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.
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
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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.