and put a $3 ...
Two-and-a-half years on, the Government’s merged mega-polytechnic, the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology – Te Pūkenga, is facing a deficit which is double the planned one. Will Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) be facing similar troubles in December 2024?Why did the Government centralise the 20 ...
A couple of months ago, in response to a Newsroom piece about what endemic covid means for Aotearoa, I asked Treasury and the Ministry of Health what advice they'd produced on the impacts of "long covid" on the economy and health system. Treasury responded quickly, admitting that they hadn't been ...
On The Way Out: Gaurav Sharma has clearly had enough of Parliament and is more than ready to return to his life as a medical professional. What he has been willing to do on the way out, however, is draw aside the curtain, if only for a moment, and let ...
The Empire Within Which Bullying Never Ceased: The bitter truth about Great Britain’s “public” schools (and their many imitators in the Empire’s far-flung dominions) is that they were consciously designed to produce a very particular kind of imperial administrator. These men needed to be courageous, but not compassionate; clever, but ...
A most amazingly air-tight conspiracy Not research, but research-related. Skeptical Science reader John G. writes to point out an omission in our collection of rebuttals: "You are failing to rebut a prevailing narrative which blames a Globalist Elite for promoting CC as part of The Great Reset."Thank you John, ...
The travails of National MP Sam Uffindell are bad news for the National party in more ways than one. The obvious question is as to how an applicant with such a disreputable history could have secured the nomination as the National candidate in the Tauranga by-election. National’s vetting procedures seem ...
The “A View from Afar” podcast with Selwyn Manning and I resumed after a months hiatus. We discussed the PRC-Taiwan tensions in the wake of Nancy Pelosi’s visit and what pathways, good and bad, may emerge from the escalation of hostilities between the mainland and island. You can find it ...
A ballot for one member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill (Eugenie Sage) The bill is pitched as protecting conservation land, and it does immediately do that. But it also goes further, doing exactly what it ...
Sam Uffindell’s defenders keep reminding us that he was only 16 at the time of the King’s College incident, and haven’t we all done things in our teens that, as adults, we look back on with shame and embarrassment? True. Let’s be honest. Haven’t we all at one time or ...
Our media insists on telling us that Ukraine is a unified country suffering aggression from its neighbour the Russian Federation. But it is hardly unified. A violent civil war has raged there since the overthrow of the democratically elected government in February 2014. This civil war arose from deep ...
If National causes yet another by-election to be held in Tauranga, not only will it cost the taxpayers another unnecessary $1m for the taxpayers after Simon Bridges called it quits earlier in the year, but National will also pay a big price in terms of its reputation and integrity. A ...
Representing Pakeha Racism: The important thing to remember about Rob Muldoon, and the racist policies with which his name is associated, is that he drew his power from the hundreds-of-thousands of anxious, angry, and yes – racist – Pakeha who voted for him, and that his most effective campaign slogan was: “New Zealand the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act by a single vote on Sunday, August 7. The bill, headed to the House of Representatives within days, includes by far the largest and most consequential measures to reduce domestic climate pollution in the nation’s ...
I remember feeling anxious before making the phone call, although not at anxious I might have expected. But what sticks most in my mind is how the phone call ended. It was the late 1990s. I was deputy editor of the NZ Listener and I had to ring a guy ...
National is dripping “blue blood” again. The revelations over Sam Uffindell’s violent assault indicate that the National Party under Christopher Luxon hasn’t quite shed the toxicity and internal damage of the last few years. The crises besetting the party have recently been well documented in journalist Andrea Vance’s new book ...
Most of us believe in redemption and atonement… But the timing, the nature and the semantics of Sam Uffindell‘s apology for his role in a gang that beat a younger kid (reportedly) with wooden bed legs, has left much to be desired. The victim seems pretty clear about the motivation ...
Yesterday the news broke that newly elected National MP Sam Uffindell was asked to leave private Auckland school King’s College at the end of his fifth form year after being part of a group that viciously beat a younger student one night. There are many elements to this latest political ...
You’ve got to wonder why the National Party knowingly hid information from the public about their newest MP, Sam Uffindell. Surely they must’ve realised that their secret would eventually leak into the public domain. New Zealand is far too small for cover-ups of this kind to be effective.Despite his violent ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk With high energy prices and increasing urgency to reduce fossil fuel burning, it makes sense to get the most out of every gallon of gasoline or kilowatt-hour of electricity. A previous post showed that charging an EV costs around $1.41 per gallon ...
Back in the 1990s, Tony Blair rebranded The British Labour Party as “New Labour”, to try and draw a line under past failures. It’s as if Christopher Luxon is attempting to follow suit, and launch “New National” at the moment – a party that’s fresh-looking, has made some big breaks ...
Back in June Sam Uffindell was elected to parliament in the Tauranga by-election. Turns out he's a bully who beat a kid with a bed-leg at school: The National Party’s newest MP, Sam Uffindell, was asked to leave his exclusive boarding school after viciously beating a younger student late ...
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Electoral Amendment Bill. Submissions are due by Wednesday, 31 August 2022, and can be made at the link above. The bill improves disclosure of party finances, lowering the declaration threshold to $5,000 and requiring parties to disclose their annual financial statements. ...
Laughing With The Poor Folks - Or At Them? Christopher Luxon took rapper LunchMoney Lewis’s lyrics at their face value. “Bills”, as heard by Luxon, is a cri-de-cœur from a hard-working man determined to pull himself and his family up by their own bootstraps. It simply wouldn’t occur to him ...
On the rare occasions when it ever gets asked, the public keeps rejecting tax cuts as such, as a policy priority. It keeps saying it wants tax levels to either stay the same or be increased, so that public services can be maintained, or even (perish the thought) improved. In ...
Europe has been baking in a heatwave, of course. Not so much this part of the world, which benefits by still being in Winter (though let’s just say I am not looking forward to January 2023). Not that it’s been a particularly cold Winter – we haven’t had one ...
The Wagner Group is a private military company – effectively mercenaries. It has been used for the military activity of the Russian Federation in various parts of the world. Currently, it is operating in Ukraine and apparently has a reputation as a very brave and effective force in the ...
I have said this in other forums, but here is the deal: PRC military exercises after Pelosi’s visit are akin to male gorillas who run around thrashing branches and beating their chests when annoyed, disturbed or seeking to show dominance. They are certainly dangerous and not to be ignored, but ...
From July 7 to 26 we tried something new on our Facebook page by sharing one Cranky Uncle cartoon each day for 20 days in a row. There were two reasons for doing this: firstly, we wanted to ensure that at least one post would get published each day while I was ...
Too many commentators on current price pressures have not understood that this time it is very different from the 1970s. Their prescriptions may accelerate inflation.The New Zealand economy is experiencing an external price shock arising from the Covid pandemic and the Ukrainian invasion compounded by related supply chain difficulties. It ...
During the years of the Key government one hardy perennial of political journalism was that whenever the Labour Opposition would suggest a policy alternative to the status quo, the hard bitten response from the Gallery realists would be “But how’re you gonna pay for it?” National in Opposition has been ...
In The Wizard’s Garden: George Dunlop Leslie, 1904IT ALL SEEMS so long ago now, and, to be fair, in human terms, 48 years is a long time. New Zealand was a different country in 1974. Someone unafraid of courting controversy might say it had achieved “Peak Pakeha”. Although the Labour Government of ...
Proximate Cause: Tellingly, it was Helen Clark who was seated close by when, earlier this week, Jacinda Ardern delivered a speech carefully crafted to keep New Zealand’s dairy exports heading China’s way. Photo by PolitikPURISTS WOULD ARGUE that New Zealand’s foreign policy should not be determined by who its Prime Minister ...
We have a new clip out of The Rings of Power. It sees Galadriel and the affectionately nicknamed Gigwit* venturing into dark places in search of evil. At fifty-odd seconds, it also constitutes the longest single piece of show dialogue we have seen thus far. *An acronym. “Galadriel Is ...
Rising To The Challenge: Te Pāti Māori is reassuring the angry and the alienated that in 2023 voting will make a difference. Aotearoa is changing. Pakeha – especially young Pakeha – are changing. The racism is still there, of course, heightened, it would seem, by the prospect of Labour, the ...
"CAGW." A thing? With its provocative title and remarks grounded in respected published research, the perspective Climate Endgame: Exploring catastrophic climate change scenarios just published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has caused a few ripples reaching into popular media. "Endgame" and "catastrophic" lean hard in the direction of "pay ...
In the past there's been a few interesting data points about the New Zealand Intelligence Community's desire to covertly manipulate public opinion through media and academic mouthpieces. In 2015 the Council for Civil Liberties revealed the existence of an NZIC "Strategic Communications Group" tasked with persuading the public that spying ...
Inflation is through the roof, and "coincidentally" so is oil company profiteering. UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls it what it is: grotesque: The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has described the record profits of oil and gas companies as immoral and urged governments to introduce a windfall tax, using ...
What on earth is going on with the main opposition parties at the moment? Both National and ACT have been making numerous flip-flops and miscommunications, clearly indicating that they aren’t a viable alternative to the current Labour led Government.Of particular note is the duplicitous reasoning given for why they support ...
A ballot for two member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Housing Infrastructure (GST-sharing) Bill (Brooke van Velden) Prohibition on Seabed Mining Legislation Amendment Bill (Debbie Ngarewa-Packer) Ngarewa-Packer's bill looks likely to start a shitfight with Labour, and not just because the ...
As you might have noticed, I have an on-going interest in working my way through old and intellectually influential reading material. Occasionally I even share my thoughts on it, which allows me to take a break from my generally-dominant Tolkien analysis. Well, today I thought I would take a ...
Golriz Ghahraman's Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill will probably face its first reading today. And three months after it was introduced - pissing on the "as soon as practicable" requirement of Standing Order 269 - it has received a section 7 report from Attorney-General David Parker stating that its proposed ...
The Green Party says the Government is right to carry out a full review of the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme - but says the review should start right now. ...
Our Government wants New Zealand to be the best place in the world to be a child, and we have a plan to make sure that’s a reality. We’ve put the wellbeing of children and families at the heart of our work since taking office in 2017 – from putting ...
The Green Party backs the Human Rights Commission’s call for an immediate rent freeze followed by reform of the rental system to guarantee that everyone has a warm, dry, affordable place to live. ...
The Green Party has once again shown that bringing people together to demand change works, with the announcement today that the Government will give communities a greater say over how their local transport services are run. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure that as a nation which produces enough food to feed 40 million people, everyone in New Zealand can put an abundance of nourishing, nutritious kai on the table. ...
Following months of work by the Green Party and community and environmental organisations, Parliament will have the opportunity to pass legislation to protect public conservation land and waters from mining. ...
New evidence released today by Alcohol Healthwatch shows there’s never been a better time for Parliament to pass Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick’s Alcohol Harm Minimisation Bill. ...
We’re helping more Kiwis into work, to help support whānau, grow our skilled workforce and secure our economy for future generations. During our time in Government, we’ve delivered record low unemployment rates, as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit, and we’re ...
The Green Party once again calls on the Government to ban bottom trawling on all seamounts following the release of an industry white paper on so-called ‘sustainable’ trawling. ...
Urgent reform is essential to ensure disabled people have equal access to the care and support they need, the Green Party says in response to a new report that challenges politicians to fix the current system. ...
Emerging from an energetic selection meeting, we’re pleased to announce that Kaydee Zabelin and Brent Barrett are your Green Party candidates for Palmerston North City Council. ...
COVID-19 is here to stay and so the Government needs to put in place long-term protection measures, including mandatory ventilation standards, the Green Party says. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to overhaul the Recognised Seasonal Employers scheme in the wake of revelations of shocking human rights violations. ...
The Green Party is calling for a cross-party commitment to guaranteeing at least a living wage and safe working conditions to people seeking employment, instead of continuing benefit sanctions. ...
The Green Party is once again calling on the Government to announce its support for a moratorium on deep sea mining, and to support a member’s bill going to select committee. ...
The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party said. ...
The Government’s employment initiatives led by the Ministry of Social Development must guarantee liveable incomes and fair working conditions, the Green Party says. ...
New Zealanders deserve a health system that works for everyone, no matter who you are or where you live. Our Government has a plan to make this a reality, and we’re taking the next steps. We now have thousands more health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, working in New ...
During her time as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has navigated New Zealand through unprecedented times. Through it all, she’s become known as someone who leads with kindness, compassion and strength, while keeping the wellbeing of Kiwis at the heart of her approach. To celebrate five years of Jacinda leading the ...
Since taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to grow a secure economy for all. ...
A total of 29 Pacific businesses located across regional New Zealand have received up to a $100,000 each from the Pacific Aotearoa Regional Enterprise Fund, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s Kānoa - Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, transferred $2 ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker today released the Government’s response to the Future of Commercial Fishing in Aotearoa New Zealand report. “The report has already been influential in shaping this Government’s approach to oceans and fisheries management,” David Parker said. The report calls for immediate evidence-based action and identified ...
A Kiwi trawling innovation that enables most undersized fish to escape unharmed is going global with the help of government funding. “We’re supporting the further improvement of a fishing system that enables fish to swim freely and thereby allowing juveniles and non-targeted species to escape,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister David ...
The Government is providing $6.5 million to a programme that will grow and retain the numbers of Māori in the research, science and innovation workforce. “Growing a research workforce where the perspectives and expertise of Māori are well represented is a key part of ensuring we have a thriving and ...
The Government is increasing the number of funded clinical psychology internships and the payment interns receive on placement to support more students to choose clinical psychology as a career and address mental health workforce demand. By 2024 we will have increased the number of interns to 40 every year, along ...
Workers’ have experienced their biggest pay hike on record, outstripping inflation. Stats NZ figures show median weekly earnings from wages and salaries jumped by 8.8 percent in the June year, the largest annual increase since records began in 1998 and well ahead of inflation at 7.3 percent. “This is an ...
Pacific community organisations are strongly urged to apply for the Pacific Community Health Fund, now open for applications. “Pacific communities know what works for our communities, and what will create positive changes to lift Pacific wellbeing for families,” said the Associate Minister of Health Aupito William Sio. “We only have ...
Savings for a family with two children at school of up to $62 a week, over $2000 a year Lunches now reaching 220,000 kids at 950 schools every school day A million lunches delivered a week, over 63 million in total to date 2,361 jobs created or retained The Government’s ...
The Government is continuing to make regional economies stronger and more resilient with investment in a project that will likely create the world’s first commercial seaweed-based nanocellulose manufacturing plant. The innovative $1.5 million project in Paeroa in the Waikato is being supported with a $750,000 loan from the Government’s Regional ...
A new partnership strategy aimed at putting the decision-making and support for children in need in the hands of the community has been officially launched in Kaitaia by Minister for Children Kelvin Davis. TE ATATŪ, formed in partnership with Te Kahu Oranga Whānau and Oranga Tamariki, is the first such ...
$6million investment in research into three green hydrogen projects New Zealand research teams now able to access European green hydrogen research facilities and expertise A green hydrogen research programme has been established with Germany will support Aotearoa New Zealand’s move towards a more sustainable, low-emissions economy, Research, Science and Innovation ...
Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson today announced the allocation of the remaining $14.9 million of the $20 million Budget 2021 investment into the Māori Boarding Schools initiative. The four Māori boarding schools play a significant role in the development of future Māori leaders. They have been long-standing, staunch advocates ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Andre Van Der Walt as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Kiribati. “As a Pacific nation we value our strong and enduring relationships throughout the region, especially with Kiribati,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Our two nations share a strong partnership based on ...
More than a third of eligible migrants are now New Zealand residents thanks to the Government’s one-off, simplified path to residence, providing a way forward for migrant families and certainty for New Zealand businesses, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood has announced. “This is great news for our migrant families and ...
New Zealand is making a further significant deployment of 120 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to the United Kingdom to help train Ukraine soldiers, as part of an international effort to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia’s illegal war. It follows a completed deployment of 30 NZDF personnel ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will visit Niue and Tonga this week to engage kanohi ki te kanohi with counterparts, and progress work on Aotearoa New Zealand’s Pacific Resilience and climate action priorities. “After the disruption caused by COVID-19 border closures, this is another opportunity to connect in-person with our ...
Our new approach to public transport will: Support ‘on-demand’ public transport services Allow councils to own and operate services in house Improve pay and working conditions Deliver routes and services that reflect community needs Incentivise the decarbonisation of the fleet Workers and public transport users are at the heart of ...
As-salamu alaykum, Tena tatou katoa, Thank you all for being here today. To the Afghan human rights defenders and your family members, welcome to Aotearoa. And thank you Your Excellency for hosting us all here at Government House. We have with us today from Afghanistan, human rights advocates, journalists, judges, ...
It’s my great pleasure to be able to speak with you about a really positive move for the Build-to-Rent sector. As you know, we announced changes last year to help steer property investors way from the existing pool of housing and toward solving New Zealand’s grave housing shortage - by ...
· Tax changes aimed at growing quality, secure rental supply · New and existing build-to-rent developments exempt from interest limitation rules in perpetuity, when offering ten-year tenancies · Exemption to apply from 1 October 2021. The Government is encouraging more long-term rental options by giving developers tax incentives for as ...
The Government has marked another milestone in its push for better rural connectivity, welcoming the delivery of Rural Connectivity Group’s (RCG) 350th tower. Waikato’s Te Ākau, which sits roughly 50 kilometres out of Hamilton is home to the new tower. “The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the ever-increasing importance of ...
Biosecurity co-operation topped the agenda when Australia and New Zealand’s agriculture ministers met yesterday. Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt met with his New Zealand counterpart, Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, and Rural Communities in a conference call, which had particular focus on foot and ...
People could spend less time in hospital, thanks to a smart new remote device that lets patients be monitored at home, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Technology has the potential to really change the way we do things – to do things that are better for patients and at the ...
Concrete steps to clarify inclusive, evidence-informed teaching practices Strengthen capability supports along the professional pathway Enhance partnerships between the education system and whānau, iwi, communities Embed equitable additional learning supports and assessment tools that help teachers effectively notice and respond to the needs of students Improved student achievement is a ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to strengthen global prevention, preparedness and responses to future pandemics with seed funding for a new World Bank initiative, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We cannot afford to wait until the next pandemic. We must all play our part to support developing countries ...
A law change to ensure that forestry conversions by overseas investors benefit New Zealand has passed its final reading in Parliament. Previously, overseas investors wishing to convert land, such as farm land, into forestry only needed to meet the “special forestry test”. This is a streamlined test, designed to encourage ...
International tourism recovery well underway with higher level of overseas visitor arrivals than previously expected UK and US card spend already back at pre-COVID levels Visitors staying in New Zealand longer and spending more compared to 2019 Govt support throughout pandemic helped tourism sector prepare for return of international ...
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities has released its first strategy, setting out the actions it will take over the next few years to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for ethnic communities Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan announced today. “The Strategy that has been released today sets out ...
The Prime Minister has officially opened the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre today saying it is a huge asset to the region and to the country. “This is a world class facility which will be able to host national and international events including the world championships. With a 10-lane Olympic ...
The Associate Minister of Education, Aupito William Sio, has today announced the recipients of the Tulī Takes Flight scholarships which were a key part of last year’s Dawn Raids apology. The scholarships are a part of the goodwill gesture of reconciliation to mark the apology by the New Zealand Government ...
96% of estimated menstruating students receive free period products 2085 schools involved 1200 dispensers installed Supports cost of living, combats child poverty, helps increase attendance Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti today hailed the free period products in schools, Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata, a huge success, acknowledging ...
The Tourism Industry Transformation Plan outlines key actions to improve the sector This includes a Tourism and Hospitality Accord to set employment standards Developing cultural competency within the workforce Improving the education and training system for tourism Equipping business owners and operators with better tools and enabling better work ...
Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications Dr David Clark welcomes Google Cloud’s decision to make New Zealand a cloud region. “This is another major vote of confidence for New Zealand’s growing digital sector, and our economic recovery from COVID 19,” David Clark said. “Becoming a cloud region will mean ...
A package of changes to NCEA and University Entrance announced today recognise the impact COVID-19 has had on senior secondary students’ assessment towards NCEA in 2022, says Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti. “We have heard from schools how significant absences of students and teachers, as a result of COVID-19, ...
Te Reo Māori tauparapara… Tapatapa tū ki te Rangi! Ki te Whei-ao! Ki te Ao-mārama Tihei mauri ora! Stand at the edge of the universe! of the spiritual world! of the physical world! It is the breath of creation Formal acknowledgments… [Your Highness Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Masiofo] ...
The Government’s commitment to combatting firearms violence has reached another significant milestone today with the passage of the Firearms Prohibition Order Legislation Bill, Police Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new law helps to reduce firearm-related crime by targeting possession, use, or carriage of firearms by people whose actions and behaviours ...
Minister for Veterans, Hon Meka Whaitiri sends her condolences to the last Battle for Crete veteran. “I am saddened today to learn of the passing of Cyril Henry Robinson known as Brant Robinson, who is believed to be the last surviving New Zealand veteran of the Battle for Crete, Meka ...
Legislation to repeal the ‘Three Strikes’ law has passed its third reading in Parliament. “The Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill ends an anomaly in New Zealand’s justice system that dictates what sentence judges must hand down irrespective of relevant factors,” Justice Minister Kiri Allan said. “The three strikes law was ...
Work is under way on preliminary steps to improve the Government’s support for survivors of abuse in care while a new, independent redress system is designed, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins says. These steps – recommended by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry – include rapid payments for ...
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki Online Forum 77 years ago today, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Three days earlier, on the 6th of August 1945, the same fate had befallen the people of Hiroshima. Tens of thousands died instantly. In the years that followed 340,000 ...
Painters and other visual artists whose work is resold will get 5 percent in royalties under a new scheme set up as part of the EU and UK trade agreements, the government has announced. ...
The signals were clear enough before the on-line Labour caucus meeting this week and – sure enough – Hamilton West Dr Guarav Sharma was suspended. No surprises, then – except did it also mark the formal burial of the Prime Minister’s “be kind” policy? Sharma had been labelled a “rogue” ...
Injury statistics for work-related claims give information about claims accepted by ACC for work-related injuries. Key facts A total of 223,300 work-related claims were made in 2021 (up 4,800 from 2020). In 2021, the incidence rate of all ...
The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...
Treasury advisors warned the government against extending Fuel Excise Tax and Road User Charge reductions beyond August, saying it would lead to an expectation they would continue. ...
Auckland Council and Auckland Transport released their Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway (TERP) this week, calling for a significant increase in public transport use. The Free Fares campaign supports this call, urging the Government to implement ...
Local Government NZ (LGNZ) is backing IAG’s pragmatic and sensible solutions to help reduce flood risk in the country. “Tens of thousands of New Zealanders live in houses that are prone to flooding,” says LGNZ’s Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene. ...
A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning will analyse the ongoing war in Ukraine. Specifically, we will examine how the invading forces of Russia are struggling against a determined and well-equipped Ukraine defence. What can we expect next from Russia? How ...
The Māori Party’s push to have representation in Local Government has had a successful start with incumbent Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor, Toi Kai Rakau Iti, being re-elected unopposed. Iti is taking his re-election as a vote of confidence and not ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood has confirmed the government will do a full review of the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme early next year. ...
A report which found the country's health and safety regulator lacks a clear strategy and cannot say if it is effective is "shocking", the National Party says. ...
The latest rise in the official cash rate by the Reserve Bank on Wednesday has only cemented the need for Government to respond positively to unions calling for a unified pay increase to recognise people working across the education, health and wider public ...
Having found time in his busy schedule, missing civil servant Stephen Town has hung up his boots and resigned from his $13,000-a-week garden leave ‘job’ - which is cushy even for Wellington. “We are delighted that our efforts to find Stephen ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says that cuts to Government spending are a far better way to deal with the inflation crisis than the Reserve Bank of New Zealand hiking the Official Cash Rate – and the public agree. Kiwi voters understand the drivers behind ...
The Monetary Policy Committee today increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 3 percent from 2.5 percent. The Committee agreed it remains appropriate to continue to tighten monetary conditions at pace to maintain price stability and contribute ...
It’s a tense time in New Zealand’s farming industries. Already the Ministry for Primary Industries has had to shoot down an overseas news report that China had shut its borders to NZ and Australian products due to concerns about foot-and-mouth. NZ exports to China are continuing as normal, a Ministry ...
Buzz from the Beehive Promoting the wellbeing of Māori is the common factor in three of the latest four Beehive announcements. The government is providing $14.9 million (from of the $20 million Budget 2021 investment into the Māori Boarding Schools initiative) to four Māori boarding schools; and ...
There has been little progress in closing the gender pay gap despite record low unemployment, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions said today following the release of labour market data by Statistics NZ. The overall gender pay gap has stubbornly ...
“There are far too many dairies now also operating as licenced ‘Specialist Vape Retailers’. It makes a mockery of our vaping laws and so we’re pleased the Government is going to tidy up this unintended consequence,” says Nancy Loucas, co-founder ...
Median weekly earnings from wages and salaries rose by 8.8 percent to $1,189 in the year to the June 2022 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The 8.8 percent annual increase in median weekly earnings from wages and salaries was the largest annual increase ...
Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma's office has one staff member and no further decisions have been made on his staffing since he publicly accused Labour colleagues of bullying. ...
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore and Regulatory Committee Chair Linda Cooper will today present Auckland Council’s submission [speaking notes attached] to the government’s Finance Expenditure Committee hearing on the proposed Water ...
The MP's suspension from Labour's caucus will be reviewed in December but caucus could agree to expel him sooner if he breaches party rules again, the Prime Minister says. ...
The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill is aimed at addressing the accessibility barriers faced by disabled people, tāngata whaikaha, and others, so they can live independently and participate fully in all areas of life. The bill also aims to ensure ...
Labour MPs may well be determining the fate of Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma at a special caucus meeting, as this post is being written. According to Stuff, the party’s MPs will enter a virtual meeting at 2.30pm on Tuesday and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was expected to speak to ...
Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has a lot on his plate at present. He is battling to hose down prices which have been rising faster than they have done for 30 years, while at the same time “maximising” sustainable employment. It’s a task none of his predecessors had to undertake. ...
Te Tari Taiwhenua is inviting members of the public to apply to the current funding round of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust. The Trust chairman, Mr Paul Chin, encourages people to make applications for proposals that support the aims of the Trust. The ...
The Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) says that disabled people’s human rights will not be fully realised in Aotearoa unless there is a jointly owned and implemented cross government agency approach. The IMM today released its third general update ...
Buzz from the Beehive Comings and goings were the common factor in the latest Beehive announcements. Immigration Minister Michael Wood handled the “inward” movements by regurgitating migrant statistics he presumably wanted to crow about. The “outward” movements are recorded in three statements – a further deployment of 120 New Zealand ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand government to back the strongest possible Global Oceans Treaty as the latest round of negotiations for the long-awaited treaty kick off in New York. UN member states are meeting this week to hammer out the details ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ron May, Emertius Fellow, attached to the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, Australian National University Paramilitary police and soldiers patrol ballot boxes at Tari airport, Southern Highlands, PNGAAP Image Despite Australia “stepping up” its relations with the Pacific since ...
With less than a year until its launch, Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson says he is willing to address opposition concerns over the independence of the new government funded public media entity. ...
Births and deaths releases provide statistics on the number of births and deaths of people resident in New Zealand that are registered during a given period, along with selected fertility and mortality rates. They may differ from statistics presented ...
New Zealand's resident population provisionally grew by 12,700 or 0.2 percent over the year, to reach 5.12 million at 30 June 2022, Stats NZ said today. This is the lowest annual growth rate since June 1986 when the population barely changed (0.0 ...
Retail NZ welcomes two policy initiatives from the ACT Party Law and Order policy document to combat retail crime – infringement notices and three strikes for burglary. “The announcement today from the ACT Party of two specific policies that will help ...
The departure of the Human Right’s Commission from its core role to defend classical human rights into left wing ideological advocacy would be comical if the policies it is pushing weren’t so dangerous, says the Taxpayers’ Union. “This was always ...
Given climate change not only poses a serious challenge to Auckland but New Zealand as a whole, mayoral candidate Efeso Collins is pledging to form a Coalition of Mayors For Climate Action. Collins says it’s vital local councils work closely together ...
Power Play - Labour MPs will be meeting for an urgent caucus early this afternoon, as the party tries to manage the snowballing damage from the serious allegations being made by one of its own, Gaurav Sharma. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Heneghan, Lecturer in Mathematical Ecology, Queensland University of Technology US Department of Energy Even a relatively small nuclear war would create a worldwide food crisis lasting at least a decade in which hundreds of millions would starve, according to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University Shutterstock The popularity of plant-based proteins, or “fake meat”, has increased in recent years as consumers look to eat fewer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arindam Basu, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Canterbury Yang Jianzheng/VCG via Getty Images Within less than three years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared two public health emergencies of international concern: COVID-19 in February 2020 and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Halog, Lecturer/Research Group Leader in Industrial Ecology and Circular Economy, The University of Queensland The Brisbane 2032 Olympic organising committee boardDarren England/AAP In a year of major sporting events – the Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, cricket’s T20 World ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne O’Mara, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University Shutterstock It’s hard for parents to help kids with homework without doing it for them. It can be especially difficult to work out where to start when your child is preparing a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Day, PhD Student, Economic and Industrial Policy, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney Shutterstock The NSW government’s industrial dispute with rail unions over the new intercity trains is tipped to add hundreds of millions of dollars ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan Lyons, Scholar in Media and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University IMDB When it was announced that the creators of Breaking Bad would be filming a prequel spin-off to their iconic series, few could have imagined the critical acclaim it would ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The only credible explanation for Scott Morrison personally installing himself, as an undisclosed ministerial partner, in several portfolios is the former prime minister’s passion for control. The fact he didn’t tell senior colleagues, let ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linden Ashcroft, Lecturer in climate science and science communication, The University of Melbourne Mike Marrah/Unsplash, CC BY-SA On August 14 1912, a small New Zealand newspaper published a short article announcing global coal usage was affecting our planet’s temperature. ...
In the wake of the emotionally draining sagas that have dominated the mainstream media for the past week or so — -first the allegations of bullying within Parliament and by parliamentarians, and then the All Blacks’ triumph and turmoil over the coach’s future employment — can any relief be found? ...
Auckland mayoral hopeful Viv Beck should throw in the towel to give rival and former Far North mayor Wayne Brown a better go, says former Auckland mayor and National MP John Banks. ...
The government reduced pay parity funding for early childhood teachers in its May Budget to keep its education spending within agreed limits, briefing documents show. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Lukas Coch/AAP It has been reported that, during the pandemic, the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, swore himself in as a minister to several portfolios, including health, finance and resources. ...
The polytechnic sector has been getting a bad press in recent times. Former Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker has demanded an apology from Education Minister Chris Hipkins for turning the country’s polytechnic education system into “a national disgrace”. The Otago Daily Times has described the centralising of New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University Glen Carrie/Unsplash Social media platforms have had some bad press in recent times, largely prompted by the vast extent of their data collection. Now Meta, the parent company of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sandeman, Honorary Professor, Federation University Australia Shutterstock As a parent, it might feel like you are constantly giving your children worm treatments – usually in the form of chocolate or sweetened chewable tablets. In fact, most kids in ...
New Zealand will send another 120 Defence staff to the UK to help train Ukraine soldiers to defend against Russia after the completion of the previous 30-strong deployment. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Rubenstein, Professor, Academic Director, 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra With more independents, women, Indigenous Australians and MPs from a multicultural background than ever before, federal parliament seems ready to deal with issues that have been lying dormant for years. ...
LGNZ welcomes the Government’s move to allow councils to own bus services. The Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) has been replaced with the new Sustainable Public Transport Framework. The new framework gives councils the ability to own and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia Shutterstock If you wake up in the morning feeling thirsty, you might be dehydrated. There are a few things which might be at play ...
The Free Speech Union has released the first Annual Universities Ranking Report , taking a critical look at the policies and practices of New Zealand’s universities with regards to free speech, and “grading” them on whether they suppress or encourage ...
Buzz from the Beehive The big announcement from the Beehive so far today is that workers and public transport users are at the heart of a new approach to public transport branded the Sustainable Public Transport Framework. This is great news, although when you take workers and public transport users ...
The New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA) is again calling for the government to end COVID-19 mandates for private primary healthcare practices, as the continuing restrictions are unjust and unsubstantiated now that the Omicron variant is at large ...
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.