Cunliffe clearly has more support from members, so if he is successful in becoming leader, there will be a much stronger “Labour Machine” on the ground in 2014. More money and people on the ground. It will certainly make Tim Barnett”s job a little easier. Just a thought.
“Cunliffe got punished by Shearer and Robertson for showing respect for the membership.”
If Cunliffe wins, the Party’s coffers will swell in size and Labour will again be in a position to run a first class campaign and win. If Cunliffe loses…
It would be utterly jaw-dropping if, one year out from an election, the caucus vote ran counter to both the membership vote and the more general preferences shown in polls etc, and ultimately won the day. I cannot think how they would even begin to explain themselves this time around. It would effectively be an admission that their internal status quo carried more weight with them than actually winning an election.
Go with your instincts Tigger. If Cunliffe loses, stick with the resignation. Being a martyr is all very noble, but pushing shit uphill eventually just gets a bit messy and you eventually just run out of life whilst you watch the troughers continue to profess their dedication to the cause as they continue with their promises.
I will also resign my membership, I cannot handle another term of this god-forsaken government. If ABC get their way, we will be punished because their own self-interest has gotten in the way of getting into office. I will join another social democratic party, one that hopefully has a hero we can all believe in – as a bck-up of course!
She is welcome back to the fold.
She can plead that she was led astray by some naughty boys in Wellington, that she has learned a hard lesson and that she now remenbers her Union roots.
I totally agree. What gets my knickers in not (lol) is Robinson’s two faced face denying he was disloyal to Shearer. The way I see it, doing nothing and waiting for your boss to hang himself out to dry is being disloyal. He was totally un-supportive of Shearer, and never backed him when he was in strife. Being part of the executive, you are a team, and you go down with your boss. I was ashamed when he was not at Shearer’s press conference. The way I see it, he cannot be trusted,and the fact he is homosexual is inconsequential. He has no experience and has not achieved a single proud moment since he has been an MP. It is all very well being a performer in parliament, from what I can see he is nothing but hot air and empty promises. ABC’s new man, if elected, will be another failed experiment Cunliffe is our only shot at 2014!
Cunliffe can take the game to Key straight away and beat him. And Auckland is unlikely to turn out for Robertson in the massive numbers that Labour needs next year.
Takere…….this is for you bro’. Wonder why the workers in the smoko-room at AFFCO in Moerewa wouldn’t say “Peter Talley……..ten grand…….Dalmatian ancestry…….yeah, right !”
From the Herald article link below “………..in the past – in both the 2008 and 2011 elections Mr Jones declared just under $30,000 in donations, including $10,000 from Sealord in 2011 and $10,000 from Peter Talley in 2008, which Mr Jones said was due to their common Dalmatian ancestry.”
So Jones gets 10k from Talley’s and $10k from Sealord. Tries to pass off the $10k from Talley’s as money because of their common “dalmatian ancestry”, clearly he is feeling guilty about this money, otherwise why such a ridiculous explanation.
I would be interested to know how supportive Jones was to Affco/Talley’s workers lockout in March/April 2012???
The last time I saw Jones in a public place he was enjoying a meal with David Henderson, the colourful property developer. Our common folk Jones boy like the company of “rich” men.
Yes, makes you wonder what makes these people want to be part of the labour Party. Use to see Mallard in the Wellington Rugby Corporate box quite often, sucking up to the sad rich leaches that love to be seen in that environment, wanker. Out of all of the Corporate Boxes, the “wank factor” was pretty high in Wellington. The role I had at the time required me to travel around to the various Corporate Boxes, I handled it be burying myself in the free piss on offer and avoiding talking to the biggest ‘try hards’ that you will ever meet, (the alcohol worked like an anesthetic).
My partner refused to attend any corporate boxes after attending the Wellington CB once, she couldn’t stand them. It take a certain type of dick-head to want to attend rugby corporate boxes.
Saarbo my cobber after yesterday’s caucus meeting http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11116377
the ABC are rattled Mallard, Goff & King have lost their influence. Some of those undecided are actually scuttling from the old rear guards sinking ship. The numbers aren’t even there within caucus for their endorsed man GR. Bloody good job the focus is on the election as it should be. They better not make a fuss either or lookout!
When the Warriors started up, the inhabitants of the corporate boxes were a total joke. I had a season ticket from the ARL, with a seat in front of one of the boxes. They needed ex players there to explain to them what was happening on the field. Of course Roger Douglas and the other unmentionables were involved, mainly to help Murdoch take over. Mixing businessmen with sport never does any good for the sport, and I couldn’t care less what it does for the businessmen.
Spot on Murray. People in Corporate Boxes at Super/AB games have nil to do with Club Rugby. Club rugby and professional rugby are two completely different worlds, and being involved in club rugby Im fairly happy with this.
Too many MP’s have had a charmed run on Labour’s list. Jones and Ardern gives them a view from above. Tally’s an evil bunch. Dodgy Shane… A word in his ear ” you have a history of lapses of judgment every 2 years- do not repeat in 2014…repeat not in 2014, keep your snout clean.”
Absolutely Micky. Jones is a liability as we all know. At least this leadership thing will force the lazy prick to do some heavy lifting to get the Maori vote as he has stated in his own words.
the british print media..(with a couple of exceptions..)
..are all urging cameron not to attack syria..
..with memories being evoked/cited of the ‘clear-evidence’ intelligence-bullshit blair/bush used to justify the attack on iraq..(‘intelligence’ from the same source..mossad..in both cases..)
..it would seem their media have longer memories than our little pack of yapping media-dogs of war..eh..?
..you just have to push our medias’ attack-button..and the (unthinking) barking begins..
..the length/width/depth of their uselessness..is kinda awesome..
See ya Key and thanks for nothing. What a fitting send off you have just given yourself – off to sacrifice yourself in someone else’s war. Or maybe you could send your kids along instead, that would be more your style (and that of your type)
What I find strange about his latest brain fart is that he had previously said a decision to intervene in Syria should be left to the United Nations. He later contradicted himself by saying military intervention with no UN mandate could be justified on moral grounds.
I totally disagree with this playing of both sides of the coin. The UN is considering the moral grounds of the situation. They will make a decision once they’ve attained the required information. The warmongers should not preempt that decision by undertaking an unsanctioned attack on Syria.
Good call from the British Parliament with some of Cameron’s own Tory’s voting down the idea of military intervention,(for the moment at least),
There’s two things here, one, the Prez, Obama says that the US has ‘proof’ that the Assad regime used chemical weapons,
The question is does the Prez think that His own population and the population of the world are all stupid???,
If the US Prez has this ‘Proof’ He should use the organs of the media to show the world such proof,
The second ‘thing’, it is the Saudi’s acting in concert with the US that have ‘Enflamed’ the Syrian civil war by arming and inserting ‘Arab militias’ into this conflict,
The US Prez will have far more ‘moral right’ on His side when He ensures that ALL the foreign combatants are pulled out of Syria and military equipment flowing into to Syria is seriously constrained,
Until such time as ‘The West’ undertakes such actions they will simply be seen as the Warmonger Baby Murderers that their actions would suggest…
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
On a related note, Stuf has this article with the headline Cannabis Nightmare (in the print edition, online edition has been changed – check the URL) with the first paragraph reading:
Hospital visiting hours are turning into a living nightmare for Una Harding.
Her son, Kyle, along with numerous mental health patients at Waitakere Hospital, is hooked on synthetic cannabis. And the problem is getting worse.
My bold.
I suppose it’s obvious why they changed the headline in the online edition but it would have been much better if they hadn’t made such a BS headline in the first place.
while i think the legal-high business is on a par with the alcohol-pushers..(in that neither want cannabis legalised..it’s called market-protection..)
..i am puzzled as to how alcohol has managed to factor/quarantine itself out of the/any health-debate around intoxicants commonly used in our society..
..as the/any negative outcomes from those legal-highs..are far outweighed by the number fucked over/killed by alcohol..
(as noted the other day..a recent un report on causes of death globally shows that more die each year from alcohol..than are killed from violent acts/war..
..and we advertise/celebrate/endorse/condone this killer-drug..
..and we criminalise the safest intoxicant of all..
..the intoxicant that has never killed anyone..
..that one both the booze-pushers and the legal-high pushers want kept illegal..
(..that ‘market-protection’ imperative kicking in again..)
..’cos if pot were normalised/de-blackmarketed the legal high industry would likely disappear..
..it has only been created as a mutant outcome of/from prohibition..
(n.b..colorado..where pot is legalised/regulated/taxed..there is no legal-high problem..)
..and of course there are many out there..who would switch to pot from booze..if it were legal/they were able to legally grow a few plants..
..plus the provinces/tourism would see a green/gold rush..
..and because of the advances in research on the theraputic/medicinal uses of cannabis..
..feeding that market..in either raw or synthesised-product ..
..is a sunrise industry of some note..
..and a fonterra co-op model would seem to be the way to go..
Not doubting that they changed it, but the URL itself doesn’t mean much. On stuff.co.nz links you can make the last bit of the URL anything at all and the link will still work, like this one for example.
Last time they were certain that weapons of mass destruction were primed and ready to reach us in twenty minutes. And that if we invaded, those poor oppressed Iraqi soldiers would throw down their guns and welcome us with open arms. Millions slaughtered and displaced, the culprits never to be forgotten or forgiven.
This time they’re almost certain, so up goes Slippery’s pink craven hand for us all.
Hels kept us out of the last one, despite the rabid objections of wee Johnny and his mob.
This time we’re already on the list; now a weaker, easier target for the survivors forever.
Happy Toryday, grandkids: the hatred of million of decades. Thanks National.
“MP Shane Jones warmed a South Auckland crowd with a promise of a Pacific Island language TV channel along the lines of Maori TV. ..”
“Jones, meanwhile, went on the attack against “the privileged” and the powerful.
“I’ll tell you one thing I won’t do, I will never squander the popular will of the people for the 30 bloody pieces of silver that John Key has done over that wretched casino deal. You have my bloody word on that.”
Here’s an online ‘political leanings’ quiz I hadn’t seen before. I get the distinct impression it was written for an American audience, for example the question about whether we spend too much on military has quite different connotations in NZ than it does in the US.
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a university professor. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with several strong opinions.
PS: The questions on emotion were a problem as far as I could see. I gave contradictory arguments & wavered on the implications from one question to another.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10.1.1
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a devoted egalitarian with many strong opinions.
This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist.
It appears that you are moderate towards religion- and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be – political preference aside – an idealist with several strong opinions.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a pragmatist with many strong opinions. 😎
Guess it picked up my democratic leanings quite well. 96.75/93.75…and half way to being tough as old boots is probably about right 😉 – 50 for tenderness
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded moderate progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with few strong opinions.
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
tender-minded progressive; an animal rights activist. moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
But what does this question mean?
25) People should have faith in what they believe.
These scores indicate that you are a very tender-minded moderate; this is the political profile one might associate with a protective parent. It appears that you are accepting of religion, and have a generally optimistic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a liberated atheist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with primarily strong opinions.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
Found this when I was recalling Hooten’s part in Hollowmen.
His rather desperate post here yesterday and 2 days earlier on kiwiblog reminded me of some things Hager once wrote about him.
“I first became aware of Matthew Hooton when he was a spin doctor in the late 1990s for Cabinet Minister Lockwood Smith. He got a mention in my book on anti-environmental public relations, Secrets and Lies. At that time he was helping his Minister argue that the state company Timberlands was actually helping improve the environment by chopping down West Coast native forests. This cynical world of ministerial advisers is illustrated beautifully by the current Australian TV satire called The Hollowmen, which is well worth watching online here.
I next noticed Hooton in 2003, when he was a National Party activist arguing in a party conference that National should drop the nuclear-free policy. That year he was working as a freelance PR consultant, notably assisting the tobacco industry. Over several months he collected information on organisations supporting new smoke-free legislation, information that was later used by the ACT Party’s Rodney Hide to attack those groups and the smoke-free legislation on the day it was introduced to Parliament. Willingness to work on the side of tobacco companies is a very clear way of identifying the less ethical PR operators. (John Key’s strategy adviser Mark Textor, of the Australian firm Crosby/Textor, likewise stands out as someone who was willing to work for tobacco companies.)
These experiences paved the way to Hooton’s next job, working freelance for Don Brash. What Hooton doesn’t mention when he expresses is indignation about the leaked information in The Hollow Men, is that he is one of the people the book shows at work. His strategy e-mails are there for the world to see. Anyone who wonders what to make of Matthew Hooton’s public contributions to New Zealand politics really should read what he writes in private. His advice is sometimes clever, but it is also cynical. It is very revealing.
Which brings us to the point. Anyone who wonders why Hooton is making wild allegations about theft and crime again needs only to see what the leaked materials revealed about Hooton himself.
His words have since been used in the Hollow Men stage play and now in the feature-length documentary. This is the unacknowledged context of all Hooton’s comments about my book and the Police. Like Don Brash and the other National Party figures featured in the book, presenting themselves as the victims of dark deeds is preferable to facing up to their own dark deeds as revealed in the book.
For this sort of PR person, the answer when faced with a crisis is to attack the messenger, deny everything and claim that they themselves are the victims in the affair. Like an octopus squirting ink into the water, the hope is that these diversions will allow them to escape unscathed. In this world of spin, words, arguments and personal attacks are all just means to an end, tools to advance their and their clients’ objectives. “
I just wrote on the ‘Smell the Fear’ thread, in response to one of your comments that I really do think it is very deceptive indeed the way Mr Hooton is introduced as a ‘commentator’ when he appears on TV. This is simply wrong and allows his opinions to be taken as relevant when they aren’t at all; they are simply opinion manipulation techniques.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with many strong opinions.
Agreed wydham. Noticed Air NZ CEO being paid $1.2m and the setting up of Air NZ for handing over to the rentiers in the MSM this morning. Especially significant after the costs of sort-termism and asset sales being highlighted as causes of the gap.
aside from the litany of inequities/miseries for many..
..two of the more jaw-dropping stat from that program is the $5 billion in tax-dodges run by the rich/corporates(?) each year..
..and also the confirmation of just how much money would be raised by a financial-transactions/hone heke -tax on the banksters..
..address those two..
..and we will have more than enough wherewithall to repair our country..
..’to put things right’..
..and there will be no need to focus on clawing back more p.a.y.e..from workers..
..surely promises focused on these two issues would be the keystone of any progressive election campaign policy-plank/promises..?
..the added bonus from focusing on the tax-thieves/banksters..and not the workers..would totally emasculate any fear-mongering from key/national..aimed at workers fearful of having to pay more tax from their wages/salaries under a progressive government….
..don’t target the innocent..(the workers..esp. the working-poor/struggling middle class..promise them tax relief..)
..get the monies from the banksters..and the big-time tax-thieves..(real ‘user-pays’..eh..?..)
(don’t forget that treasury figures prepared for harawira before the last election..showed that a small hone heke-tax on inter-bank transactions..
(not customer-bank interactions..once again..don’t target the innocent..)
..that the monies raised from this..would allow us to do away with g.s.t..if we so chose..
..that gives some indication of the seachange that would bring..
..then on top of that..there is that $5 billion in unpaid tax the richest are stealing from the rest of us..
..as i said..fix those two..and we are nearly home with solving some of our most pressing problems..
..and together..along with promises of tax-relief for working-poor/middle class..
Was at dinner at an Indian restaurant in Auckland last night with my ACT/National voting family.
They became quite animated, and pointed out that the PM and his family had sat down behind me.
Two things struck me;
1. What a great country we live in that a PM can sit down for a simple meal in a crowded restaurant and no one bothers him (positively or negatively);
2. He just couldn’t seem to decide what to order. He took ages. Then a person approached the table with an envelope with something written on it and handed it to him. I could only make out curia or something on the envelope. He opened it, read it and then reeled off his order like a regular.
Reminds me of another little Injun SSSSStrant moment Tracey involving the PM and his enter age returning to Wellington whilst passing through the Kapiti Coast. I knew I shudda cudda wudda kept the security video! (except that it just made the staff want to vomit – despite the hour or so of comedy entertainment it provided). All complete wif Nafe da man, ‘Sir’ John Key, the DPS et al …. con ois ers of fine Injun cwasoin and experts with it. Come to think of it – there’s probably some of it still around.
We once gave Aaron Gilmore shit! This was priceless! We all had ‘learnings’ from that little episode re the size of their egos and their arrogance.
Don’t you KNOW who we are? !!!!
Amazing revelations from Oz! Kerry-Ann Walsh on Radionz update on Oz this a.m. Rudd seems to be making up policy on the hoof which hasn’t even been passed by his colleagues. And wait for it, some in the betting industry have refused to accept any more bets, some have closed their books and paid out previous punters. They are finding it impossible to assess any odds at all apparently.
She said that Kevin Rudd is rushing round saying whatever he thinks will gain positive attention in each state. He suggested, unexpectedly, shifting defence bases to Brisbane or further north. He is keen to recover lost ground in Qld so that would make sense to him as a short term expedient move I guess.
But Rudd has cut off his nose to spite his face. In undermining Gillard he has shafted Labour as a whole. Abbott seems certain to win – playing a cool hand in comparison.
Have a listen. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport
Bets on Abbott to win Australia election paid out early ( 1′ 58″ )
07:58 The Australian election race is over – at least, according to a betting agency
across the Tasman.
Also This should be interesting on Auckland. Listen in.
4 ’til 8 with Katrina Batten on Sunday 1 September 2013
4:07 The Sunday Feature: Is the Auckland Supercity Working?
Simon Mercep anchors a special panel discussion exploring the success of Auckland’s local body reforms, including the results of new research conducted by AUT (RNZ)
From the Radio New Zealand National Schedule
Abbott has been making up slogans (not really policy) on the hoof for ages. It’s possible that, as with the boat people, Rudd is just copying him. I spoke with a colleague yesterday who knows someone high up in the Canberra bureaucracy. They said that Rudd is 200 times as egotistic, micromanaging and hard to work with as has been reported in the media.
The Australian Labor Party should just start again. They have very little worth keeping.
When Rudd loses, I doubt he will ever admit the damage he did to the party through his own unswerving pursuit to establish himself as the greatest person to have ever lived.
I was thinking of NZ Labour as being like a good old car that was getting a new engine and a new lease of life.
I wondered about the same analogy for Oz, looked up Holden and found that Oz is in difficulties and Labour is thinking of demanding govt buys Australian made, somthing that will never happen here under present thinking. Rudd has been making promises about supporting the car industry. The announcement comes as Labor fights to hold the ultra-marginal Victorian seat of Corangamite based around Geelong, which has been hit hard by Ford’s announcement that it will cease Australian manufacturing operations in 2016….
The government makes the commitment as it seeks to calm industry anger over its decision to tighten the fringe benefits tax regime for company cars, which the industry argues could slash sales of locally manufactured vehicles by 20 per cent.
The government offered a further $200m to the motor industry on the eve of the election campaign, and introduced a directive that only Australian-made motor vehicles were to be purchased for the commonwealth fleet. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/kevin-rudds-500m-boost-for-car-industry/story-fn9qr68y-1226698798673
The Oz car industry is down to 200,000 from 300,000. They have a high dollar killing them too. The decline in the numbers of cars made in Australia is caused by a combination of factors but chief among them is the high Australian dollar. Even now, at its current level of the low $US90c range, the exchange rate is hurting the local car industry. This is a very important point to make. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-14/toner—car-manufacturing-in-australia/4886462
So lets see, Martin Paine. He comes from a populous country that takes in many kiwis and provides them free health cover when they settle there. As a nation spending on medical research, training, and other equipment all reduce the costs for us here in NZ. Hospitals in NZ that already have the capacity to easily take a extra patient, and whats to say Mr.Paine does get some other ailment. The idea that our purpose in watering down residency to business visas was what? So that we could grow the cackles of the press corps and bureaucrat costs, all because they said yes to letting him in. Sorry, but what comes around goes around, we gain hugely from UK spending on health care, on health coverage, on cheaper procedures, on medical staff trained in the UK, we owe not to free load and accept the mistake that the visa was issued to him. Secondly, its actually good for our health system to have one more patient, as its runs efficiently, gains experience, and used readily accessible and waiting to be used health care services and equipment. Why have all that effort, on standby, in case, and then not use it an extra go around, its not like business visa holders would not need health care, that a small minority may get ailments that are expense to treat, and that Mr Paine has yet to need any of them. Sorry, I just think its more costly to send him on his way, costly for the concern the UK may have that we are introducing costs on to them and them revisiting Kiwis in the UK health costs. I think its just wrong to jump the gun before the costly healthcare, just because he has a condition that has more predictable cost than those who arrive here with undiscovered cancer or whatever. It smacks of snapper quotas, and testing drugs on beagles, a backdown is very likely, its just more cover for Key and his legalizing the illegality of the GSCB.
Martin immigrated here from the UK about (7?) years ago with his family and settled in Northland, invested in and built up his business, a local garage. He was upfront about his heart condition from the get go, and was admitted to NZ under a business category visa while his residency was being processed.
He is now being faced with deportation, with his heart condition cited as reason for denial of residency. Campbell Live has been following the story for a few years now.
Is it wise for any immigrant to begin building a life and investing in a business until they have PR, OR did he have to build the business as part of his application.
I’m not an immigration expert, but as I understand it, investing in his business was integral to his application.
It’s worth pointing out that with an annual turnover of 2 million, and his employment of seven staff, Martin has been contributing a great deal to the small and relatively poor Northland township he’s settled in.
Given that the cost for *fixing* his heart condition is estimated at a fairly paltry sum of $25,000 should he ever require medical intervention, it seems more than economically short-sighted to deport him.
Agreed NZFemme. When I first heard about this I wondered about the posting of a $25K contingency bond. Not a good look in terms of those sufficiently wedged up having an advantage over others but I guess that in terms of principle that has already occurred in the context of his business residency status.
Were there no bond, the contingency did in fact present, and the health system ended up footing the bill that would be $3.5K per job assuming the garage would not survive.
Wonder how much Paula Bennett’s punitive and useless training courses cost per head ? She’s planning to pay up to $10K to consultants to keep one person full time employed for as little as a year isn’t she ?
Actually I heard it was a minimum of $25,000 but maybe much much more. Personally I have no problem with the cost since Kiwis in the UK will receive this treatment too.
Its just bad economics, if we and the UK both put up health cost barriers its will only mean that its costs more not less to both the UK and NZ. Costs on businesses who have to find replacement staff, cost of having to relocate, having to go further to find a garage, etc, etc. Its just very stupid uneconomic government that only feeds media whores and bureaucrats who shouldn’t have ticked the box in the first place. Mistakes happen, in principle its bad to chuck him out, and its just makes us all feel a bit unkind, geeze, what happen to a fair go, the tail in health care ain’t going away, I bet if they had let someone else in instead, they would have brought their soon to be boy racer paraplegic with them…
…notch it up as an example of bad border policy and move on already.
If he was Chinese, they would let him stay, plain and simple.
In 25 short years, the ‘White New Zealand’ policy has become the ‘Chinese New Zealand’ policy.
It will only be a matter of time before Chinese will be enjoying the right of entry into the country the same way that the British had until the late 1970’s.
For those who don’t want to trawl Google for the vote on that (it doesn’t seem to be on the Parliament website … any clues?) the only votes against the bill were the Greens, Maaori, and Mana parties.
Heard twatkey on radio this morning regarding Syria saying that he had a call in to whatshisname who runs Britain and that he expected that he british guy) would get back to him in 24 hours and then he might put a call in to Obama who he was sure would want to talk to him considering the severity of Syria’s problems. Would love to know if this comes to pass.
“The Prime Minister continues to not rule out not ruling anything out regarding whether he (and New Zealand) would or would not confirm any decision not ruling out the ruling out of action against Mr Assad.
Mr Key told reporters this afternoon that he was expecting a call from Mr Cameron “shortly”.
Mr Obama discussed the situation in Syria yesterday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, a NATO ally, Cameron, Hollande, Ban Kee Moon, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his dog walker who has some great ideas given his experience with flighty puppies. Vice President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with Britain’s deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.
Mr Key confirmed that his relationship with Washington and the President is as strong as ever and pointed out that he had spoken with Washington today when the Secretary of State’s assistant to administrative affairs had called him but it turned out to be a wrong number.
“It’s no big deal” said Mr Key. “We’re all very busy and I used to call wrong numbers when I was a kid all the time.”
Mr Key didn’t rule out not answering his phone immediately when Mr Obama and Mr Cameron called. “I’m cheap, but I’m not easy.” he said.”
I’ve been following the Herald’s “Gambling and Sport” series for the past week. Just wondering what anyone else thinks about the relationship that’s been built in New Zealand, between sport initiatives and gambling funds?
Considering problem gamblers contribute disproportionately to the money raised, isn’t this really a matter of funding sport through the misery of some of the most vulnerable members of our society? I understand how great sport is, love playing football on the weekends, but I don’t know if sport clubs are really making that much of a contribution to our communities, as to outweigh the damage (often incalculable) suffered by problem gamblers and the people around them, including wider society.
Not an expert on the subject, but our current arrangement just feels fundamentally wrong.
Since National have been a bit tardy in paying out my invoices I’ve decided to lend my expertise to Labour (except for the work for Judith Collins as thats pro bono)
So first bit of advice for Labour is to gag certain MPs until the election is over, these MPs are (obviously) T. Mallard and C. Curran but also A. Little after this head thumping performance:
What can’t be denied though is that whoever wins the leadership battle (I’d prefer Jones but I think Cunliffe will) need to put gagging orders on a number of MPs
I’m sure I’m not the only person on here that remembers some of the pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs
Also can’t deny the disconnect between ” ….pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs” and your preference for Jones who provides “pearls” on a regular basis.
On September 1st 2013 there will be nationwide rallies which will unite Kiwis who are concerned about the loss of democracy occurring in New Zealand.
Foreign control, corporate takeover of education, asset sales, GE food, pesticides, the health system, unsustainable farming and fishing, destructive mining, and the TTPA all have the common theme of destroying our future.
Add to that the GCSB bill which has now been passed in the most undemocratic way, so we need to collectively show our concern.
If you get a chance to listen to “Tell-it-as-you-see-it Boag” on The Panel RNZ this afternoon she was praising up the New Zealand Education system as if she had had a Road to Damascas experience. It’s “wonderful” full of “brilliant things” and by international standards “bloody dam good”. “We should celebrate the good that is going on our schools. For too long we have been ignoring this.” She has apparently done some on-the-scene work recently and actually gone into classrooms.
She should take Parata and the rest of the champions of charter schools who have spent the last five years telling us that the current system is a failing system, with failing teachers and a tail as long as your arm.
Boag’s praise was insincere, and nothing more than a roundabout way of having a shot at the teacher unions. She said that the reason there was so much “dissension” amongst teachers was “perhaps because the teaching union so highly unionised.”
Once again, her fellow Panel guest (and “friend”) Brian Edwards failed to challenge this breathtaking and provocative display of dishonesty. Boag is always on the job; Edwards is not so alert. He was (yet again) bamboozled by the woman he always takes such exaggerated pains to point out is his “friend”.
“A Labour Green Government is the kind of Government I’d want to be part of.”
Grant Robertson
Source: Bryce Edwards Interview, Uni of Otago Politics Dept Voice Chat TV show, 21st Oct 2011
Is that a Labour aspiration? Is that a suitable aspiration a real leader for the Labour Party should have?
I imagine Cunliffe’s aspirations would be to be the Leader of a very strong Labour Party.
Any government involving Beltway Grant will turn to dullest beige, lacking even the military verve of khaki or the consistency of grey. It would even be worse than fawn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRMk4WP5eAY
Shane Jones and Peter Talley have Dalmatian blood so Shane says. Here is a clip of I think the Kaitaia Dalmatian group dancing the Kolo to their own music from tamburicas probably.
Testing further at nearly 10 a.m. No Friday Social post. I hope all is well with whoever was to look after The Standard. We aren’t like Jokeyhen who likes to leave his post and go off overseas, or even go off in his head at home. So this gap might mean illness or problems. So hope all okay. If you want an alternative for a few minutes, to please your eyes look at the link for the Kolo Dalmatian dance I put on Open Mike last night.
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
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Will we have a Labour Party in which all sectors have real influence?
Or will we have a Labour Party whose Caucus sector treats the membership as a penance or a pool of cheap Labour?
That was the nub of what was disputed at the 2012 Conference in Ellerslie.
Cunliffe got punished by Shearer and Robertson for showing respect for the membership.
Cunliffe clearly has more support from members, so if he is successful in becoming leader, there will be a much stronger “Labour Machine” on the ground in 2014. More money and people on the ground. It will certainly make Tim Barnett”s job a little easier. Just a thought.
“Cunliffe got punished by Shearer and Robertson for showing respect for the membership.”
That is the way I see it!
Me too, Saarbo!! Let’s hope that the Caucus and Unions take note of the members wishes this time!!
Cunliffe = a strong Labour Party!
If Cunliffe wins, the Party’s coffers will swell in size and Labour will again be in a position to run a first class campaign and win. If Cunliffe loses…
It would be utterly jaw-dropping if, one year out from an election, the caucus vote ran counter to both the membership vote and the more general preferences shown in polls etc, and ultimately won the day. I cannot think how they would even begin to explain themselves this time around. It would effectively be an admission that their internal status quo carried more weight with them than actually winning an election.
If Cunliffe loses I’m resigning. It will mean the caucus still isn’t listening and my patience for their crap will be over.
No, don’t do that.
I have a better idea and hopefully there will be no need to reveal the plan.
Go with your instincts Tigger. If Cunliffe loses, stick with the resignation. Being a martyr is all very noble, but pushing shit uphill eventually just gets a bit messy and you eventually just run out of life whilst you watch the troughers continue to profess their dedication to the cause as they continue with their promises.
I will also resign my membership, I cannot handle another term of this god-forsaken government. If ABC get their way, we will be punished because their own self-interest has gotten in the way of getting into office. I will join another social democratic party, one that hopefully has a hero we can all believe in – as a bck-up of course!
The others in that mix are Hipkins,Fenton,Geoff,King,Mallard ect.
Fenton and Hipkins should stand down at the next election.
Aaah Ms Fenton.
She is welcome back to the fold.
She can plead that she was led astray by some naughty boys in Wellington, that she has learned a hard lesson and that she now remenbers her Union roots.
I totally agree. What gets my knickers in not (lol) is Robinson’s two faced face denying he was disloyal to Shearer. The way I see it, doing nothing and waiting for your boss to hang himself out to dry is being disloyal. He was totally un-supportive of Shearer, and never backed him when he was in strife. Being part of the executive, you are a team, and you go down with your boss. I was ashamed when he was not at Shearer’s press conference. The way I see it, he cannot be trusted,and the fact he is homosexual is inconsequential. He has no experience and has not achieved a single proud moment since he has been an MP. It is all very well being a performer in parliament, from what I can see he is nothing but hot air and empty promises. ABC’s new man, if elected, will be another failed experiment Cunliffe is our only shot at 2014!
Cunliffe can take the game to Key straight away and beat him. And Auckland is unlikely to turn out for Robertson in the massive numbers that Labour needs next year.
Takere…….this is for you bro’. Wonder why the workers in the smoko-room at AFFCO in Moerewa wouldn’t say “Peter Talley……..ten grand…….Dalmatian ancestry…….yeah, right !”
From the Herald article link below “………..in the past – in both the 2008 and 2011 elections Mr Jones declared just under $30,000 in donations, including $10,000 from Sealord in 2011 and $10,000 from Peter Talley in 2008, which Mr Jones said was due to their common Dalmatian ancestry.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11116552
So Jones gets 10k from Talley’s and $10k from Sealord. Tries to pass off the $10k from Talley’s as money because of their common “dalmatian ancestry”, clearly he is feeling guilty about this money, otherwise why such a ridiculous explanation.
I would be interested to know how supportive Jones was to Affco/Talley’s workers lockout in March/April 2012???
The last time I saw Jones in a public place he was enjoying a meal with David Henderson, the colourful property developer. Our common folk Jones boy like the company of “rich” men.
Yes, makes you wonder what makes these people want to be part of the labour Party. Use to see Mallard in the Wellington Rugby Corporate box quite often, sucking up to the sad rich leaches that love to be seen in that environment, wanker. Out of all of the Corporate Boxes, the “wank factor” was pretty high in Wellington. The role I had at the time required me to travel around to the various Corporate Boxes, I handled it be burying myself in the free piss on offer and avoiding talking to the biggest ‘try hards’ that you will ever meet, (the alcohol worked like an anesthetic).
My partner refused to attend any corporate boxes after attending the Wellington CB once, she couldn’t stand them. It take a certain type of dick-head to want to attend rugby corporate boxes.
Saarbo my cobber after yesterday’s caucus meeting http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11116377
the ABC are rattled Mallard, Goff & King have lost their influence. Some of those undecided are actually scuttling from the old rear guards sinking ship. The numbers aren’t even there within caucus for their endorsed man GR. Bloody good job the focus is on the election as it should be. They better not make a fuss either or lookout!
When the Warriors started up, the inhabitants of the corporate boxes were a total joke. I had a season ticket from the ARL, with a seat in front of one of the boxes. They needed ex players there to explain to them what was happening on the field. Of course Roger Douglas and the other unmentionables were involved, mainly to help Murdoch take over. Mixing businessmen with sport never does any good for the sport, and I couldn’t care less what it does for the businessmen.
Spot on Murray. People in Corporate Boxes at Super/AB games have nil to do with Club Rugby. Club rugby and professional rugby are two completely different worlds, and being involved in club rugby Im fairly happy with this.
The clock can never be wound back, but professionalism has more or less ruined sport.
Too many MP’s have had a charmed run on Labour’s list. Jones and Ardern gives them a view from above. Tally’s an evil bunch. Dodgy Shane… A word in his ear ” you have a history of lapses of judgment every 2 years- do not repeat in 2014…repeat not in 2014, keep your snout clean.”
Tallys are some of the most anti union employers in the country. If you want to have a read about some of their behaviour have a read of http://thestandard.org.nz/talleys-corporate-scum/
They are only interested in enlarging their power. I am amazed that a Labour Politician would accept a donation from them.
Absolutely Micky. Jones is a liability as we all know. At least this leadership thing will force the lazy prick to do some heavy lifting to get the Maori vote as he has stated in his own words.
the british print media..(with a couple of exceptions..)
..are all urging cameron not to attack syria..
..with memories being evoked/cited of the ‘clear-evidence’ intelligence-bullshit blair/bush used to justify the attack on iraq..(‘intelligence’ from the same source..mossad..in both cases..)
..it would seem their media have longer memories than our little pack of yapping media-dogs of war..eh..?
..you just have to push our medias’ attack-button..and the (unthinking) barking begins..
..the length/width/depth of their uselessness..is kinda awesome..
..phillip ure..
What are the exceptions?
@paul..”..What are the exceptions?..”
..the times..and the sun..
phillip ure..
Did I hear that right? Did John Key just open the door to NZ joining a non-sanctioned military action?
Yes.
Shakes Head…
Well then let him go.
See ya Key and thanks for nothing. What a fitting send off you have just given yourself – off to sacrifice yourself in someone else’s war. Or maybe you could send your kids along instead, that would be more your style (and that of your type)
“Well then let him go.”
+1
This tough guy Key is going to be busy….N Korea and Syria.
Yup. He can go. Not stopping him. And no need for him to rope in the rest of us.
Looks like David Cameron doesn’t get his way, as the UK parliament has just voted down military intervention. In my opinion this is currently the right decision to make and one that John Key should take note of.
What I find strange about his latest brain fart is that he had previously said a decision to intervene in Syria should be left to the United Nations. He later contradicted himself by saying military intervention with no UN mandate could be justified on moral grounds.
I totally disagree with this playing of both sides of the coin. The UN is considering the moral grounds of the situation. They will make a decision once they’ve attained the required information. The warmongers should not preempt that decision by undertaking an unsanctioned attack on Syria.
Good call from the British Parliament with some of Cameron’s own Tory’s voting down the idea of military intervention,(for the moment at least),
There’s two things here, one, the Prez, Obama says that the US has ‘proof’ that the Assad regime used chemical weapons,
The question is does the Prez think that His own population and the population of the world are all stupid???,
If the US Prez has this ‘Proof’ He should use the organs of the media to show the world such proof,
The second ‘thing’, it is the Saudi’s acting in concert with the US that have ‘Enflamed’ the Syrian civil war by arming and inserting ‘Arab militias’ into this conflict,
The US Prez will have far more ‘moral right’ on His side when He ensures that ALL the foreign combatants are pulled out of Syria and military equipment flowing into to Syria is seriously constrained,
Until such time as ‘The West’ undertakes such actions they will simply be seen as the Warmonger Baby Murderers that their actions would suggest…
Key should put it to a vote – that way if we do go we know who to blame when it turns to poop.
And when putting in the vote, Key should also use Simon Power’s wonderful line that where the US goes, NZ will go. ‘Tis wonderful.
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/10-reasons-marijuana-is-better-for-you-than-alcohol-comment-but-beware-looseunfixed-bales-of-pot-they-could-kill-you/
(excerpt..)
“…and in that comprehensive report of causes of death globally..
..cannabis did not rate a mention…
..yet another year of nil/zero/nada deaths from a drug used so comprehensively worldwide..
..(ed:..tho’ there were unconfirmed rumours of a single death from cannabis..
..apparantly a bale of it fell on someones’ head..eh..?
..so the lesson there is..
..drive carefully when around loose bales of cannabis..eh..?..)..”
phillip ure..
On a related note, Stuf has this article with the headline Cannabis Nightmare (in the print edition, online edition has been changed – check the URL) with the first paragraph reading:
My bold.
I suppose it’s obvious why they changed the headline in the online edition but it would have been much better if they hadn’t made such a BS headline in the first place.
while i think the legal-high business is on a par with the alcohol-pushers..(in that neither want cannabis legalised..it’s called market-protection..)
..i am puzzled as to how alcohol has managed to factor/quarantine itself out of the/any health-debate around intoxicants commonly used in our society..
..as the/any negative outcomes from those legal-highs..are far outweighed by the number fucked over/killed by alcohol..
(as noted the other day..a recent un report on causes of death globally shows that more die each year from alcohol..than are killed from violent acts/war..
..and we advertise/celebrate/endorse/condone this killer-drug..
..and we criminalise the safest intoxicant of all..
..the intoxicant that has never killed anyone..
..that one both the booze-pushers and the legal-high pushers want kept illegal..
(..that ‘market-protection’ imperative kicking in again..)
..’cos if pot were normalised/de-blackmarketed the legal high industry would likely disappear..
..it has only been created as a mutant outcome of/from prohibition..
(n.b..colorado..where pot is legalised/regulated/taxed..there is no legal-high problem..)
..and of course there are many out there..who would switch to pot from booze..if it were legal/they were able to legally grow a few plants..
..plus the provinces/tourism would see a green/gold rush..
..and because of the advances in research on the theraputic/medicinal uses of cannabis..
..feeding that market..in either raw or synthesised-product ..
..is a sunrise industry of some note..
..and a fonterra co-op model would seem to be the way to go..
..should/when sanity rule(s)..
..phillip ure..
check the URL
Not doubting that they changed it, but the URL itself doesn’t mean much. On stuff.co.nz links you can make the last bit of the URL anything at all and the link will still work, like this one for example.
Anything after the last “/” is a free-for-all.
Last time they were certain that weapons of mass destruction were primed and ready to reach us in twenty minutes. And that if we invaded, those poor oppressed Iraqi soldiers would throw down their guns and welcome us with open arms. Millions slaughtered and displaced, the culprits never to be forgotten or forgiven.
This time they’re almost certain, so up goes Slippery’s pink craven hand for us all.
Hels kept us out of the last one, despite the rabid objections of wee Johnny and his mob.
This time we’re already on the list; now a weaker, easier target for the survivors forever.
Happy Toryday, grandkids: the hatred of million of decades. Thanks National.
Cunliffe leading the NZ Herald, self-selecting, online commenters’ choice – by a digital mile.
Most of those wouldn’t be voting though karol?
Interesting body language in this photo
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9113123/Labour-hopefuls-promise-living-wage
“MP Shane Jones warmed a South Auckland crowd with a promise of a Pacific Island language TV channel along the lines of Maori TV. ..”
“Jones, meanwhile, went on the attack against “the privileged” and the powerful.
“I’ll tell you one thing I won’t do, I will never squander the popular will of the people for the 30 bloody pieces of silver that John Key has done over that wretched casino deal. You have my bloody word on that.”
Anyone but Cunliffe (ABC). Robertson must be the next leader.
Here’s an online ‘political leanings’ quiz I hadn’t seen before. I get the distinct impression it was written for an American audience, for example the question about whether we spend too much on military has quite different connotations in NZ than it does in the US.
http://slackhalla.org/~demise/test/socialattitude.php
Here’s my result:
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 93.75
Tenderness 65.625
PS: The questions on emotion were a problem as far as I could see. I gave contradictory arguments & wavered on the implications from one question to another.
86% radical, 0% socialist and 50% tender.
Fairly high radical score, and an almost impossible socialist score.
Quite the extremist. I guess any claim you ever had of your views being in any way representative of ordinary kiwis is out the window.
When did I ever claim that?
And my socialist score is the perfect one.
You’re the biggest radical so far karol 🙂
and i’m more radical/socialist than you..jackal..
..nyah..!..nyah..!..nyah..!
..eh..?
..my radical/socialist gene is bigger than your radical/socialist gene..
..(some say that size doesn’t matter..but y’know..!..)
..tho’..strangely..our ‘tenderness-levels’ are in sync..68.75..
..aww!!..eh..?
phillip ure..
Radicalism 88.5
Socialism 62.5
Tenderness 75
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a devoted egalitarian with many strong opinions.
This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting.
Radicalism 85.75
Socialism 75
Tenderness 68.75
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist.
It appears that you are moderate towards religion- and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be – political preference aside – an idealist with several strong opinions.
phillip ure..
Radicalism 83
Socialism 68.75
Tenderness 62.5
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a pragmatist with many strong opinions. 😎
Guess it picked up my democratic leanings quite well. 96.75/93.75…and half way to being tough as old boots is probably about right 😉 – 50 for tenderness
One gets the distinct impression we’re a bunch of opinionated bastards and bastardesses.
Radicalism 77.5
Socialism 68.75
Tenderness 68.75
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded moderate progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with few strong opinions.
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 87.5
Tenderness 59.375
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
Radicalism 94
Socialism 81.25
Tenderness 50
My Radicalism is a bit high…shit. What would drive that I wonder.
Radicalism 88.5
Socialism 81.25
Tenderness 50
This is my partners score. A bit scarey, but perhaps hanging out together for 24 years means our thoughts are fairly similar.
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 75
Tenderness 62.5
tender-minded progressive; an animal rights activist. moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
But what does this question mean?
25) People should have faith in what they believe.
A yes answer would indicate the belief that people shouldn’t question their beliefs.
Radical 55
Socialist 62.5
Tender 81.25
These scores indicate that you are a very tender-minded moderate; this is the political profile one might associate with a protective parent. It appears that you are accepting of religion, and have a generally optimistic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
So far I’m the wussiest.
LOLOL *Flexing my commie cred
Radicalism 83
Socialism 100
Tenderness 40.625
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a liberated atheist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with primarily strong opinions.
Radicalism 63.75
Socialism 18.75
Tenderness 62.25
Ha Draco I’m more tender than you.
Seems like I:
1) am not that radical
2) am highly socialist
3) care about all you pricks too much!!!
Who would’ve thought.
Pfft, you’re right wing, NZFemme 🙂
Radicalism 88.5
Socialism 100
Tenderness 62.5
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
Well I never!
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 100
Tenderness 62.5
And identical comments as MO above
There’s a hell of a lot of animal rights activists who comment here!
I wish
Radicalism 85.75
Socialism 87.5
Tenderness 50
Odd. Thought I was more of an insensitive dickhead than 50% tender 🙂
Found this when I was recalling Hooten’s part in Hollowmen.
His rather desperate post here yesterday and 2 days earlier on kiwiblog reminded me of some things Hager once wrote about him.
“I first became aware of Matthew Hooton when he was a spin doctor in the late 1990s for Cabinet Minister Lockwood Smith. He got a mention in my book on anti-environmental public relations, Secrets and Lies. At that time he was helping his Minister argue that the state company Timberlands was actually helping improve the environment by chopping down West Coast native forests. This cynical world of ministerial advisers is illustrated beautifully by the current Australian TV satire called The Hollowmen, which is well worth watching online here.
I next noticed Hooton in 2003, when he was a National Party activist arguing in a party conference that National should drop the nuclear-free policy. That year he was working as a freelance PR consultant, notably assisting the tobacco industry. Over several months he collected information on organisations supporting new smoke-free legislation, information that was later used by the ACT Party’s Rodney Hide to attack those groups and the smoke-free legislation on the day it was introduced to Parliament. Willingness to work on the side of tobacco companies is a very clear way of identifying the less ethical PR operators. (John Key’s strategy adviser Mark Textor, of the Australian firm Crosby/Textor, likewise stands out as someone who was willing to work for tobacco companies.)
These experiences paved the way to Hooton’s next job, working freelance for Don Brash. What Hooton doesn’t mention when he expresses is indignation about the leaked information in The Hollow Men, is that he is one of the people the book shows at work. His strategy e-mails are there for the world to see. Anyone who wonders what to make of Matthew Hooton’s public contributions to New Zealand politics really should read what he writes in private. His advice is sometimes clever, but it is also cynical. It is very revealing.
Which brings us to the point. Anyone who wonders why Hooton is making wild allegations about theft and crime again needs only to see what the leaked materials revealed about Hooton himself.
His words have since been used in the Hollow Men stage play and now in the feature-length documentary. This is the unacknowledged context of all Hooton’s comments about my book and the Police. Like Don Brash and the other National Party figures featured in the book, presenting themselves as the victims of dark deeds is preferable to facing up to their own dark deeds as revealed in the book.
For this sort of PR person, the answer when faced with a crisis is to attack the messenger, deny everything and claim that they themselves are the victims in the affair. Like an octopus squirting ink into the water, the hope is that these diversions will allow them to escape unscathed. In this world of spin, words, arguments and personal attacks are all just means to an end, tools to advance their and their clients’ objectives. “
@ Tracey,
Very useful comment.
I just wrote on the ‘Smell the Fear’ thread, in response to one of your comments that I really do think it is very deceptive indeed the way Mr Hooton is introduced as a ‘commentator’ when he appears on TV. This is simply wrong and allows his opinions to be taken as relevant when they aren’t at all; they are simply opinion manipulation techniques.
Political Values
Radicalism 80.25
Socialism 100
Tenderness 78.125
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with many strong opinions.
Radicalism 61
Socialism 81.25
Tenderness 75
Interesting!
Can I recommend the TV3 doco..”Mind The Gap” of yesterday evening (29th.) as compulsory viewing ? A great expose of the evil of neo-liberal politics.
http://www.tv3.co.nz/Shows/InsideNZ.aspx
Agreed wydham. Noticed Air NZ CEO being paid $1.2m and the setting up of Air NZ for handing over to the rentiers in the MSM this morning. Especially significant after the costs of sort-termism and asset sales being highlighted as causes of the gap.
aside from the litany of inequities/miseries for many..
..two of the more jaw-dropping stat from that program is the $5 billion in tax-dodges run by the rich/corporates(?) each year..
..and also the confirmation of just how much money would be raised by a financial-transactions/hone heke -tax on the banksters..
..address those two..
..and we will have more than enough wherewithall to repair our country..
..’to put things right’..
..and there will be no need to focus on clawing back more p.a.y.e..from workers..
..surely promises focused on these two issues would be the keystone of any progressive election campaign policy-plank/promises..?
..the added bonus from focusing on the tax-thieves/banksters..and not the workers..would totally emasculate any fear-mongering from key/national..aimed at workers fearful of having to pay more tax from their wages/salaries under a progressive government….
..don’t target the innocent..(the workers..esp. the working-poor/struggling middle class..promise them tax relief..)
..get the monies from the banksters..and the big-time tax-thieves..(real ‘user-pays’..eh..?..)
(don’t forget that treasury figures prepared for harawira before the last election..showed that a small hone heke-tax on inter-bank transactions..
(not customer-bank interactions..once again..don’t target the innocent..)
..that the monies raised from this..would allow us to do away with g.s.t..if we so chose..
..that gives some indication of the seachange that would bring..
..then on top of that..there is that $5 billion in unpaid tax the richest are stealing from the rest of us..
..as i said..fix those two..and we are nearly home with solving some of our most pressing problems..
..and together..along with promises of tax-relief for working-poor/middle class..
..they’d make a pretty potent election campaign..
..eh..?
phillip ure..
Was at dinner at an Indian restaurant in Auckland last night with my ACT/National voting family.
They became quite animated, and pointed out that the PM and his family had sat down behind me.
Two things struck me;
1. What a great country we live in that a PM can sit down for a simple meal in a crowded restaurant and no one bothers him (positively or negatively);
2. He just couldn’t seem to decide what to order. He took ages. Then a person approached the table with an envelope with something written on it and handed it to him. I could only make out curia or something on the envelope. He opened it, read it and then reeled off his order like a regular.
Note: only part of the above is true.
I hope it was the chain of restaurants currently being investigated.
Did he have the Goon Squad with him?
I didn’t actually see him. He had left before my family pointed him out to me.
obviously afraid of what you might do 🙂
ooh er, they iz wotching u now tracey …. 🙂
😉
Reminds me of another little Injun SSSSStrant moment Tracey involving the PM and his enter age returning to Wellington whilst passing through the Kapiti Coast. I knew I shudda cudda wudda kept the security video! (except that it just made the staff want to vomit – despite the hour or so of comedy entertainment it provided). All complete wif Nafe da man, ‘Sir’ John Key, the DPS et al …. con ois ers of fine Injun cwasoin and experts with it. Come to think of it – there’s probably some of it still around.
We once gave Aaron Gilmore shit! This was priceless! We all had ‘learnings’ from that little episode re the size of their egos and their arrogance.
Don’t you KNOW who we are? !!!!
Interesting findings c/o Salon.com on Amerian investment in drug screening for beneficiaries a la National red meat policy onshore:
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/29/gop%e2%80%99s_inane_money_eating_sham_drug_tests_for_welfare_a_huge_failure/
Excellent article.
Amazing revelations from Oz! Kerry-Ann Walsh on Radionz update on Oz this a.m. Rudd seems to be making up policy on the hoof which hasn’t even been passed by his colleagues. And wait for it, some in the betting industry have refused to accept any more bets, some have closed their books and paid out previous punters. They are finding it impossible to assess any odds at all apparently.
She said that Kevin Rudd is rushing round saying whatever he thinks will gain positive attention in each state. He suggested, unexpectedly, shifting defence bases to Brisbane or further north. He is keen to recover lost ground in Qld so that would make sense to him as a short term expedient move I guess.
But Rudd has cut off his nose to spite his face. In undermining Gillard he has shafted Labour as a whole. Abbott seems certain to win – playing a cool hand in comparison.
Have a listen.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport
Bets on Abbott to win Australia election paid out early ( 1′ 58″ )
07:58 The Australian election race is over – at least, according to a betting agency
across the Tasman.
Also This should be interesting on Auckland. Listen in.
4 ’til 8 with Katrina Batten on Sunday 1 September 2013
4:07 The Sunday Feature: Is the Auckland Supercity Working?
Simon Mercep anchors a special panel discussion exploring the success of Auckland’s local body reforms, including the results of new research conducted by AUT (RNZ)
From the Radio New Zealand National Schedule
(Have edited this and changed paras around.)
Abbott has been making up slogans (not really policy) on the hoof for ages. It’s possible that, as with the boat people, Rudd is just copying him. I spoke with a colleague yesterday who knows someone high up in the Canberra bureaucracy. They said that Rudd is 200 times as egotistic, micromanaging and hard to work with as has been reported in the media.
The Australian Labor Party should just start again. They have very little worth keeping.
When Rudd loses, I doubt he will ever admit the damage he did to the party through his own unswerving pursuit to establish himself as the greatest person to have ever lived.
I was thinking of NZ Labour as being like a good old car that was getting a new engine and a new lease of life.
I wondered about the same analogy for Oz, looked up Holden and found that Oz is in difficulties and Labour is thinking of demanding govt buys Australian made, somthing that will never happen here under present thinking. Rudd has been making promises about supporting the car industry.
The announcement comes as Labor fights to hold the ultra-marginal Victorian seat of Corangamite based around Geelong, which has been hit hard by Ford’s announcement that it will cease Australian manufacturing operations in 2016….
The government makes the commitment as it seeks to calm industry anger over its decision to tighten the fringe benefits tax regime for company cars, which the industry argues could slash sales of locally manufactured vehicles by 20 per cent.
The government offered a further $200m to the motor industry on the eve of the election campaign, and introduced a directive that only Australian-made motor vehicles were to be purchased for the commonwealth fleet.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/kevin-rudds-500m-boost-for-car-industry/story-fn9qr68y-1226698798673
Abbott’s plan is for withdrawing $500 million.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/poll-could-kill-car-industry-20130805-2ra91.html
The Oz car industry is down to 200,000 from 300,000. They have a high dollar killing them too.
The decline in the numbers of cars made in Australia is caused by a combination of factors but chief among them is the high Australian dollar. Even now, at its current level of the low $US90c range, the exchange rate is hurting the local car industry. This is a very important point to make.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-14/toner—car-manufacturing-in-australia/4886462
One of the problems of the Australian car industry is that they produce old fashioned, poor quality rubbish. Then they overcharge for it.
So lets see, Martin Paine. He comes from a populous country that takes in many kiwis and provides them free health cover when they settle there. As a nation spending on medical research, training, and other equipment all reduce the costs for us here in NZ. Hospitals in NZ that already have the capacity to easily take a extra patient, and whats to say Mr.Paine does get some other ailment. The idea that our purpose in watering down residency to business visas was what? So that we could grow the cackles of the press corps and bureaucrat costs, all because they said yes to letting him in. Sorry, but what comes around goes around, we gain hugely from UK spending on health care, on health coverage, on cheaper procedures, on medical staff trained in the UK, we owe not to free load and accept the mistake that the visa was issued to him. Secondly, its actually good for our health system to have one more patient, as its runs efficiently, gains experience, and used readily accessible and waiting to be used health care services and equipment. Why have all that effort, on standby, in case, and then not use it an extra go around, its not like business visa holders would not need health care, that a small minority may get ailments that are expense to treat, and that Mr Paine has yet to need any of them. Sorry, I just think its more costly to send him on his way, costly for the concern the UK may have that we are introducing costs on to them and them revisiting Kiwis in the UK health costs. I think its just wrong to jump the gun before the costly healthcare, just because he has a condition that has more predictable cost than those who arrive here with undiscovered cancer or whatever. It smacks of snapper quotas, and testing drugs on beagles, a backdown is very likely, its just more cover for Key and his legalizing the illegality of the GSCB.
aerobubble
What can you give as reference to your comment to see background to it?
http://www.3news.co.nz/Final-chapter-in-immigrants-battle-to-stay/tabid/817/articleID/310832/Default.aspx
Martin immigrated here from the UK about (7?) years ago with his family and settled in Northland, invested in and built up his business, a local garage. He was upfront about his heart condition from the get go, and was admitted to NZ under a business category visa while his residency was being processed.
He is now being faced with deportation, with his heart condition cited as reason for denial of residency. Campbell Live has been following the story for a few years now.
Is it wise for any immigrant to begin building a life and investing in a business until they have PR, OR did he have to build the business as part of his application.
I’m not an immigration expert, but as I understand it, investing in his business was integral to his application.
It’s worth pointing out that with an annual turnover of 2 million, and his employment of seven staff, Martin has been contributing a great deal to the small and relatively poor Northland township he’s settled in.
Given that the cost for *fixing* his heart condition is estimated at a fairly paltry sum of $25,000 should he ever require medical intervention, it seems more than economically short-sighted to deport him.
Agreed NZFemme. When I first heard about this I wondered about the posting of a $25K contingency bond. Not a good look in terms of those sufficiently wedged up having an advantage over others but I guess that in terms of principle that has already occurred in the context of his business residency status.
Were there no bond, the contingency did in fact present, and the health system ended up footing the bill that would be $3.5K per job assuming the garage would not survive.
Wonder how much Paula Bennett’s punitive and useless training courses cost per head ? She’s planning to pay up to $10K to consultants to keep one person full time employed for as little as a year isn’t she ?
found this link
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/invest/entrepreneur/default.htm
Actually I heard it was a minimum of $25,000 but maybe much much more. Personally I have no problem with the cost since Kiwis in the UK will receive this treatment too.
Its just bad economics, if we and the UK both put up health cost barriers its will only mean that its costs more not less to both the UK and NZ. Costs on businesses who have to find replacement staff, cost of having to relocate, having to go further to find a garage, etc, etc. Its just very stupid uneconomic government that only feeds media whores and bureaucrats who shouldn’t have ticked the box in the first place. Mistakes happen, in principle its bad to chuck him out, and its just makes us all feel a bit unkind, geeze, what happen to a fair go, the tail in health care ain’t going away, I bet if they had let someone else in instead, they would have brought their soon to be boy racer paraplegic with them…
…notch it up as an example of bad border policy and move on already.
If he was Chinese, they would let him stay, plain and simple.
In 25 short years, the ‘White New Zealand’ policy has become the ‘Chinese New Zealand’ policy.
It will only be a matter of time before Chinese will be enjoying the right of entry into the country the same way that the British had until the late 1970’s.
wtf are you on?
Local body elections coming up – thoughts on radionz Outspoken program.
Sunday 1 August 5.30pm
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/outspoken
[deleted]
[lprent: Consider the following to be an example of how you should layout intelligible comments containing abuse.
If you are going for simple abuse then always say why. Otherwise I can and often will regard it as being pointless abuse (as covered by the policy).
A one week ban for simple stupidity by a fuckwit wannabe troll. ]
I’m supporting the aspirant for the leader of the opposition who voted against National’s attack-the-poorest beneficiary-bashing-bill.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/218238/welfare-fraud-legislation-through-first-reading
For those who don’t want to trawl Google for the vote on that (it doesn’t seem to be on the Parliament website … any clues?) the only votes against the bill were the Greens, Maaori, and Mana parties.
Heard twatkey on radio this morning regarding Syria saying that he had a call in to whatshisname who runs Britain and that he expected that he british guy) would get back to him in 24 hours and then he might put a call in to Obama who he was sure would want to talk to him considering the severity of Syria’s problems. Would love to know if this comes to pass.
Key’s been waiting for 24 hours for 2 days now.
“The Prime Minister continues to not rule out not ruling anything out regarding whether he (and New Zealand) would or would not confirm any decision not ruling out the ruling out of action against Mr Assad.
Mr Key told reporters this afternoon that he was expecting a call from Mr Cameron “shortly”.
Mr Obama discussed the situation in Syria yesterday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, a NATO ally, Cameron, Hollande, Ban Kee Moon, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his dog walker who has some great ideas given his experience with flighty puppies. Vice President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with Britain’s deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.
Mr Key confirmed that his relationship with Washington and the President is as strong as ever and pointed out that he had spoken with Washington today when the Secretary of State’s assistant to administrative affairs had called him but it turned out to be a wrong number.
“It’s no big deal” said Mr Key. “We’re all very busy and I used to call wrong numbers when I was a kid all the time.”
Mr Key didn’t rule out not answering his phone immediately when Mr Obama and Mr Cameron called. “I’m cheap, but I’m not easy.” he said.”
Chuckles.
Yeah……..and if the landline’s busy when Cameron or Obama or Ban Ki Moon call universal knowledge will have them try +64 21 ARSEHOLE.
The world may go to the brink but it WILL be saved. Phew !
Nothing on kiwiblog about ‘Mind the Gap’.
Is the right’s strategy to ignore this for fear of drawing further attention to their bankrupt worldview?
probably
Yep, can’t have reality go round proving them wrong and so they will ignore the facts.
I’ve been following the Herald’s “Gambling and Sport” series for the past week. Just wondering what anyone else thinks about the relationship that’s been built in New Zealand, between sport initiatives and gambling funds?
Considering problem gamblers contribute disproportionately to the money raised, isn’t this really a matter of funding sport through the misery of some of the most vulnerable members of our society? I understand how great sport is, love playing football on the weekends, but I don’t know if sport clubs are really making that much of a contribution to our communities, as to outweigh the damage (often incalculable) suffered by problem gamblers and the people around them, including wider society.
Not an expert on the subject, but our current arrangement just feels fundamentally wrong.
Since National have been a bit tardy in paying out my invoices I’ve decided to lend my expertise to Labour (except for the work for Judith Collins as thats pro bono)
So first bit of advice for Labour is to gag certain MPs until the election is over, these MPs are (obviously) T. Mallard and C. Curran but also A. Little after this head thumping performance:
http://www.labour.org.nz/news/bill-will-re-victimise-victims-of-violent-crime?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
“my expertise” . source please???
Trust me I’m a consultant 🙂
But seriously if Labour follwed my advice would they get more or less votes in the next election…you know they would
😉 @ consultant
Can’t spell consult without con or insult…
What can’t be denied though is that whoever wins the leadership battle (I’d prefer Jones but I think Cunliffe will) need to put gagging orders on a number of MPs
I’m sure I’m not the only person on here that remembers some of the pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs
Also can’t deny the disconnect between ” ….pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs” and your preference for Jones who provides “pearls” on a regular basis.
and the tone has been successfully lowered 🙂
If pointing out “pearls of wisdom” = lowering the tone I’m not surprised you are an under-employed consultant.
Oh my bad, I’ve just realised you were using your whalebrain humour and got all giggly over pearls.
What’s so bad about Little’s statement? I agree with it.
It’s been said before that National’s automatic response is to pass a new law, rather than trying to enforce or expand existing laws.
I don’t agree with leaving it to judges, he makes it sound as if its compulsory and it sounds like hes protecting crims
Better to concentrate decision making power with the Prime Minister and his staff eh.
Oh damn, and Labour were so close to getting Winston’s vote. No, wait, Winston’s an insincere tr0ll whose word ain’t worth shit, I was forgetting.
LOL @ prefer Jones and want gagging orders on idiot MPs.
to be fair that should read gagging orders on idiot MPs from both sides of the house
So you support Jones for Labour leader but you want him gagged.
Now it makes sense.
‘
Details here: http://kiwisconnect.org.nz/action/
and here: https://www.facebook.com/events/472651306158964/
Tropical fish smuggler caught at Auckland Airport
“Wet, bulging pockets” gave him away
New Zealand customs officials on the job. Respect!….
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-30/new-zealand-catches-man-smuggling-live-fish-in-trouser-pockets.html
lol……probably thought they’d caught someone doing some money laundering 🙂
Are they sure he wasn’t just happy to…
Sorry, getting my coat already.
If you get a chance to listen to “Tell-it-as-you-see-it Boag” on The Panel RNZ this afternoon she was praising up the New Zealand Education system as if she had had a Road to Damascas experience. It’s “wonderful” full of “brilliant things” and by international standards “bloody dam good”. “We should celebrate the good that is going on our schools. For too long we have been ignoring this.” She has apparently done some on-the-scene work recently and actually gone into classrooms.
She should take Parata and the rest of the champions of charter schools who have spent the last five years telling us that the current system is a failing system, with failing teachers and a tail as long as your arm.
A tale as long as a serpent’s tongue! (thinking of the slithery thing in Harry Potter).
Boag’s praise was insincere, and nothing more than a roundabout way of having a shot at the teacher unions. She said that the reason there was so much “dissension” amongst teachers was “perhaps because the teaching union so highly unionised.”
Once again, her fellow Panel guest (and “friend”) Brian Edwards failed to challenge this breathtaking and provocative display of dishonesty. Boag is always on the job; Edwards is not so alert. He was (yet again) bamboozled by the woman he always takes such exaggerated pains to point out is his “friend”.
“A Labour Green Government is the kind of Government I’d want to be part of.”
Grant Robertson
Source: Bryce Edwards Interview, Uni of Otago Politics Dept Voice Chat TV show, 21st Oct 2011
Is that a Labour aspiration? Is that a suitable aspiration a real leader for the Labour Party should have?
I imagine Cunliffe’s aspirations would be to be the Leader of a very strong Labour Party.
Well, a labour party at >50% is unrealistic under MMP, so yeah, labour would have to go in coalition with someone. Options: Greens.
Any government involving Beltway Grant will turn to dullest beige, lacking even the military verve of khaki or the consistency of grey. It would even be worse than fawn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRMk4WP5eAY
Shane Jones and Peter Talley have Dalmatian blood so Shane says. Here is a clip of I think the Kaitaia Dalmatian group dancing the Kolo to their own music from tamburicas probably.
There’s a warm wind blowing,
Feel it brothers sisters and who-cares-sexed
It whispers loudly today in the lost and perplexed
In even burt Smith BMerries and stuffpoll sense
In the Left celebration of the present tense.
Now is the hour, three decades removed
From the treason and filth Caygill/Douglas crewed
So live love and mean it, generation what
Or stay forever tory-fashioned
lost
and forgot
Testing… is The Standard broken? No posts showing?
Testing further at nearly 10 a.m. No Friday Social post. I hope all is well with whoever was to look after The Standard. We aren’t like Jokeyhen who likes to leave his post and go off overseas, or even go off in his head at home. So this gap might mean illness or problems. So hope all okay. If you want an alternative for a few minutes, to please your eyes look at the link for the Kolo Dalmatian dance I put on Open Mike last night.