Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the construction and real estate industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $10b+ train-wreck that is “leaky homes” was created and executed. Architects, engineers, surveyors, civil servants, solicitors, accountants, politicians, union bosses, journalists, builders, bankers…the lot.
Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the finance and investment industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $5b train-wreck that is “finance company collapse” happened over a period of ten years. Financial advisors, accountants, civil servants, solicitors, politicians, union bosses, journalists, reserve bank, bankers…the lot.
What is wrong? Why do these people not find a way to collectivise and shout “fire” when they see the growing flame? Where else are they being silent (and paid)?
Very apt description of the financial debacle too! Just replace a few of the job descriptions. I wonder this often, and as corny as it sounds, for bad things to happen …..
That rule we all get programmed with at school from the age of 5, and which gets reinforced as we progress through life. When we are asked to be creative we fail because we have been proscribed into only that which we are “allowed” to imagine. Outside of the boundaries lies despair and freedom concurrently, it is deliberately a very scary place.
What is wrong? Why do these people not find a way to collectivise and shout “fire” when they see the growing flame? Where else are they being silent (and paid)?
Hundreds of millions in physical waste and fraud, thousands of families put into misery, and no one gets put away behind bars.
But steal $500 from your employer and its off to jail you go.
Consequences exist only for those on the bottom of the heap.
David Clark was interviewed on Q+A yesterday, first on his Miminum Wage bill. He responded with well rehearsed phrases, until…
SHANE So how much will it cost employers?
DAVID What will it cost employers? Well, it depends who you are as an employer. Most employers and most small and medium businesses pay their employees more than the minimum wage. They understand-
SHANE So the overall cost?
DAVID Well, we don’t know exactly how much it will cost. Um, we understand-
SHANE You haven’t costed it?
DAVID I haven’t costed it myself. I understand there has been work done.
That’s embarrassing. But wait, there was more, on Clark’s Monday-ising bill.
SHANE And how much is this going to cost? Have you costed this policy?
DAVID The government says that it will cost 13 cents per worker, per day.
SHANE No, has Labour costed this?
DAVID I’ve seen all of their costs, and I’ve done my own calculations on it which suggests it will be considerably less than that. It may even have a net positive effect, and that’s because you get a boost to domestic tourism, you also get more productive workers from having rests. But anyway, even if it costs 13 cents per worker, per day, as the government estimates – and the government officials acknowledge themselves it’s likely to be overestimated – we don’t think that’s too much to pay to make sure people get to spend times with their families. Hard-working Kiwis deserve all the public holidays they get.
Falling back on the talking points, but no financial substance from Labour’s Revenue spokesperson.
This is Goffesque – show us where the money would come from David.
But it’s more than just a new MP who hasn’t done his homework. Clark has been groomed by Labour as a supposed up and coming MP. All they have groomed him to do is to be a loyal reciter.
Labour seem to be too engrossed in trying to destroy Key and his government and too busy running a perpetual election campaign.
The minimum wage bill policy was announced a year ago and was a major election focus for Labour. Clark was using the same talking points then that he used in the interview yesterday. But still no substance.
Shane was the worst I had seen him. Often he is sharp and follows on well. This week he wasn’t listening to either Russell or Gareth, and not to Clark.
It was like he had questions that were designed to convey a predetermined angle and when the interviewees said otherwise he ignored them.
Eg. His line was that Morgan and the Greens were at loggerheads.
Rather, there was a bigger story he could have delved into, if he was listening, was that they weren’t so opposed and there was possibility that the Greens and Morgan could be reviewing the Greens economic policy. Something that has a far greater appeal to the electorate.
Strong environmental creds with an outside-the-box economic policy that seeks to bring equality with genuine reform of welfare and taxation.
I agree, generally he was on his own mission and not actually interviewing much.
His questioning about ‘why now” for Member’s bills was silly. Monday-ising and marriage equality are ideal types of Member’s bills (the SOE and minimum wage bills are a waste of Member’s Bill slots though).
Clark obviously should have adopted the tory approach to debating these sorts of issues. He should have pulled favorable figures out of his arse and shouted them out continuously to give the impression that he knew what he was talking about.
Do not confuse intellectual honesty for some sort of weakness.
Besides there were costings on the mondayising of holidays, no more than 13c per day per worker and probably a lot less.
The one who should be embarrassed is not David Clark.
After his reality check his response this morning is as good as could be expected:
@DavidClarkNZ
@damianchristie Fair cop. First time caller has learnt his lesson.
If he ditches the slogan library approach that’s been drummed into him and learns there are policy details plus learns to think on his feet then it wil have been a good lesson.
Somewhat surprised you consider that ‘new depths of maliciousness’, especially considering many far worse comments about MPs (and commenters) that pass as acceptable here.
(and the links are well worth following – time for me to get some Bageant from the library!).
…In the end, there’s an underclass simply because ‘we are all individualistic now’.
Underneath the underclass is simply the logic of today’s world.
Without wanting to distract attention from the severe plight of those most clearly at the sharp end of this experience, there is a real sense in which we are all experiencing, day to day, the forces that push people into the so-called underclass.
Lives – and ways of life – are being dismantled constantly. Many in the middle class are simply better able to afford the self-medications and have the wherewithal to put enough strapping around the ‘centre’ to ensure it holds together each day.
But there’s always the fear that the strapping will come loose. The last word on the scale of the underclass belongs to Joe Bageant…
Thanks for the link Just Saying: it is a lovely, insightful piece of writing by Puddleglum. The problem is, this deep social divide is extremely difficult to address, perhaps more so in our age than in previous ones, since manufacturing on a large scale does not seem set to return any time soon, and politicians are more interested in haves who want to defend what they have than the deeper and more difficult problems besetting the have-nots.
Absolutely fucking brilliant piece of writing through that there link. Thanks ‘just saying’…and of course puddleglum for taking the time to put it together 😉
Bookmarked. btw. (And this is at anyone who might know) Is there a way that links can be pasted in comments so that they automatically open in a new tab?
No mouse. But anyway, the reason I asked was because when putting up posts there is an option whereby links will automatically open in a new tab or in place of the current tab. And I just thought there might be some similar mechanism available for use in comments that I was unaware of.
But anyway. Getting rid of the add on and going back to right clicks and ‘open in’ or left clicks coz the number of open tabs is ridiculous.
With everyone waiting for Key’s administration to fall apart, it appears that there isn’t a leader-in-waiting. I guess he feels he still has time on his side.
As long as we can manage trends in the polls correctly, patiently wait for the tide to go out on National, and not rock the middle class boat of centrist voters by saying anything radical or unconventional, Labour will glide home to victory in 2014. Right?
You’re not the only one whose head is being done in SP!
I’ve had a headache since election night in 08. Nothing seems to help. The headache is so large and all consuming that it has even become resistant to the humour cure. Cynicism, anger, despair all worked for a while but now there is nothing. Just a dull relentless ache.
“The people’s flag is palest pink
It’s not as red as you might think.
White collar workers stand and cheer
Your Labour government is here.
We’ll change the country bit by bit
so no-one will notice it.
And just to show we’re still sincere
We’ll sing The Red Flag once a year. “
Yes, time on his side – just like the NZ cricketers, I guess – how much time does he need? We see that Shearer is “saleable” due to that often rehearsed “gallantry award” from the UK. We are reminded about his past heroics mostly by Shearer himself. He is neither “strong” nor “weak” – just plain “ördinary” (which one can hardly say about Key who is “ëxtraordinarily” crafty, arrogant, devious, unethical!)
It certainly does appear that Cunliffe is being well held under wraps. Small wonder the Greens (in spite of all prejudices) have assumed leadership in opposition.
So Koch and others fund a sceptical scientist and his organisation – that is comprised of sceptics – to take a more detailed look at temp stats. More detailed than some orgs had previously done. And they conclude that human emmissions of CO2 track with temp rise. And further, that solar flares, volcanic activity etc simply can’t explain the results.
And it gets shoved down the page on (as far as I can see) one British broadsheet.
Call me a cynic. But what ya reckon the prominence of this news story would have been in the event that they had contradicted all the other studies? I mean, okay. I understand the world, universe and everything begins and ends with the olympics. But second lead story, maybe?
Well that’s just common sense – of course a study done which backs up the pretty well accepted science does not get as much prominence as if they did a study which contradicts other studies.
One of the studies is interesting the other is just repeating things everyone knows.
Pretty much – news by definition needs to have new information come to light. It’s not news every time someone repeats the same study and gets the same results.
But it’s not simply ‘a study which backs up other studies’, is it?
Crucially, it’s a study carried out by people who refused to acknowledge the validity of all those other studies now publishing results that blow their previous denialist position out of the water. I mean, that’s pretty major in the scheme of things, don’t you think?
Y’know, a headline something like ‘The Day Denialism Died’ wouldn’t have been so out of order.
While the wealthy west bickers and spends up large on their respective PR exercises it’s reassuring that some of the poorest people on the planet are facing up to their own climate challenges.
Senegal is one of 11 countries in the Sahel region of Africa looking towards the same solution to the desertification problem: The Great Green Wall. The goal of the project is to plant a wall of trees, 4,300 miles long and 9 miles wide, across the African continent, from Senegal to Djibouti. African leaders hope the trees will trap the sands of the Sahara and halt the advance of the desert.
Key went to the Big Gay Out and made it quite clear that he has an opinion and you can find out what tghat opinion is by buying the book he’ll write when he decides he’s given enough of his good self to you ingrates.
Ah yeah I think I remember the Big Gay Out. Was that when John was modelling a rugby shirt and he pretended to be a gay?
Me and my friends we were cracking up laughing because he REALLY looked like a gay, and even though none of us are gays we still thought it was pretty funny.
Gays should laugh at themselves more. It’s super funny and they’d probably enjoy it.
Ah well, the focus groups are in John Key has has given full consideration to the relevant arguments, and decided it won’t impact on his marriage to Bronagh – so self-centred these neolibs!?
Exactly Carol and Felix, it doesn’t hurt Key so why should he care? FFS John, you finally get some balls but then they retreat back inside so quickly I can’t even give you credit where it’s due.
But what happened to Key voting on conscience issues in line with how his electorate felt? Did he poll them over the weekend? Of course not. No, his ‘best friend’ Barack is okay with the gays now so it’s safe for Key to do the same.
New Zealand’s persistent income gap between Maori and Pacific people and the European majority has widened sharply during the recession.
A quarterly update on vulnerable families by the NZ Council of Christian Social Services…
This is partly attributed to job losses being relatively bigger amongst low income people during the recession.
And the median income of sole parents (regardless of ethnicity) dropped while that of two-parent families rose – did you see that, Paula?!!!!!! So are you going to change your policies in the light of that?
And this, too, Paula?
Benefit statistics show Maori have continued to increase as a proportion of all beneficiaries, from 31.5 per cent in June 2008 to 32.4 per cent in June last year and 33.1 per cent last month.
Pacific beneficiaries have increased more slowly, from 7.6 per cent of the total four years ago to 8.1 per cent last year, and have stabilised at the same level this year.
This shows what a disgraceful country we are – that we can treat the indigenous people this way. It is time to wake up because people will not take this shit forever.
But, but – how many medals did we get? But, but – how will we afford our retirement. But, but – it’s the right not the left. But, but – the time for but’s is fast vanishing. I repeat – people will not take this shit forever!!!
So what to do marty mars? Jobs is not the answer in the way it used to be as less and less people are needed to do the work. It is about a change in the way every single part of society is provided for from the wealth of these islands.
Unfortunately, Maori and any other group already near the bottom of the pile are going to have their place worsened I suspect, until this change is complete (or well underway). Bad timing and positioning for those sectors. … some 2c …
perhaps marty, your suggestion that people will just not take it anymore may hasten this change …
Nothing will improve unless the illusions are gone and we get attitudinal change. That may occur when the effects of peak oil, climate change, and financial scumduggery hit home but somehow i suspect that it won’t. To be quite blunt – unless this country allows tangata whenua to be equal then this country is destined for nothing.
I do not adhere to any of the myriad of ‘civil war’ presumptions – simply because the they and us are not able to be differenciated. They are us. We are them. This is the waka and we are on it. Time to front up but that is the one thing this country seems unable to do, yet we must do it.
Join us for a live chat with Labour leader David Shearer from midday. You can leave your question here in the live chat window, or email it to livechat@stuff.co.nz
by Stuff Newsroom 9:21 AM
Oh, no, it was posted online before ak’s comment – must be a precog!?
I’m sure one said person is moving to Wellington soon and is looking for a dead cat.
So he can pussy foot around ohairyu and hopefully get more than a 161 votes.
Hopefully a knockout and hardworking candidate that is an improvement on Charles Chauvel. Staggers me that in successive elections Charles could not beat a relatively weak candidate.
I consider myself a critic of the PM, but he’s doing the right thing and in this case I think he is motivated by conscience. Although if it was a pressing matter for him, this would have been addressed by a government bill.
Yeah, had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned,
My crude riffmatic says that should the present electoral track Slippery’s National Party are experiencing continue into 2014 and the election National+John(the convicted)Banks+’the Hairdo from Ohariu’+whats left of the ‘Poodles’ won’t quite have the numbers,
So that leaves us with the ‘whim of Winston’ or the ‘Bible Bashing Conservatives’ if there is to be ,heaven forbid, a third term for this National Government,
IF National had of gifted Colin Craig a safe electorate seat in 2011 as they did with ACT’s Banks(spit),there would be 4 conservative MP’s in the House now,
Perhaps a political slip-up by the National Party strategists at the 2011 election hoping that the ‘Epsom chimps tea party’ would give ACT a dead cats bounce in the polls,or, even National have trouble coming to terms with the politics apparently driven by God,(in this case National hardly need fear the conservatives, they are as much if not more so driven by the aquisition of money as those in the National Party are),
It gave me a bit of a cringe when the Louisa Wall legislation was drawn from the ballot, its divisive issues like what this could have turned into among the broader left that can lead to a loss of support and worse, this is the meat and spuds what give small flakes of the right the oxygen with which they can self promote in the media,
Thankfully the issue looks as if it will hardly cause a ruffle of the broader lefts feathers, there seems to have been a collective shrug since the legislation was drawn from the ballot of ‘why didn’t this happen 10 years ago,
However, the elephant in the room, the Conservatives, obviously a potential and multi-seat candidate for coalition with National is still there in the room and the trick here is how to starve ‘them’ of oxygen not allowing ‘them’ access to the whole House so to speak…
had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned
Don’t be coy, mate. The gulity “couple” (not yet married) were Pascal’s Bookie and er, gobsmacked.
We not only saw the elephant, we put it under the microscope, and wrote a bloody long book about it (halfway through the “gay marriage thread, if anyone can be bothered).
Dunne and Hide gave National free bonus seats. Banks’ “bonus” seat came at a cost to National. Craig may also give National bonus seats, at an even bigger cost to National. That’s the point at issue. You may not agree, that’s your call … but please don’t keep repeating that we “don’t get it”.
Feel free to blow your own little egotistical trumpet won’t you ‘mate’,
The real,(and in my opinion),only question you need ask yourself = IF as we approach the 2014 election National’s own polling shows that it will lack enough support to form a Government for a 3rd term AND the conservatives are polling at or above the levels of Party Vote they accrued at the 2011 election (2.6%), will National do a deal with the Conservative’s Leader for a wink and a nod to the National Party faithful so as to gift the Conservatives a safe electorate seat,
IF that choice to put it more starkly is one of Opposition or gift a seat to the Conservatives then i suspect National will fall all over themselves to gift such a safe National held electoral seat,
You may be naive enough to believe that National will not do so fearing loss of electoral support from its core vote, but, National will by the 2014 election be ‘down’ to it’s core vote anyway and the core Tory vote has been well bought and such a ‘loss of support’ will only materialize as a fiction within your head…
If you think it’s the “only question”, then of course you’re wrong, but at least you should follow the logic of your own argument.
What else should Labour or the Greens do, to keep out Colin Craig? (“the only question”, as you put it).
Any other mildly progressive moves they should shy away from? How about – Shearer promises to repeal “anti-smacking” law? That would take the wind out of the Conservatives’ sails.
Surely the essential point is whether the opposition should be driven by fear of a National/Con deal, or a National/ACT deal, or any other deal they want to cook up. Because they will do what they want anyway. Labour/Greens can’t control that. They can, however, piss off their OWN supporters by running scared of Colin Craig.
The head of that pin you constantly dance upon has you constantly changing the subject, you seem to have conceded the debate vis a vis National gifting the Conservatives a safe electorate seat at the 2014 election,
That was the point i was trying to make, point made, expending my energies chasing a debate round various puffs of steam emanating from your cranial cavity wasn’t my intention for the afternoon,
I simply asked questions based on your assumption. To try and get an answer. To test the logic of the argument. The same as yesterday. It’s called debating the issue.
One more time … Do you think the Conservatives will bring a net gain for the National bloc? If so, how will they achieve this? And at what cost?
All your present inquiries have been well addressed in my previous comments upon the subject,
If you cannot deduce the answer to your queries from those previous comments then i can only suggest you avail yourself of a course in remedial reading…
Well, I can see both sides of this. National is short on options for future partners, so they have nothing to lose, and possibly everything to gain, by throwing Craig’s lot a bone.
But it depends on whether its as divisive as the Cons hope. They seem just a s likely to shoot themselves in the foot, and it seems most people, including most Nat MPs are now for marriage equality.
Certainly the website launched by the Cons and friends is off to a bad start – site crashed soon after launch, they are using a song by a US band that objects and wants it pulled.
And on RNZ today they reported that a pro-marriage equality campaigner said most of the stuff on the site was US-based, and didn’t seem to have much representation of Kiwi views on the bill.
Not sure if it’s an elephant, but it’s unnerving to see the course of the 2014 election already being algorhythmed into the extremes of those who are not even in yet and may never be, when all it would take in fact is a 4% gain from Labour to obviate all of that coulda-woulda-shoulda on the margins.
If the Greens can do this well in the media, why can’t Labour? Would not a large part of the country simply wipe the Conservatives and Act and New Zealand First out if Shearer and Norman announced today: we are forming a coalition, right now?
Act as if they were a government-in-wainting, not lunch-in-waiting?
If Labour are doing what Bad 12 is calculating, they are enabling the fleas to rule the dog. Time to get a bigger dog.
Trouble for Labour tho is it appears to now be a party of, for, and by the middle class and the middle in terms of gaining electoral traction is one hell of a crowded space,
Can you really see Labour gaining from either ‘blue collar’ or the ‘beneficiary belt’ when we know that raising the age of superannuation is what Labour is offering as policy to the ‘blue collar workers’ and the beneficiary belt is being offered (again) the chance for Labour to undo none of the damage done by the Slippery National Government and thus set them up for even harsher lives post the next Labour Government,
We have had the BIG democratization of the party by Labour, and, i have to wonder whether Clayton wrote it, so i would expect POLICY that differentiates Labour from National will be next egg for hatching,
As far as announcements over Government i would be just as happy for the Greens to sit out-side of Government with a far harder push on that party’s SOCIAL JUSTICE policy’s, being tarred with the same brush as Labour by being in a formal Government with them might prove electorally costly to the Greens…
Thanks Bad for summing up the non reality of the positions above re possible election results.
If Labour actually stood by their core principles and made the correct noises debates about coalitions would be meaningless. Instead Labour are lead by a guitar strumming middle class fellow with no teeth to keep the grasping middle classes happy, a gay guy also with no teeth to keep the sectoral interest groups happy, and a finance spokesman to the right of Milton Friedman to keep the “markets” happy.
Gads I hope you’re being sarcastic CV – Shearers rambling anecdotes of derring-do are becoming the butt of many jokes. It’s also risky to keep emphasising his time at the UN imo. The team likes to paint it as humanitarianism, but shearer was a school teacher who became rich and powerful as an administrator on the backs of the poor, much as the new CEOs of charities are (unpopularly) doing in contrast to the old public service model. He was never an aid worker, he didn’t give anything up, on the contrary, and I suspect he is an adrenaline junky and would have sought out danger to fill a personal need, no matter what he was doing.
Aha, the slow imperceptible slide had already begun then Slippery handed Hekia the Education Portfolio and the name of a good Doctor for anti-depressant medication,
All hell then broke loose,(although the mainstream media are still playing the game of show National from the high end of the margin of error and Labour from the bottom)…
To get more tax in an affordable way the Tobin tax on each financial transaction tax seems a good idea. This would include GST on consumer items too being financial transactions. The spread of the tax would be wide and because of volume bringing a good tax return this would enable GST to be lowered making it less important as a means of government income and less onerous for us all. The burden on consumers and on active domestic trading by ordinary people would be lessened and the economy would be more resilient.
When I do a financial transaction through my credit card, there is a charge to the seller, who may pass that on to me, and then there is an interest charge by the credit company to me. Private business can charge per transaction so why can’t government business tax be collected on each financial transaction?
Labour always ‘on the ball’ have decided on a ‘mild’ Capital Gains Tax which for some really f**king weird reason the likes of David Parker seems to think will address the over-inflated housing prices both as a buy and as a rental,
Only 10 or so years too late on that issue and fast being overtaken by the crisis of supply and demand in the rental market where the low wage workers are now spending 50+% of their wages on private rentals thus providing an even bigger drag on the internal economy as their disposable income shrinks…
The whole thing is not pretty as we still have a housing bubble in terms of the price to income ratios, propped up by housing demand that is a result of immigration policies and a lack of forward investment planning.
Our current scenario resembles the limited housing availability and bad housing standards of the 1920s, also a time of “market rentals” and asset bubbles. The end result was the State housing boom of the 1rst Labour government that also enabled the rise of Fletchers to economic prominence. From an economic perspective we need to go there again, it makes far more sense than the bailing out of private investment funds such as SCF who should have been left to go to the wall. How many houses could the money given SCF fund holders have built?
Agree with you there!!! another mess created by Neo-liberal Bullshit being imported into our country and economy by those who should have been confined to an institution other than the Parliament,
The ‘fix’ is simple, print the dollars necessary to build the high density housing needed in the places of highest demand and rent these out at 25% of income to all who apply based upon greatest need gets in first and don’t stop until there are housing units for which a tenant cannot be found,
Rental Housing based upon a rental of 25% of household income should be available to everyone no matter what their income is,
The only discrimination should be simply based upon the most need being catered to first and spreading the tenancy base far wider than just the ‘beneficiary belt’ to include everyone who applies allows for the wealthier tenants to be subsidizing the less wealthy…
The whole thing is not pretty as we still have a housing bubble in terms of the price to income ratios, propped up by housing demand that is a result of immigration policies and a lack of forward investment planning.
And don’t forget cheap mortgage debt, which is another crucial ingredient to keeping the whole ponzi scheme going.
Interestingly the whole mortgage Ponzi which underpins the housing fiasco can be broken by state investment…the state does its own fractional banking and sets up a local supply system to deliver…no money goes offshore to banksters. The upside benefit of state investment is that:
* landlords get placed under rental pressure.
* to compete landlords have to raise standards.
* private property values diminish.
* housing values mainly reflect the building / replacement cost.
It would not take a lot of state investment to send landlords some “market signals” on rental prices.
Having the state print dollars based upon tax take (that may not eventuate) is not as easy as creating credit by fractional banking (which should only be done by the state). Printing dollars can be fraught with inflationary pressure, having said that you could never print enough to keep up with bankster ponzis…..
The reason you allow a private rental market is because there will always be some prats for whom state houses wont be “good” enough for, plus I am a vindictive bugger when it comes to landlords and high house prices…I want to see both suffer a reality check. You do this by having enough state houses to collapse their market.
Having the state print dollars based upon tax take…
I’d do it the other way around – base the taxes on the printing. It doesn’t have to be precise over a yearly basis just balanced on average.
The reason you allow a private rental market…
I wouldn’t prevent it same as I wouldn’t prevent home ownership. I’d just make it so that private rental or home ownership would be more expensive than renting from the state. As the money to build the state houses was printed with 0% interest they don’t need a massive return – just enough to cover maintenance.
That last is true of all state funding which is, IMO, another reason why the capitalists don’t like the state. If the state was being rational there’d never be any reason for private investment which would remove the power that the capitalists presently have over us. The economy run for the benefit of the community rather than enriching a few.
Oops, didn’t click reply to Prism’s word on fair vs unfair tax, and my response in agreement is down there at 15 underneath he who can not be named. To add to my initial comment, the online live chat with Shearer was shamelessly trolled. JK fan girl Tracy Watkins probably got herself on the moderating team.
David Shearer has just done a live online chat on Stuff. Reasonable effort from him, up front on a number of questions, shows a sense of humour.
Do you believe New Zealand should become a republic?
Yes. It’s not our top priority but I’d like to see NZ stand up for itself in the world and have its own flag without someone else’s in the top left hand corner.
Were you surprised by the latest poll that said people didn’t feel they knew you?
No not really. New Zealanders take time to get to know people and to trust them. The onus is on me to get out there and earn their trust and their support.
Indeed Prism. This is exactly what I asked David Shearer on the live chat on Stuff.co.nz at midday, albeit in a less eloquent way. That question wasn’t however put on line. Instead there were plenty of mindless questions such as “Boxers, briefs or commando?” “Have you ever been shot?” (WTF?) and some one asked “Why are you always so negative about anything the governemnt says?”…..
There was a couple of relevent questions, inlcuding one from a Standard poster but it was generally incredibly cringe worthy.
Comment from maggie barry in an interview in June 2011 “I’m not naive. I would hope I wouldn’t get into profoundly dangerous territory whereby I’d endanger my political career from naive utterances.” Ha Ha bonk!
.Just laughed my head off.
Barry, also does not pay close enough attention when responding to emails..
She is making many errors, which is the logical outcome of having been used as a bad joke, and then thinking one was elected based on any sort of skills.
The woman is a loud mouthed fool, which means perfect National material
Headline on Stuff “PM laughs off Rich List loss”
I am sick of his dismissive attitude to issues. He is forever saying he is “relaxed” about something he should be emphatically concerned about.
The man is so god damn relaxed the man is manifestly flaccid.
Our great flaccid leader. A flaccid member.
Yeah down a cool 5 million, for the head Capitalist that must have been one BIG ouchy, seems it’s not only His political fortunes that are on the slide then…
William Joyce
I think flaccid is the word of the year for Jokey Hen. It should be welded to his name so its always mentioned like invaded Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction’.
Last week I thought I read a newspaper article stating Mr Key supports gay marriage but would vote according to his Helensville constituents. Today he says he is going to vote for the bill and can’t see him changing his mind? Did he poll Hellensville over the weekend????
Maori TV’s Tina Wickliffe has just tweeted “BREAKING: Waitangi Tribunal recommends the Crown ought not to proceed with asset sales.” A rather big headache for John Key there in the making …
No more a headache than before, this outcome was expected before the hearing began.
And in case you weren’t aware, Government can consider the finding carefully and then decide to proceed regardless of the finding, as it is non-binding.
The Waitangi Tribunal has said the Government should halt its asset sales programme – at least until the Tribunal delivers its full findings on a water rights claim in September.
The hapu and iwi argue they should receive shares in the Mighty River or other state owned power companies slated for partial privatisation under the Government’s “mixed ownership model
There’ll be a deal done, I’m sad to say. Key sees himself as a deal-maker and while it’s clear that he has no fiscal reason to go ahead with partial privitisation, he is ideologically wedded to it.
But aren’t the hapu and iwi represented more by the Iwi Leaders’ Group, which I think is the most likely one to argue for shares. And it’s not clear to me that the Maori Council, who launched the Waitangi claim, are in agreement:
The ILG perform a commercial and policy functions. The Group’s policy functions overlap with the MC, but the Group’s commercial functions overlap with FOMA. After all, the MC is a policy and lobbying group. Similar in function to, for example, the Climate Change Iwi Leaders Group – a kind of subsidiary of the ILG proper.
And, of course, it’s not surprising that the Herald immediately highlights the IWG position, and ignores the views of other Maori groups.
The Herald article states “The hapu and iwi argue they should receive shares in the Mighty River or other state owned power companies slated for partial privatisation under the Government’s “mixed ownership model”.
So I wouldn’t get all excited thinking this will derail the process.
In some ways I think the Maori powerbrokers (and I include the Maori party in this) are worse than their Pakeha counterparts.
And it appears that Labour has just shown itself to be as unprincipled as National.
Quite apart from introducing loopholes you could drive a busload of lobbyists through, this also undermines the objectives of the bill. “National, patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, scientific, artistic, social, professional, or sporting” NGOs – and unions – are lobbyists just like everybody else, and therefore their lobbying should be disclosed. Trying to exempt them simply makes it look like Labour thinks the rules shouldn’t apply to their mates.
Personally I’d love unions to get out of parliament and back on to the streets. Too much (all?) of the favourable legislation that came post 2000 was a result of backroom deals/lobbying. Meaning that union members were sidelined to a huge degree and subject to union heirarchies ‘negotiating’ improvements to conditions. Why does that matter? Cause you feel more attached to those things you have fought for… and that makes it much more difficult for somebody to come along and take them away.
It is crap to allow private commercial interests to hold the same status as organisations like charities which are purely focussed on societal and social benefit.
Hello out there.
Who read the item in the Sunday Star Times on Sunday about the doctor who said Tony Ryall should start asking the real people instead of relying on Spivs.
The Standard must get its ass into gear and get real instead of the tiresome reliance on semi-beltway issues that the masses just ignore.
I might have a degree of sympathy with the view you express (a lot of the navel gazing parliament stuff bores the hell outta me). But know what? There’s a ‘contribute’ facility that allows you to submit posts if you feel it’s important to diminish the prevalence of beltway or semi-beltway issues.
I hear on TVNZ1 news tonight Kiwi Rail is having many on going issues with the engines and rolling stock which they have purchased from China. Like the brakes on the rolling stock wont work, and it is costing them heaps. Ha ha fucking ha, when are these right wing fuckwits going to learn that THE market does not deliver every time if ever. All those engines and rolling stock could have been manufactured in the old Hillside Works they would have worked, employed lots of tax payers and would not have cost overseas funds.
There is truth in the saying The National party and the right wing fuckwits could not organise a piss up in a brewery
So, the same-sex marriage bill is decided by a conscience vote, right, and you, who voted AGAINST the Civil Union bill, also a conscience vote, now indicate that your ‘conscience’ will allow you to vote FOR same sex unions. Which (in terms of the bill passing) is great, I’m in full support of the bill and it passing. Well done John! But that leads me to my question….
Which is… What does that say about your ‘conscience’ John? I mean, I honestly don’t believe for a second that you’ve undergone a transformation in your views on this issue since 2004 and the bill you voted against then (Its a view that typically changes generationally rather than in the minds and hearts of existing voters). And, the way you’re playing it leads me to believe that you would like me to believe that you’re fairly ‘relaxed’ on it, and that it is overall of little consequence. An unlikely way to play it for someone who’s ‘conscience’ has changed so dramatically in such a relatively short span of time.
And, that’s the thing John. ‘Conscience’. Words are important John, or at least I believe they are, they allow us a window onto what our representatives represent, they convey and conscience…conscience John is one of those important words. Especially, ESPECIALLY John when you have chosen (remember now John, choices are your thing) to become a politician, someone elected by the people to represent the people.
But, and here I have to come back to why I started this letter as I watched you looking so calculatedly relaxed on the evening news John, do you even have any ‘views’ to undergo transformation? Do you have any principles that got you into the job of influencing so many peoples lives? Hell, you even claim to not remember where you stood on the ’81 Springbok Tour. I wasn’t even born and I know where I ‘stood’ on the ’81 Springbok Tour, John.
Whatever the old internal polling is telling you is the ‘mood of middle NZ’, that’s where you’ll set your plate eh John? Sounds like a pretty good method for clinging to power, but bloody hopeless for anything like the visionary leadership or far-reaching innovative policy that might get us out of the mess that you and your old mates set in motion. Or, ironically, anything approaching a ‘brighter future’.
The engines are made in Germany But most of the rest of the superstructure are made in China .
Apparently these trains can not reach full speed because the suspension is inferior.
This is another National disaster.
David Parker has posted a detailed statement about his environmental credentials and also his opinion interspersed with Labour positions on mining and drilling.
If you have to preface explaining what you really meant, when your words were fairly unambiguous, with a long whinge about how much you love tramping … I mean seriously, if “explaining is losing” in politics, what the hell is all that?
An arsewipe presenting itself as highest grade (organic and died from natural causes guv) vellum?
I mean, this is the guy who maintained that rivers should be clean enough to swim in no matter how hard he was pressed on the state of potable water. Anyway, apart from he the fact he apparently led or was indispensible to every environmental crusade in NZ since….forever. What’s he suggesting here when he says:
As I said when interviewed, there is legitimate public concern about deep sea drilling arising from the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe and the limitations of New Zealand’s response to the Rena shipwreck. We must ensure that world’s best practice is followed and that the safety devices needed in the event of mishap are available and can be deployed. Even then, it may be that the deepest of wells are too risky and ought not to proceed.
Kind of jumps out that he’s obviously not concerned about deep sea drilling – that’s just a pesky ‘public’ concern. And is he suggesting that the technology for dealing with major rig blow outs exists? Those ‘safety devices’ he mentions. What are they? Maybe he’s imagining a factory full of pixies magicking something up? Or maybe he imagines that oil will be sponged up in the way he fancies his ‘seeking of leave’ will be sponged by all and sundry?
And then there’s the mention of this ‘best practice’. What’s that? There have been (thankfully) precious few precedents for this ‘best practice’ to be developed….utilizing ‘safety devices’ (that don’t exist).
And the doozie. Deep sea drilling will go ahead unless it is shown to be too risky. Precautionary principle anyone? What happened to our heroic crusader for the environment that he shys away from insisting that safety is proved beyond any reasonable doubt before any drilling gets underway? Why merely ‘may’ it be that only ‘the deepest of wells’ that ‘ought not to’ (not, won’t) proceed’?
Okay. Disclaimer. I don’t like the guy and have found him to be about as disingenuous as they come.
Close-Up and Sainsbury.
Apparently people living in Auckland could hear him talking about the plans for Christchurch – not on television, but by sticking their heads out the window.
When is the prat going to learn to use his lapel microphone and stop shouting?
Better still, when are TVNZ going to replace him …?
Why wasn’t it done at the start of the year? It’s not easy to handle the media and few can do it without some in-depth training. So, why has it taken so long? Where was the strategy team? I’m a loyal Labour supporter but it’s been hard sometimes…
I’d like to think that tomorrow the Standard will acknowledge the birthday of Milton Friedman who was born July 31 1912 – 100 years ago.The man whose thoughts and theories have probably caused more human misery than any other single individual in history……
What a legacy!
Uganda ebola makes it to capital, outbreak kills 14
Ahhh this is bad. I understand its made it to the capital, Kampala.
Further, reports that this strain of ebola is less virulent are also really bad, as the mortality rate is still very high, but the disease is less obvious in its early stages so it can spread further before causing alarm.
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
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Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the construction and real estate industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $10b+ train-wreck that is “leaky homes” was created and executed. Architects, engineers, surveyors, civil servants, solicitors, accountants, politicians, union bosses, journalists, builders, bankers…the lot.
Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the finance and investment industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $5b train-wreck that is “finance company collapse” happened over a period of ten years. Financial advisors, accountants, civil servants, solicitors, politicians, union bosses, journalists, reserve bank, bankers…the lot.
What is wrong? Why do these people not find a way to collectivise and shout “fire” when they see the growing flame? Where else are they being silent (and paid)?
Very apt description of the financial debacle too! Just replace a few of the job descriptions. I wonder this often, and as corny as it sounds, for bad things to happen …..
Rule number 1. Do Not Question Authority
Learn that rule and you can go far.
“First rule.. IS..!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN4cFjOhjnY
That rule we all get programmed with at school from the age of 5, and which gets reinforced as we progress through life. When we are asked to be creative we fail because we have been proscribed into only that which we are “allowed” to imagine. Outside of the boundaries lies despair and freedom concurrently, it is deliberately a very scary place.
Hundreds of millions in physical waste and fraud, thousands of families put into misery, and no one gets put away behind bars.
But steal $500 from your employer and its off to jail you go.
Consequences exist only for those on the bottom of the heap.
David Clark was interviewed on Q+A yesterday, first on his Miminum Wage bill. He responded with well rehearsed phrases, until…
That’s embarrassing. But wait, there was more, on Clark’s Monday-ising bill.
Falling back on the talking points, but no financial substance from Labour’s Revenue spokesperson.
This is Goffesque – show us where the money would come from David.
But it’s more than just a new MP who hasn’t done his homework. Clark has been groomed by Labour as a supposed up and coming MP. All they have groomed him to do is to be a loyal reciter.
Labour seem to be too engrossed in trying to destroy Key and his government and too busy running a perpetual election campaign.
The minimum wage bill policy was announced a year ago and was a major election focus for Labour. Clark was using the same talking points then that he used in the interview yesterday. But still no substance.
Clark has to take this on the chin, but this is a whole party problem.Labour embarrassed David Clark.
🙄
I saw Q&A program and Shane was being flippant and arrogant.
David Clark came across reasonably well
Shane was the worst I had seen him. Often he is sharp and follows on well. This week he wasn’t listening to either Russell or Gareth, and not to Clark.
It was like he had questions that were designed to convey a predetermined angle and when the interviewees said otherwise he ignored them.
Eg. His line was that Morgan and the Greens were at loggerheads.
Rather, there was a bigger story he could have delved into, if he was listening, was that they weren’t so opposed and there was possibility that the Greens and Morgan could be reviewing the Greens economic policy. Something that has a far greater appeal to the electorate.
Strong environmental creds with an outside-the-box economic policy that seeks to bring equality with genuine reform of welfare and taxation.
I agree, generally he was on his own mission and not actually interviewing much.
His questioning about ‘why now” for Member’s bills was silly. Monday-ising and marriage equality are ideal types of Member’s bills (the SOE and minimum wage bills are a waste of Member’s Bill slots though).
. 🙄
and PG if you click the link below there’s worser – and its Orahiu-Bouffants main man –
http://thestandard.org.nz/another-looters-bonus/
show me the money Mr Keys – and this is a whole country problem.
Clark obviously should have adopted the tory approach to debating these sorts of issues. He should have pulled favorable figures out of his arse and shouted them out continuously to give the impression that he knew what he was talking about.
Do not confuse intellectual honesty for some sort of weakness.
Besides there were costings on the mondayising of holidays, no more than 13c per day per worker and probably a lot less.
The one who should be embarrassed is not David Clark.
+1
Come on people David Clark got schooled. He exposed himself and should get a good spanking in Caucus, before parliament does it.
After his reality check his response this morning is as good as could be expected:
If he ditches the slogan library approach that’s been drummed into him and learns there are policy details plus learns to think on his feet then it wil have been a good lesson.
T 🙄
😆
🙄
New depths of maliciousness there Pete 👿
Somewhat surprised you consider that ‘new depths of maliciousness’, especially considering many far worse comments about MPs (and commenters) that pass as acceptable here.
🙄 .
*facepalm*
🙄
🙄
🙄
From The Political Scientist’ Underneath the Underclass:
http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/?p=571#more-571
(and the links are well worth following – time for me to get some Bageant from the library!).
Thanks for the link Just Saying: it is a lovely, insightful piece of writing by Puddleglum. The problem is, this deep social divide is extremely difficult to address, perhaps more so in our age than in previous ones, since manufacturing on a large scale does not seem set to return any time soon, and politicians are more interested in haves who want to defend what they have than the deeper and more difficult problems besetting the have-nots.
Absolutely fucking brilliant piece of writing through that there link. Thanks ‘just saying’…and of course puddleglum for taking the time to put it together 😉
http://www.joebageant.com/joe/essay-list.html
Bookmarked. btw. (And this is at anyone who might know) Is there a way that links can be pasted in comments so that they automatically open in a new tab?
It’s a browser setting so here’s a couple of how to’s.
https://addons.mozilla.org/EN-us/firefox/addon/open-link-in-new-tab/
http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/force-ie-to-open-link-in-new-tab/
http://chrome.blogspot.co.nz/2009/08/tip-opening-links-in-new-tabs.html
Cheers. One download and wee bit of fiddling later….
Best usability practice says that it’s a decision best left to the click-ee to make. It’s their browser after all.
If you’ve got a scroll button on your mouse, try clicking them with that…
No mouse. But anyway, the reason I asked was because when putting up posts there is an option whereby links will automatically open in a new tab or in place of the current tab. And I just thought there might be some similar mechanism available for use in comments that I was unaware of.
But anyway. Getting rid of the add on and going back to right clicks and ‘open in’ or left clicks coz the number of open tabs is ridiculous.
just saying, I replied to the same comment you first published in the Open Mike 29 July post. Just saying…. 🙂
I said in that comment that the link was too good to get lost in the “graveyard” of sunday night and that I’d repost today uless anyone objected.
And some real world examples from Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Scotland, Ireland etc of how an underclass forms… http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/a-world-of-pain.18271665
Anyone particularly concerned with Armstrong’s interpretation of David Shearer’s polling in the Dominion Post this morning?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7372821/David-Shearer-has-uphill-battle-to-gain-some-colour
With everyone waiting for Key’s administration to fall apart, it appears that there isn’t a leader-in-waiting. I guess he feels he still has time on his side.
Sorry Small not Armstrong. Edit function wonky.
Ouch! I thought the lack of cut through By Shearer was an Auckland problem only.
Something is rotten in the state of Labour.
Don’t be concerned, ALP.
As long as we can manage trends in the polls correctly, patiently wait for the tide to go out on National, and not rock the middle class boat of centrist voters by saying anything radical or unconventional, Labour will glide home to victory in 2014. Right?
I just wish Shearer would say something and that the Labour front Bench would not try and be slightly pinker versions of National.
This National lite stuff is doing my head in.
You’re not the only one whose head is being done in SP!
I’ve had a headache since election night in 08. Nothing seems to help. The headache is so large and all consuming that it has even become resistant to the humour cure. Cynicism, anger, despair all worked for a while but now there is nothing. Just a dull relentless ache.
The peoples flag is palest pink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People%27s_Flag_Is_Palest_Pink
A classic for the times.
“The people’s flag is palest pink
It’s not as red as you might think.
White collar workers stand and cheer
Your Labour government is here.
We’ll change the country bit by bit
so no-one will notice it.
And just to show we’re still sincere
We’ll sing The Red Flag once a year. “
There is another one…..
The people’s flag’s not what you think,
It is not red but bloody pink.
It is not stained by martyr’s blood
but Kings Cross harlot’s………………………..
Might come up on google – dunno.
Yes, time on his side – just like the NZ cricketers, I guess – how much time does he need? We see that Shearer is “saleable” due to that often rehearsed “gallantry award” from the UK. We are reminded about his past heroics mostly by Shearer himself. He is neither “strong” nor “weak” – just plain “ördinary” (which one can hardly say about Key who is “ëxtraordinarily” crafty, arrogant, devious, unethical!)
It certainly does appear that Cunliffe is being well held under wraps. Small wonder the Greens (in spite of all prejudices) have assumed leadership in opposition.
Climate sceptics try their hand at science, with predictable results ( no, really):
http://bit.ly/P5nuLc
So Koch and others fund a sceptical scientist and his organisation – that is comprised of sceptics – to take a more detailed look at temp stats. More detailed than some orgs had previously done. And they conclude that human emmissions of CO2 track with temp rise. And further, that solar flares, volcanic activity etc simply can’t explain the results.
And it gets shoved down the page on (as far as I can see) one British broadsheet.
Call me a cynic. But what ya reckon the prominence of this news story would have been in the event that they had contradicted all the other studies? I mean, okay. I understand the world, universe and everything begins and ends with the olympics. But second lead story, maybe?
Well that’s just common sense – of course a study done which backs up the pretty well accepted science does not get as much prominence as if they did a study which contradicts other studies.
One of the studies is interesting the other is just repeating things everyone knows.
Confirmation that the Titanic is still sinking is no longer headline news, because everyone already knows it?
Pretty much – news by definition needs to have new information come to light. It’s not news every time someone repeats the same study and gets the same results.
No, news by definition is information coming in from all directions of the globe, North, East, West and South.
Further, confirmation of something major which has been long suspected is frequently still thought of as being news-worthy.
But it’s not simply ‘a study which backs up other studies’, is it?
Crucially, it’s a study carried out by people who refused to acknowledge the validity of all those other studies now publishing results that blow their previous denialist position out of the water. I mean, that’s pretty major in the scheme of things, don’t you think?
Y’know, a headline something like ‘The Day Denialism Died’ wouldn’t have been so out of order.
Perhaps the penny has dropped for these people.
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/our-summer-of-climate-truth
this too http://www.cjr.org//the_observatory/michael_mann_national_review_m.php
While the wealthy west bickers and spends up large on their respective PR exercises it’s reassuring that some of the poorest people on the planet are facing up to their own climate challenges.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/12/senegal-great-green-wall
Senegal is one of 11 countries in the Sahel region of Africa looking towards the same solution to the desertification problem: The Great Green Wall. The goal of the project is to plant a wall of trees, 4,300 miles long and 9 miles wide, across the African continent, from Senegal to Djibouti. African leaders hope the trees will trap the sands of the Sahara and halt the advance of the desert.
So does John Key hate gays or not?
He voted against Civil Unions so I guess he hated gays in 2004. But last week he didn’t know if he still hated gays or not.
He’s had long enough to think about it. Time we got an answer.
You sush your mouth.
Key went to the Big Gay Out and made it quite clear that he has an opinion and you can find out what tghat opinion is by buying the book he’ll write when he decides he’s given enough of his good self to you ingrates.
Ah yeah I think I remember the Big Gay Out. Was that when John was modelling a rugby shirt and he pretended to be a gay?
Me and my friends we were cracking up laughing because he REALLY looked like a gay, and even though none of us are gays we still thought it was pretty funny.
Gays should laugh at themselves more. It’s super funny and they’d probably enjoy it.
Ah well,
the focus groups are inJohn Key has has given full consideration to the relevant arguments, and decided it won’t impact on his marriage to Bronagh – so self-centred these neolibs!?http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823210
And he’s leaving the space for the Conservative Party to gain a little support from the religious and social conservatives on the right.
Very telling that they think the biggest issue with equal rights is the feelings of the people who already have their rights.
Exactly Carol and Felix, it doesn’t hurt Key so why should he care? FFS John, you finally get some balls but then they retreat back inside so quickly I can’t even give you credit where it’s due.
But what happened to Key voting on conscience issues in line with how his electorate felt? Did he poll them over the weekend? Of course not. No, his ‘best friend’ Barack is okay with the gays now so it’s safe for Key to do the same.
Maybe Jokey Hen is the dual-facing Janus in all ways?
Is the J a typo?
Its an anagram.
I wonder if there is/will be any comment on this from the Maori Party.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823115
This is partly attributed to job losses being relatively bigger amongst low income people during the recession.
And the median income of sole parents (regardless of ethnicity) dropped while that of two-parent families rose – did you see that, Paula?!!!!!! So are you going to change your policies in the light of that?
And this, too, Paula?
But I’m pretty sure Mana will be onto this.
Thanks Carol for posting that disturbing news.
This shows what a disgraceful country we are – that we can treat the indigenous people this way. It is time to wake up because people will not take this shit forever.
But, but – how many medals did we get? But, but – how will we afford our retirement. But, but – it’s the right not the left. But, but – the time for but’s is fast vanishing. I repeat – people will not take this shit forever!!!
So what to do marty mars? Jobs is not the answer in the way it used to be as less and less people are needed to do the work. It is about a change in the way every single part of society is provided for from the wealth of these islands.
Unfortunately, Maori and any other group already near the bottom of the pile are going to have their place worsened I suspect, until this change is complete (or well underway). Bad timing and positioning for those sectors. … some 2c …
perhaps marty, your suggestion that people will just not take it anymore may hasten this change …
Awaiting the tipping point. How desperate do things need to become?
Nothing will improve unless the illusions are gone and we get attitudinal change. That may occur when the effects of peak oil, climate change, and financial scumduggery hit home but somehow i suspect that it won’t. To be quite blunt – unless this country allows tangata whenua to be equal then this country is destined for nothing.
I do not adhere to any of the myriad of ‘civil war’ presumptions – simply because the they and us are not able to be differenciated. They are us. We are them. This is the waka and we are on it. Time to front up but that is the one thing this country seems unable to do, yet we must do it.
Yes aren’t things going swimmingly for the Slippery cabal.
In just this morning’s news – from our premier pro-right organ at that:
Years of “relationship building” for the MP results in WIDENING THE GAPS.
The high-efficiency Supercity amalgamation results in MASSIVE RATE RISES.
That talented tall-poppy victim Paul Henry “lost to overseas” FAILS DRAMATICALLY.
Getting it all out of the way on a monday.
Don’t expect to see Shearer in the press or on TV again for months.
Oh, but look! Shearer must have taken notice of you, ak! He’s doing a live chat today at midday on Stuff;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7374911/Live-chat-Labour-leader-David-Shearer
Oh, no, it was posted online before ak’s comment – must be a precog!?
That’s good news for anyone interested in Shearer’s pet status.
I missed it, but I look forward to his live banjo performance on his youtube channel this evening
I’m sure one said person is moving to Wellington soon and is looking for a dead cat.
So he can pussy foot around ohairyu and hopefully get more than a 161 votes.
lol awesome if true
Hopefully a knockout and hardworking candidate that is an improvement on Charles Chauvel. Staggers me that in successive elections Charles could not beat a relatively weak candidate.
PM changes mind, will support marriage equality afterall. Good for him.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823210
Expect to see Nat list mps to follow suit, at least enough to get a healthy passing margin and to give cover for electorate mps to vote against.
I consider myself a critic of the PM, but he’s doing the right thing and in this case I think he is motivated by conscience. Although if it was a pressing matter for him, this would have been addressed by a government bill.
Conscience? Nah…. the focus groups are in…. and anyway, it won’t effect Key’s marriage! It’s all about him, you see?
And it also gives the Conservative Party a potential platform—- at possibly providing something National is lacking… a support partner for 2014.
Yeah, had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned,
My crude riffmatic says that should the present electoral track Slippery’s National Party are experiencing continue into 2014 and the election National+John(the convicted)Banks+’the Hairdo from Ohariu’+whats left of the ‘Poodles’ won’t quite have the numbers,
So that leaves us with the ‘whim of Winston’ or the ‘Bible Bashing Conservatives’ if there is to be ,heaven forbid, a third term for this National Government,
IF National had of gifted Colin Craig a safe electorate seat in 2011 as they did with ACT’s Banks(spit),there would be 4 conservative MP’s in the House now,
Perhaps a political slip-up by the National Party strategists at the 2011 election hoping that the ‘Epsom chimps tea party’ would give ACT a dead cats bounce in the polls,or, even National have trouble coming to terms with the politics apparently driven by God,(in this case National hardly need fear the conservatives, they are as much if not more so driven by the aquisition of money as those in the National Party are),
It gave me a bit of a cringe when the Louisa Wall legislation was drawn from the ballot, its divisive issues like what this could have turned into among the broader left that can lead to a loss of support and worse, this is the meat and spuds what give small flakes of the right the oxygen with which they can self promote in the media,
Thankfully the issue looks as if it will hardly cause a ruffle of the broader lefts feathers, there seems to have been a collective shrug since the legislation was drawn from the ballot of ‘why didn’t this happen 10 years ago,
However, the elephant in the room, the Conservatives, obviously a potential and multi-seat candidate for coalition with National is still there in the room and the trick here is how to starve ‘them’ of oxygen not allowing ‘them’ access to the whole House so to speak…
had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned
Don’t be coy, mate. The gulity “couple” (not yet married) were Pascal’s Bookie and er, gobsmacked.
We not only saw the elephant, we put it under the microscope, and wrote a bloody long book about it (halfway through the “gay marriage thread, if anyone can be bothered).
Dunne and Hide gave National free bonus seats. Banks’ “bonus” seat came at a cost to National. Craig may also give National bonus seats, at an even bigger cost to National. That’s the point at issue. You may not agree, that’s your call … but please don’t keep repeating that we “don’t get it”.
Feel free to blow your own little egotistical trumpet won’t you ‘mate’,
The real,(and in my opinion),only question you need ask yourself = IF as we approach the 2014 election National’s own polling shows that it will lack enough support to form a Government for a 3rd term AND the conservatives are polling at or above the levels of Party Vote they accrued at the 2011 election (2.6%), will National do a deal with the Conservative’s Leader for a wink and a nod to the National Party faithful so as to gift the Conservatives a safe electorate seat,
IF that choice to put it more starkly is one of Opposition or gift a seat to the Conservatives then i suspect National will fall all over themselves to gift such a safe National held electoral seat,
You may be naive enough to believe that National will not do so fearing loss of electoral support from its core vote, but, National will by the 2014 election be ‘down’ to it’s core vote anyway and the core Tory vote has been well bought and such a ‘loss of support’ will only materialize as a fiction within your head…
If you think it’s the “only question”, then of course you’re wrong, but at least you should follow the logic of your own argument.
What else should Labour or the Greens do, to keep out Colin Craig? (“the only question”, as you put it).
Any other mildly progressive moves they should shy away from? How about – Shearer promises to repeal “anti-smacking” law? That would take the wind out of the Conservatives’ sails.
Surely the essential point is whether the opposition should be driven by fear of a National/Con deal, or a National/ACT deal, or any other deal they want to cook up. Because they will do what they want anyway. Labour/Greens can’t control that. They can, however, piss off their OWN supporters by running scared of Colin Craig.
So a bit more than “one question”, really.
The head of that pin you constantly dance upon has you constantly changing the subject, you seem to have conceded the debate vis a vis National gifting the Conservatives a safe electorate seat at the 2014 election,
That was the point i was trying to make, point made, expending my energies chasing a debate round various puffs of steam emanating from your cranial cavity wasn’t my intention for the afternoon,
Still isn’t…
I simply asked questions based on your assumption. To try and get an answer. To test the logic of the argument. The same as yesterday. It’s called debating the issue.
One more time … Do you think the Conservatives will bring a net gain for the National bloc? If so, how will they achieve this? And at what cost?
Repeat … “net”.
All your present inquiries have been well addressed in my previous comments upon the subject,
If you cannot deduce the answer to your queries from those previous comments then i can only suggest you avail yourself of a course in remedial reading…
Well, I can see both sides of this. National is short on options for future partners, so they have nothing to lose, and possibly everything to gain, by throwing Craig’s lot a bone.
But it depends on whether its as divisive as the Cons hope. They seem just a s likely to shoot themselves in the foot, and it seems most people, including most Nat MPs are now for marriage equality.
Certainly the website launched by the Cons and friends is off to a bad start – site crashed soon after launch, they are using a song by a US band that objects and wants it pulled.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823203
And on RNZ today they reported that a pro-marriage equality campaigner said most of the stuff on the site was US-based, and didn’t seem to have much representation of Kiwi views on the bill.
Not sure if it’s an elephant, but it’s unnerving to see the course of the 2014 election already being algorhythmed into the extremes of those who are not even in yet and may never be, when all it would take in fact is a 4% gain from Labour to obviate all of that coulda-woulda-shoulda on the margins.
If the Greens can do this well in the media, why can’t Labour? Would not a large part of the country simply wipe the Conservatives and Act and New Zealand First out if Shearer and Norman announced today: we are forming a coalition, right now?
Act as if they were a government-in-wainting, not lunch-in-waiting?
If Labour are doing what Bad 12 is calculating, they are enabling the fleas to rule the dog. Time to get a bigger dog.
Ad + 1
Labour/Greens versus “hydra-headed monster”. Throw Key’s words back at him.
Anyone for Key/Banks/Dunne/Turia/Peters/Craig/McGillycuddy … ?
Wrong, Turei is MacGillicuddy.
Trouble for Labour tho is it appears to now be a party of, for, and by the middle class and the middle in terms of gaining electoral traction is one hell of a crowded space,
Can you really see Labour gaining from either ‘blue collar’ or the ‘beneficiary belt’ when we know that raising the age of superannuation is what Labour is offering as policy to the ‘blue collar workers’ and the beneficiary belt is being offered (again) the chance for Labour to undo none of the damage done by the Slippery National Government and thus set them up for even harsher lives post the next Labour Government,
We have had the BIG democratization of the party by Labour, and, i have to wonder whether Clayton wrote it, so i would expect POLICY that differentiates Labour from National will be next egg for hatching,
As far as announcements over Government i would be just as happy for the Greens to sit out-side of Government with a far harder push on that party’s SOCIAL JUSTICE policy’s, being tarred with the same brush as Labour by being in a formal Government with them might prove electorally costly to the Greens…
Thanks Bad for summing up the non reality of the positions above re possible election results.
If Labour actually stood by their core principles and made the correct noises debates about coalitions would be meaningless. Instead Labour are lead by a guitar strumming middle class fellow with no teeth to keep the grasping middle classes happy, a gay guy also with no teeth to keep the sectoral interest groups happy, and a finance spokesman to the right of Milton Friedman to keep the “markets” happy.
Harsh
You think? When the stakes are high you don’t pull punches. Nor die from self inflicted wounds.
Has the last one of them got teeth tho????
A pair of false teeth working through the mysterious influence of the markets “invisible hand”.
More homelessness under National
Heatley’s legacy will be one of social failure for generations to come…
I was wondering how many rental houses Heatley owns or has trust interests etc into?
Today’s Stuff poll is more useful than most, because it looks below the surface (the usual “party vote” numbers):
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/poll-2012
Look at the bottom left of your screen. Over 50% like David Shearer. Less than 20% think he’s a leader.
So the Labour PR campaign has “worked”. Voters like that nice bloke on the telly. Is he something to do with politics?
Someone needs to push the gallantry award and war zone lines a bit harder, then.
Gads I hope you’re being sarcastic CV – Shearers rambling anecdotes of derring-do are becoming the butt of many jokes. It’s also risky to keep emphasising his time at the UN imo. The team likes to paint it as humanitarianism, but shearer was a school teacher who became rich and powerful as an administrator on the backs of the poor, much as the new CEOs of charities are (unpopularly) doing in contrast to the old public service model. He was never an aid worker, he didn’t give anything up, on the contrary, and I suspect he is an adrenaline junky and would have sought out danger to fill a personal need, no matter what he was doing.
That Fairfax/Ipsos poll is nowhere as reassuring for National as Tracy Watkin would have us believe. Quite the contrary, with a simple bit of arithmetic and projection, the conclusion seems hard to miss that the Nats are in serious trouble; http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/on-course-for-a-change-in-government-part-rua/
If I were a taxpayer-funded National Party strategist I’d be sh*tt*ng bricks by now…
Aha, the slow imperceptible slide had already begun then Slippery handed Hekia the Education Portfolio and the name of a good Doctor for anti-depressant medication,
All hell then broke loose,(although the mainstream media are still playing the game of show National from the high end of the margin of error and Labour from the bottom)…
Time for David Shearer to learn some Merle Haggard adn Waylon Jennings tunes!
To get more tax in an affordable way the Tobin tax on each financial transaction tax seems a good idea. This would include GST on consumer items too being financial transactions. The spread of the tax would be wide and because of volume bringing a good tax return this would enable GST to be lowered making it less important as a means of government income and less onerous for us all. The burden on consumers and on active domestic trading by ordinary people would be lessened and the economy would be more resilient.
When I do a financial transaction through my credit card, there is a charge to the seller, who may pass that on to me, and then there is an interest charge by the credit company to me. Private business can charge per transaction so why can’t government business tax be collected on each financial transaction?
Labour always ‘on the ball’ have decided on a ‘mild’ Capital Gains Tax which for some really f**king weird reason the likes of David Parker seems to think will address the over-inflated housing prices both as a buy and as a rental,
Only 10 or so years too late on that issue and fast being overtaken by the crisis of supply and demand in the rental market where the low wage workers are now spending 50+% of their wages on private rentals thus providing an even bigger drag on the internal economy as their disposable income shrinks…
The whole thing is not pretty as we still have a housing bubble in terms of the price to income ratios, propped up by housing demand that is a result of immigration policies and a lack of forward investment planning.
Our current scenario resembles the limited housing availability and bad housing standards of the 1920s, also a time of “market rentals” and asset bubbles. The end result was the State housing boom of the 1rst Labour government that also enabled the rise of Fletchers to economic prominence. From an economic perspective we need to go there again, it makes far more sense than the bailing out of private investment funds such as SCF who should have been left to go to the wall. How many houses could the money given SCF fund holders have built?
Agree with you there!!! another mess created by Neo-liberal Bullshit being imported into our country and economy by those who should have been confined to an institution other than the Parliament,
The ‘fix’ is simple, print the dollars necessary to build the high density housing needed in the places of highest demand and rent these out at 25% of income to all who apply based upon greatest need gets in first and don’t stop until there are housing units for which a tenant cannot be found,
Rental Housing based upon a rental of 25% of household income should be available to everyone no matter what their income is,
The only discrimination should be simply based upon the most need being catered to first and spreading the tenancy base far wider than just the ‘beneficiary belt’ to include everyone who applies allows for the wealthier tenants to be subsidizing the less wealthy…
And don’t forget cheap mortgage debt, which is another crucial ingredient to keeping the whole ponzi scheme going.
Interestingly the whole mortgage Ponzi which underpins the housing fiasco can be broken by state investment…the state does its own fractional banking and sets up a local supply system to deliver…no money goes offshore to banksters. The upside benefit of state investment is that:
* landlords get placed under rental pressure.
* to compete landlords have to raise standards.
* private property values diminish.
* housing values mainly reflect the building / replacement cost.
It would not take a lot of state investment to send landlords some “market signals” on rental prices.
The state doesn’t need to do fractional banking – it just needs to print the money balanced by taxes.
Initially maybe but over time state investment would replace private investment thus getting rid of the rentiers altogether.
Having the state print dollars based upon tax take (that may not eventuate) is not as easy as creating credit by fractional banking (which should only be done by the state). Printing dollars can be fraught with inflationary pressure, having said that you could never print enough to keep up with bankster ponzis…..
The reason you allow a private rental market is because there will always be some prats for whom state houses wont be “good” enough for, plus I am a vindictive bugger when it comes to landlords and high house prices…I want to see both suffer a reality check. You do this by having enough state houses to collapse their market.
I’d do it the other way around – base the taxes on the printing. It doesn’t have to be precise over a yearly basis just balanced on average.
I wouldn’t prevent it same as I wouldn’t prevent home ownership. I’d just make it so that private rental or home ownership would be more expensive than renting from the state. As the money to build the state houses was printed with 0% interest they don’t need a massive return – just enough to cover maintenance.
That last is true of all state funding which is, IMO, another reason why the capitalists don’t like the state. If the state was being rational there’d never be any reason for private investment which would remove the power that the capitalists presently have over us. The economy run for the benefit of the community rather than enriching a few.
Oops, didn’t click reply to Prism’s word on fair vs unfair tax, and my response in agreement is down there at 15 underneath he who can not be named. To add to my initial comment, the online live chat with Shearer was shamelessly trolled. JK fan girl Tracy Watkins probably got herself on the moderating team.
David Shearer has just done a live online chat on Stuff. Reasonable effort from him, up front on a number of questions, shows a sense of humour.
More David Shearer chats Stuff.
Indeed Prism. This is exactly what I asked David Shearer on the live chat on Stuff.co.nz at midday, albeit in a less eloquent way. That question wasn’t however put on line. Instead there were plenty of mindless questions such as “Boxers, briefs or commando?” “Have you ever been shot?” (WTF?) and some one asked “Why are you always so negative about anything the governemnt says?”…..
There was a couple of relevent questions, inlcuding one from a Standard poster but it was generally incredibly cringe worthy.
Comment from maggie barry in an interview in June 2011 “I’m not naive. I would hope I wouldn’t get into profoundly dangerous territory whereby I’d endanger my political career from naive utterances.” Ha Ha bonk!
.Just laughed my head off.
Barry, also does not pay close enough attention when responding to emails..
She is making many errors, which is the logical outcome of having been used as a bad joke, and then thinking one was elected based on any sort of skills.
The woman is a loud mouthed fool, which means perfect National material
Headline on Stuff “PM laughs off Rich List loss”
I am sick of his dismissive attitude to issues. He is forever saying he is “relaxed” about something he should be emphatically concerned about.
The man is so god damn relaxed the man is manifestly flaccid.
Our great flaccid leader. A flaccid member.
Yeah down a cool 5 million, for the head Capitalist that must have been one BIG ouchy, seems it’s not only His political fortunes that are on the slide then…
And 43% of those polled still think he is working for “all New Zealanders”.
William Joyce
I think flaccid is the word of the year for Jokey Hen. It should be welded to his name so its always mentioned like invaded Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction’.
I’m getting confused.
Last week I thought I read a newspaper article stating Mr Key supports gay marriage but would vote according to his Helensville constituents. Today he says he is going to vote for the bill and can’t see him changing his mind? Did he poll Hellensville over the weekend????
this from May 2012
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10805945
and he repeated it, or the paper repeated it over the weekend!
It’s just Slippery being Slippery, never tell it as it really is and change that to something else on any given day,
Bronagh probably told Him how He was going to vote when He got home for the weekend…
Maybe Moonbeam gave him some advice….
Maori TV’s Tina Wickliffe has just tweeted “BREAKING: Waitangi Tribunal recommends the Crown ought not to proceed with asset sales.” A rather big headache for John Key there in the making …
Also BREAKING NEWS on both Herald and Stuff websites….. more soon.
No more a headache than before, this outcome was expected before the hearing began.
And in case you weren’t aware, Government can consider the finding carefully and then decide to proceed regardless of the finding, as it is non-binding.
🙄
” 🙄 “
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823272
There’ll be a deal done, I’m sad to say. Key sees himself as a deal-maker and while it’s clear that he has no fiscal reason to go ahead with partial privitisation, he is ideologically wedded to it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823272
But aren’t the hapu and iwi represented more by the Iwi Leaders’ Group, which I think is the most likely one to argue for shares. And it’s not clear to me that the Maori Council, who launched the Waitangi claim, are in agreement:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7296671/Iwi-leaders-views-differ-on-water-rights
This article says:
http://mauistreet.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/rise-of-iwi-leaders-group.html
And, of course, it’s not surprising that the Herald immediately highlights the IWG position, and ignores the views of other Maori groups.
The Herald article states “The hapu and iwi argue they should receive shares in the Mighty River or other state owned power companies slated for partial privatisation under the Government’s “mixed ownership model”.
So I wouldn’t get all excited thinking this will derail the process.
In some ways I think the Maori powerbrokers (and I include the Maori party in this) are worse than their Pakeha counterparts.
A High Court injunction might tho…
Beat me to it Pete : )
who wants a bet?
in five years after it is sold Mighty River Power will be de-listed.
Anybody know what’s been going on over at Pundit? The site’s been down all day.
And it appears that Labour has just shown itself to be as unprincipled as National.
I find that I’m not really surprised.
Personally I’d love unions to get out of parliament and back on to the streets. Too much (all?) of the favourable legislation that came post 2000 was a result of backroom deals/lobbying. Meaning that union members were sidelined to a huge degree and subject to union heirarchies ‘negotiating’ improvements to conditions. Why does that matter? Cause you feel more attached to those things you have fought for… and that makes it much more difficult for somebody to come along and take them away.
It is crap to allow private commercial interests to hold the same status as organisations like charities which are purely focussed on societal and social benefit.
This fucking shit has to stop.
As lobbying has an effect on government it should be transparent – doesn’t matter who it is. Putting in place exceptions is counter to that truth.
Hello out there.
Who read the item in the Sunday Star Times on Sunday about the doctor who said Tony Ryall should start asking the real people instead of relying on Spivs.
The Standard must get its ass into gear and get real instead of the tiresome reliance on semi-beltway issues that the masses just ignore.
I might have a degree of sympathy with the view you express (a lot of the navel gazing parliament stuff bores the hell outta me). But know what? There’s a ‘contribute’ facility that allows you to submit posts if you feel it’s important to diminish the prevalence of beltway or semi-beltway issues.
Looks like public transport in Christchurch will continue to be buses.
As a Dunedinite I would caution against a covered stadium if it hasn’t been fully costed.
I hear on TVNZ1 news tonight Kiwi Rail is having many on going issues with the engines and rolling stock which they have purchased from China. Like the brakes on the rolling stock wont work, and it is costing them heaps. Ha ha fucking ha, when are these right wing fuckwits going to learn that THE market does not deliver every time if ever. All those engines and rolling stock could have been manufactured in the old Hillside Works they would have worked, employed lots of tax payers and would not have cost overseas funds.
There is truth in the saying The National party and the right wing fuckwits could not organise a piss up in a brewery
And this is an excellent example.
Dear John,
So, the same-sex marriage bill is decided by a conscience vote, right, and you, who voted AGAINST the Civil Union bill, also a conscience vote, now indicate that your ‘conscience’ will allow you to vote FOR same sex unions. Which (in terms of the bill passing) is great, I’m in full support of the bill and it passing. Well done John! But that leads me to my question….
Which is… What does that say about your ‘conscience’ John? I mean, I honestly don’t believe for a second that you’ve undergone a transformation in your views on this issue since 2004 and the bill you voted against then (Its a view that typically changes generationally rather than in the minds and hearts of existing voters). And, the way you’re playing it leads me to believe that you would like me to believe that you’re fairly ‘relaxed’ on it, and that it is overall of little consequence. An unlikely way to play it for someone who’s ‘conscience’ has changed so dramatically in such a relatively short span of time.
And, that’s the thing John. ‘Conscience’. Words are important John, or at least I believe they are, they allow us a window onto what our representatives represent, they convey and conscience…conscience John is one of those important words. Especially, ESPECIALLY John when you have chosen (remember now John, choices are your thing) to become a politician, someone elected by the people to represent the people.
But, and here I have to come back to why I started this letter as I watched you looking so calculatedly relaxed on the evening news John, do you even have any ‘views’ to undergo transformation? Do you have any principles that got you into the job of influencing so many peoples lives? Hell, you even claim to not remember where you stood on the ’81 Springbok Tour. I wasn’t even born and I know where I ‘stood’ on the ’81 Springbok Tour, John.
Whatever the old internal polling is telling you is the ‘mood of middle NZ’, that’s where you’ll set your plate eh John? Sounds like a pretty good method for clinging to power, but bloody hopeless for anything like the visionary leadership or far-reaching innovative policy that might get us out of the mess that you and your old mates set in motion. Or, ironically, anything approaching a ‘brighter future’.
Signed
Eternally Disappointed
of Kingsland.
Nice on PJ. I tried to express exactly these sentiments this morning but it all came out as silly gay jokes.
Yours is spot on.
Did you send it PJ, or simply post it on here?
Haven’t sent it, yet. Gonna make a couple more tweaks
The engines are made in Germany But most of the rest of the superstructure are made in China .
Apparently these trains can not reach full speed because the suspension is inferior.
This is another National disaster.
Every single unit out of China has had to undergo unplanned and unbudgeted refitting by KiwiRail in order to correct major safety problems.
David Parker has posted a detailed statement about his environmental credentials and also his opinion interspersed with Labour positions on mining and drilling.
I seek leave to make a personal explanation …..
It’s a good read.
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Sorry for promoting mainstream Labour views here. I suspected it wouldn’t be popular with some, but someone’s gotta do it.
T 🙄
U 🙄
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If you have to preface explaining what you really meant, when your words were fairly unambiguous, with a long whinge about how much you love tramping … I mean seriously, if “explaining is losing” in politics, what the hell is all that?
“…what the hell is all that?”
An arsewipe presenting itself as highest grade (organic and died from natural causes guv) vellum?
I mean, this is the guy who maintained that rivers should be clean enough to swim in no matter how hard he was pressed on the state of potable water. Anyway, apart from he the fact he apparently led or was indispensible to every environmental crusade in NZ since….forever. What’s he suggesting here when he says:
Kind of jumps out that he’s obviously not concerned about deep sea drilling – that’s just a pesky ‘public’ concern. And is he suggesting that the technology for dealing with major rig blow outs exists? Those ‘safety devices’ he mentions. What are they? Maybe he’s imagining a factory full of pixies magicking something up? Or maybe he imagines that oil will be sponged up in the way he fancies his ‘seeking of leave’ will be sponged by all and sundry?
And then there’s the mention of this ‘best practice’. What’s that? There have been (thankfully) precious few precedents for this ‘best practice’ to be developed….utilizing ‘safety devices’ (that don’t exist).
And the doozie. Deep sea drilling will go ahead unless it is shown to be too risky. Precautionary principle anyone? What happened to our heroic crusader for the environment that he shys away from insisting that safety is proved beyond any reasonable doubt before any drilling gets underway? Why merely ‘may’ it be that only ‘the deepest of wells’ that ‘ought not to’ (not, won’t) proceed’?
Okay. Disclaimer. I don’t like the guy and have found him to be about as disingenuous as they come.
Close-Up and Sainsbury.
Apparently people living in Auckland could hear him talking about the plans for Christchurch – not on television, but by sticking their heads out the window.
When is the prat going to learn to use his lapel microphone and stop shouting?
Better still, when are TVNZ going to replace him …?
as Captain Kirk asked him,”what are you hiding behind that moustache Mirk?”.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/262224921-shearer-undergoing-media-training
At last!
Why wasn’t it done at the start of the year? It’s not easy to handle the media and few can do it without some in-depth training. So, why has it taken so long? Where was the strategy team? I’m a loyal Labour supporter but it’s been hard sometimes…
I’d like to think that tomorrow the Standard will acknowledge the birthday of Milton Friedman who was born July 31 1912 – 100 years ago.The man whose thoughts and theories have probably caused more human misery than any other single individual in history……
What a legacy!
… can we make that, “are causing more human misery”
Uganda ebola makes it to capital, outbreak kills 14
Ahhh this is bad. I understand its made it to the capital, Kampala.
Further, reports that this strain of ebola is less virulent are also really bad, as the mortality rate is still very high, but the disease is less obvious in its early stages so it can spread further before causing alarm.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/29/world/africa/uganda-ebola-virus/index.html