Perhaps now she will realise that Sir Peter Leitch is the type of person that Labour used to represent – a man who has never forgotten his working class roots, and who gives unstintingly of his time and energy for those less well off
It just goes to show how much Labour has alienated its support base.
What is it about the liberal-left and its pathological loathing of freedom of speech and open debate? Rather than vilifying Sir Peter, Labour should be asking how they can win his support back.
At least she has finally apologised and withdrawn (whether of her own volition or not) yet Campbell Larsen and a number of others commenting on this site maintain their vitriol towards Peter.
I prefer not to use the Sir. Dont care what anybody says, or what his politics are Leitch is a fantastic bloke. He does for his community with actions, not words. We should all applaud him for what he is.
On that note it sets a bad precedent to criticise people who state their preferences in the public arena, if he was to come out for Labour he would probably get attacked from the other end. Better to not go there.
I call bullshit on the last few words in your comment Bored.
Sir Peter came out for years in support of Helen Clark – visit his museum in Mangere and you’ll still see pictures of her proudly displayed by the Butch. “The other end” never said a bad word about that relationship.
Whats the problem Joe, I think Peter Leitch a great guy, I dont think he or anybody else should be judged for stating a personal political preference.
For the record I think his preference Shonkey is a total pillock, but hey there are a few ABs Graham Henry prefers to my choices……of course I am right and he is wrong.
Your a total cock!!! Sir Peter is everything you and your ilk will never be.An outstanding New Zealander that will go down in history as a real working class hero!
Sir Peter came out for years in support of Helen Clark
I call bullshit on that Joe Bloggs. Sure, he was happy to be seen associating with her when she was the prime-minister but he never claimed to support her politically. Indeed he is on record at the time saying (and I paraphrase) “I prefer not to talk about the politics” Well, he reneged on his word by politically endorsing Key so perhaps Mr. Leitch owes an apology too.
Fenton has said that her reaction was impulsive and silly. A small concession to be sure, but it’s evident from Butch’s reaction that Fenton has not picked up the phone and apologised to him.
Here’s a clue – an apology is an expression of one’s regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, or wronged another.
A fulsome apology might sound something like this: “I’m sorry Butch. I apologise for my pig-ignorance and vilification of your character. I’m truly remorseful for the distress I’ve caused you.”
As for Larsen? Wishing death on the Butch – then whining when someone tells his agent??? Oh grow me some balls, boy! He’s just another piece-of-shit example of how out of touch Labour and its liberal-left supporters are with mainstream New Zealand.
I post a few words in defense of Sir Peter and you imply that I have no concerns about child poverty, undermining the rule of law, environmental devastation, and ratings downgrades????
Well good on you for parading your own moral and socio-political virtue by being seen to express the “right” thoughts on every subject under the sun.
Now back to reality – will Fenton apologise to the Butch?
Whether or not you want to take advice from Mickey, I really think you two really should look up Arkell, it’s still the best response to a lawyer ever formulated.
You guys are an irony and hypocrisy recognition free zone. Wailing and complaining about hate speech and then engaging in attempted character assassination.
You do realise that it is being hypocritical … don’t you?
Sir Peter Leitch himself has clearly indicated why some of us are pissed off by what he has said.
;”I’ve done nothing with John Key that I didn’t do with Helen Clark – I’ve been a little bit more vocal.
;
So whilst he may have supported Labour, he never went on TV rabbiting on about how “John Key was the man to sort out ChCh” (especially when he clearly isn’t).
Of course this sort of story deflects from Blinglish’s financial incompetence, the lack of sensible policies and the smile and wave approach.
Cry me a river Joe. I have never shied away from genuine attempts at discussion and I believe that those that have actually participated in this one, rather than just throwing insults and schoolyard taunts around, are wiser for having taken part.
The questions remain:
Is celebrity endorsement of political leaders a good thing?
Doesn’t this just led us down the path of American style personality politics? Is this what we want?
When does ‘news’ become electioneering? is it a problem? If so how should we respond?
‘Butch’ may very well have been innocently doing what he has always done, selling stuff on tv, but an election is not a sausage. I am convinced by others reports that he is a very generous and well meaning fellow – unfortunately the same cannot be said of Jonkey – the man he supports.
Campbell Larsen said ‘are wiser for having taken part.’
I’ll agree with that, having learned that Peter Leitch has on’sold’ his business to his daughter, pocketed the money in trusts, and with no capital gains tax to reduce that, keeps a huge amount of money that he now helps out the less fortunate blue collars on their $13 per hour wages, if they have a job that is.
Key doesn’t want a CGT; Goff does. There’s a good reason for wanting to get Key back in right there.
What business wouldn’t want to get alongside any PM to advertise their wares and get more huge tax cuts. Look at Matthew Ridge.
Sure Leitch is probably a nice guy. But, he’s not a saint; he’s a businessman who gets tax concessions and helped people with cheap meat, thereby earning him huge advertising for free.
I also heard him say when asked who he supported at the 2008 election; he said he was not telling. That’s a given admission that he already supported Key but did not want to upset his business progress. He said that when in the company of Clark.
Once more; if he has used his cancer card to push voter choice for Key, then he has earned my contempt.
.
Farrrk, Phil Goff agrees with me! I’m doomed with the kiss of death!!
Labour leader Phil Goff said today he did not agree with Ms Fenton’s comments about Sir Peter. “I’m a real Warriors fan. I’ve been going to their matches for years and have caught up with the Mad Butcher many times. He is a great guy and a great ambassador for rugby league. He is absolutely entitled to express whatever opinion he likes.”
Just a pity that Butch has to go to that vile place Red Alert to read Fenton’s apology – instead of receiving a contrite phone call from her directly…
Phil Goff said that another person has a right to say what he likes.
We all accept that. That’s why we all state on here what we like, and the moderators then decide if that is okay or not because it is their site, and I e.g. say Peter Leitch is using his public persona to influence voting, and if he is using his cancer card to do that, that is reprehensible, lowers him in my estimation, and earns him my contempt.
Funny that you don’t want to hear what we have to say, which makes you a fascist.
Go ahead, knock yourself out Jum – say what you like – tar yourself with the same brush as that piece of shit Larsen.
But before you crawl down to that level, take a moment to remind yourself that it was the Butch who got on the BBQ and fed every mourner at David Lange’s funeral. And very grateful we all were for his efforts.
Like I said, the man’s a businessman; there’s nothing like a funeral to advertise…
Nah, I like the guy really, but to make out he’s some sort of national hero is quite frankly bizarre.
I’ll even let him join my cancer club if he stops trying to influence voters.
There’s nothing worse.
Oh yes there was – John Key giving extra money for herceptin, just before the 2008 election, a drug unproven to produce any greater result over a longer period, yet cunningly expected to con women into voting for him. I didn’t like him before the 2008 election knowing he was one of The manipulative Hollow Men, but even I was gobsmacked to find that he had used women’s illnesses to gain extra votes.
The man has no shame. Those who associate with him will eventually be tainted by the brand.
Maybe those herceptin women are the guinea pigs; do they know? That’s the history of New Zealand by men – don’t inform the women you are experimenting on them.
So, since Key used the illness card in 2008, and it proved very successful with women, voting-wise, using the cancer card is being tried again. I hope not; I can’t believe Peter Leitch would do what Key did. I can believe it of Key – not of Leitch, at least I hope not.
No. What she said was mild, it was nothing… Don’t exaggerate! The Mad Butcher (who has the squickiest radio jingle in creation, btw) needs to grow a thicker skin.
Once more; if he has used his cancer card to push voter choice for Key, then he has earned my contempt.
Cheers Jum: on the button. I didn’t have feelings one way or the other about Peter Leitch until he used his cancer as a political tool – and don’t anyone pretend he didn’t because he bloody well did! He plummeted in my estimation as a result. Darien Fenton’s response was fair enough.
Nuance is lost on you isn’t it LS?
There is an important difference between celebrities supporting policies and taking a stance on issues vs celebrities simply endorsing the leader of a party on a superficial basis – you don’t seen to have grasped it yet so I will let you ponder it some more.
What the Hell, why don’t we just do away with elections and instead appoint whichever party can line up the most celebrities? After all if they were on TV a few times, or played rugby, or gave to charity they must be much more important and worthy than that silly old democratic principle of one person, one vote.
Unfortunately, Campbell, your second paragraph has already come to pass. How do you think Key got in in 2008? Taking two sportsmen around the pacific people during the election campaign so they all thought – gee if these two pacifica people like Key, he must be okay. No thoughts about the policies or the mask of Key.
It worked so well in 2008, he’s doing it again, but rarking it up somewhat with visuals from Matthew Ridge and rotundtable financiers and what I once thought were reputable public personalities i.e. Leitch who in 2008 would not say whom he was voting for but in 2011 is happy to.
If people fall for a con once, that’s okay; if they fall for it twice they deserve the fallout.
It was reported that many of the people that voted for National had been told that they would still get Helen Clark as Prime Minister.
Gullible enough to believe anything a NAct campaigner would say is a worry, but far too many people are still too trusting of this government and they will continue to vote for Key for what is basically – nothing.
Sorry,l I honestly don’t see where what Darien Fenton said was so bad! She simply said she wasn’t going near him again, but never said that anyone else should follow suit…
We are classy people at The Standard, because we actually care about what is happening to our beloved country New Zealand and the Kiwis that live here.
Ranged against us are greedy people that will make a huge pile of money out of betraying everything this country stands for or once stood for; an egalitarian style of living.
Too much greed was once a disease, not a career choice.
Then we got Douglas, then we got Richardson – we slowed down with Clark and then we got Key AND Douglas.
Heh. That was a amusing. I popped out to see who you were talking to to find myself looking at two separate moderation notes.
Of course I seldom look at who or what people are responding to because of the nature of the moderation queue. In this case a newbie saying something daft, and millsy walking too close to the edge :twsted:
Mad Butcher, you are dirty stinking flithy traitor……….. Now if that ain’t hate speech, I think you Millsy could teach them a thing or 2………….not good form!!!!!!!
Growth may lag for years, whoopee. There will be middle class angst, hand wringing, wailing and a great gnashing of teeth. That which is held real and precious will become a distant dream.
Guys, even if the MSM cant write it up as it really is get used to the idea, long term growth economics is mortally wounded. prepare forthe new reality of solid state resource limited economics.
Your thoughts please on the impartiality (racism/old boy network/power of the sponsors) of the IRB
Samoan player wears MOUTHGUARD which has an ‘unauthorised sponsors logo’ – fined $10000 – the wearing of such item breaches ‘contracts’ but not ‘the laws of the game’. Player feels it in the pocket.
England trainers (and their most respected/well known player) deliberately change the ball being used for the conversion, breaching the laws of the game (on more than one occasion) – result the trainers are told not to be at Eden park for the next game (one game ban) – nil for the player asking for the ball, nil for the team that cheated, nil for the opposition.
#3 really is true, though. Imagine if all of the depositors at banks all over the world did actually ask for their money back. It would actually be impossible to liquidate everything that represented that money, and what would everyone do with the money anyway? Buy some of the assets? It would just be a huge money-go-round.
I’ve actually had similar thoughts about the concentration of wealth in the hands of the minority – it effectively works as a great big dampener on inflation by preventing money from circulating in the economy.
So listening to Morning Report this morning, it turns out with this cigarette ban in prisons that the prisons now give out patches and nicotine lozenges to prisoners whenever they ask for it, without any restrictions or limitations on consumption. Some prisoners have been spotted wearing 2-3 patches at a time, and others have been going through lozenges “like they were mints”.
These nicotine replacement therapies are paid for by the taxpayer, where previously cigarettes were paid for by the prisoners.
I’ll note just before the ban came into effect 3 months ago there was a nice little story going around about how prisoners were going to be enrolled in singing classes and given carrots as a way to prevent nicotine withdrawal. It seems that that news report was entirely PR spin from the government to make them look “tough on criminals”, when the reality is that they can get all the nicotine they want from the therapies. I expect the prisoners probably prefer the new regime because they aren’t paying for it and may be able to get more nicotine than they used to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few of them actually preferred these alternatives over cigarettes (I’ve heard quite a few smokers say they don’t really enjoy it, but just do it because they’re addicted).
Be nice to see Labour ask some questions on this in parliament.
Sitting down to a coffee and ciggy for relaxation is enjoyable for a while but it soon palls.
It palled for me when I became aware in a hospital bed with a foreign body stuffed in a artery, and Lyn stating that I’d smoked my last cigarette because she wasn’t going through the trauma of keeping me alive again.
Seven months off the tobacco now after 30 years smoking. But I’d have to say for me it was definitely a straight addiction that I wasn’t getting too much pleasure from….
Coffee is a lot less of an addiction. I can and have stopped using that easily, something that was incredibly difficult with cigarettes
Although it might make life more boring. I’m a big fan of QALY (quality-adjusted life years) when it comes to alcohol, cigars, and avoiding rabbit food 🙂
When my dad was in hospital after his heart attack, he said to my mum “well at least I don’t have to quit smoking!”. They got some rather puzzled looks from other people (patients/nurses) in the room – he had to explain that he never smoked.
Seven months off the tobacco now after 30 years smoking. But I’d have to say for me it was definitely a straight addiction that I wasn’t getting too much pleasure from….
Good on you, and if I were in your position I would probably do the same. The problem is that absent any of the stuff I’ve been told will happen to me, (none of it has), I have no motivation to quit – I know better than to believe that anti-smoking campaigners actually give a monkey’s about the ‘health’ of anyone! They’re simply authoritarians, who will actually have far more credibility with me, (and others!) when they have a word to say against alcohol misuse, air-pollution etc. I used to be on the periphery of a social circle that had at its core several dozen hard-core ASH members. Every one of them drank more alcohol (in the form of expensive wine!) in an evening than I’ve drunk in a lifetime, and than the average non-middle class kiddie would have in a year! I looked on and thought “hello hypocrites!”
I truly believe a lot of it is a class thing…
I’ll note just before the ban came into effect 3 months ago there was a nice little story going around about how prisoners were going to be enrolled in singing classes and given carrots as a way to prevent nicotine withdrawal. It seems that that news report was entirely PR spin from the government to make them look “tough on criminals”, when the reality is that they can get all the nicotine they want from the therapies. I expect the prisoners probably prefer the new regime because they aren’t paying for it and may be able to get more nicotine than they used to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few of them actually preferred these alternatives over cigarettes (I’ve heard quite a few smokers say they don’t really enjoy it, but just do it because they’re addicted).
I take it you don’t smoke and never have, Lanth… What on earth good were
‘singing classes and carrots’ supposed to do? My son worked at CADS (Community Alcohol and Drug Support) in 2008, and although he’s a fanatical anti-smoker, he was sensible enough to agree with CADS policy – they don’t insist that people trying to deal with alcoholism and P addiction, quit cigarettes. It’s too much to cope with. You can’t force someone to give up anything and expect them to do it. They have to want to themselves!
You’re also either very naive or very authoritarian, if you believe that patches and gum actually come even close to actually supplying “all the nicotine they want”. (I’ve tried the patches, and I assure you that even though I smoke a fraction of the amount that some others do, I barely notice that I have a patch!) Crazy old Tariana came up with the idea of making prisoners all stop smoking, and the “let’s hate on crims” brigade all immediately orgasmed over the prospect of punishing “crim’nals” some more. Very vicious, very authoritarian, just plain nasty. I recommend you read the book ‘Face to face with evil’, written by a psychologist who spent years interviewing Ian Brady (one of the Moors murderers) about his life in a “secure hospital”. He’s 73 now, has been banged up there for 46 years… and periodically gets ‘given the bash’ which I believe is the NZ term… On top of it all, they declared that the secure hospitals (equivalent of the Mason Clinic) would become Smoke Free from 2008. Just lovely!
I really haven’t the words to express how angry I feel about this issue. My anger is just exacerbated by all these news stories invited the Garth McVicar types (and the anti-smoking hysterics) to cream their jeans and laugh at the stupid crims…
Given the Credit Rating downgrade I expected that the Herald would have large headlines. And commentary on why so.
Fraid not. The Mad Butcher having his feelings hurt is much more important.
NO sign of Hooten, though I bet he is snooping around (or does he do that in the early hours)? Not such good news today Matthew regarding the credit rating – seem to remember Joky Hen wouldn’t implement some measure a couple of months back on the grounds that it might affect our AAAAAA+++ standing. Seems the agencies have done it anyway so he might just as well have implemented the change.
Jon Stephenson clarified the role of SAS troops in Afghanistan on Morning Report today
He made the point that the soldiers (especially the dead ones) had a right to be acknowledged for the actual role they are playing. He was not kind about John Key’s continuing claims that their role is ‘mentoring’ and argued that it amounted to using the soldiers deaths to support the PR spin and, consequently, misrepresenting the brave, individual efforts they were putting in to their role.
Wish I was surprised. I’m really starting to get my head around the death of the Labour movement. I’ve been talking about it for a while, but that didn’t mean I’d accepted it.
It scares the shit out of me cos there’s this big vacuum on the left, at the worst possible time, and no way of knowing what, if anything, will takes its place. I realise Labour hasn’t been anything like Labour for yonks, and that was never going to be sustainable. We couldn’t pretend forever. The financial crisis has just brought things to a head. And Labour turned further right/authoritarian because there just wasn’t enough Labour left in Labour.
Hope you’re proud of yourselves, Labour parliamentarians (and the likes of John Pagani). The Opposition (must give you a wry laugh when we call you that), putting the last nails in the coffin, kicking the working class in the teeth.
There’s no doubt that climate change is one of the biggest issues we’ve ever faced, and that the planet is warming, mostly due to human activity.
Despite unequivocal evidence that we’re responsible, those most able to make changes to reduce emissions are failing to act. Some openly deny that climate change exists while others have a vested interest in allowing polluting industries to continue their destructive practices…
Joky Hen – talk about political interference and friends in high places. There used to be a programme on BBC TV hosted by Jimmy Saville – it was called “Jim’ll fix it.”
Hey nobody has picked up on John Boscawen complaining that life as an MP was “too” hard”.
what a softcock he turned out to be. All those priniciples and all the rest weren’t wortha tin of it when it came down to his personal comfort.
‘Anne 1.1.1.1.2
30 September 2011 at 7:21 pm said,
in reply to Joe Bloggs saying ‘Sir Peter came out for years in support of Helen Clark’
“I call bullshit on that Joe Bloggs. Sure, he was happy to be seen associating with her when she was the prime-minister but he never claimed to support her politically. Indeed he is on record at the time saying (and I paraphrase) “I prefer not to talk about the politics” Well, he reneged on his word by politically endorsing Key so perhaps Mr. Leitch owes an apology too.” ‘
@ Anne
I heard him say that he did not get involved with the politics when asked if he supported Helen Clark.
I am beginning to be a little concerned for Peter Leitch now. If Leitch is so adored by the blue collars and they are usually the ones to be laid off when greed for profit becomes the catchcry of NAct, will they thank him later for helping Key to get back in to put into practice everything he needed to wait for the second term to do, everything that erodes still further the working rights their fathers and grandfathers fought to obtain. I doubt it.
Damned right Leitch owes an apology; it is patently obvious that he did not support Helen Clark politically but was happy to use that connection to his own advantage. If he did support Helen Clark he would have said so then, just as he is saying now that he supports John Key.
Court Game set and match against Peter Leitch. Apology please, Peter Leitch.
“blue collars”????
You arogant arse.
I’m a “blue collar” & don’t vote left…..just re-read the bile your spewing.
If it was posted by someone from the right you lot would be all over them.
It’s called the Right for a reason, so get your head out of your arse!!!!
I have no interest in how you vote; the term ‘blue collars’ was used by another blogger from the rightwing (small r) i.e. the sewer, your neck of the woods, a couple of threads ago.
I just recycled it.
So get your facts right and then return to the sewer – kiwiblog – from whence you came.
Latest Roy Morgan is out. It happened at the time of the RWC launch. National down 6%, Labour up 4.5%, Greens at 11%, all that I would like to say in a self conscious restrained way is …
Yeah, baby! You bet me by a nano-second, MS, I just checked in an idle moment and there ya have it. A top start to the weekend and I sniff a change in the media’s attitude to Key in the last couple of weeks too.
Wow down 1.5% to 1%, and the bad part of the result is that confidence is up …. How can this be … The country and the world are facing huge problems and kiwis think that she will be right …
I wonder however if Key finally jumped the shark today. For the sake of my country I hope so …
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...
The House - On Parliament's last day of the year, there was the rare occurrence of a personal (conscience) vote on selling booze over the Easter weekend. While it didn't have the numbers to pass, it was a chance to get a rare glimpse of the fact ...
A new poem by Holly Fletcher. bejeweled log i was dreaming about wasps / wee darlings that followed me / ducking under objects / that i was fated to pickup / my fingers seeking / and meeting with tiny proboscis’s / but instead / i wake up / roll sideways ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Versta/Shutterstock Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Terry, Professor of Business Regulation, University of Sydney Michael von Aichberger/Shutterstock Even if you’ve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, there’s a good chance you’ve spent money at one. Franchising is essentially a strategy for cloning ...
At last, MSM attention has been focused on Darien Fenton’s hate speech.
Perhaps now she will realise that Sir Peter Leitch is the type of person that Labour used to represent – a man who has never forgotten his working class roots, and who gives unstintingly of his time and energy for those less well off
It just goes to show how much Labour has alienated its support base.
What is it about the liberal-left and its pathological loathing of freedom of speech and open debate? Rather than vilifying Sir Peter, Labour should be asking how they can win his support back.
At least she has finally apologised and withdrawn (whether of her own volition or not) yet Campbell Larsen and a number of others commenting on this site maintain their vitriol towards Peter.
I prefer not to use the Sir. Dont care what anybody says, or what his politics are Leitch is a fantastic bloke. He does for his community with actions, not words. We should all applaud him for what he is.
On that note it sets a bad precedent to criticise people who state their preferences in the public arena, if he was to come out for Labour he would probably get attacked from the other end. Better to not go there.
I call bullshit on the last few words in your comment Bored.
Sir Peter came out for years in support of Helen Clark – visit his museum in Mangere and you’ll still see pictures of her proudly displayed by the Butch. “The other end” never said a bad word about that relationship.
Whats the problem Joe, I think Peter Leitch a great guy, I dont think he or anybody else should be judged for stating a personal political preference.
For the record I think his preference Shonkey is a total pillock, but hey there are a few ABs Graham Henry prefers to my choices……of course I am right and he is wrong.
Your a total cock!!! Sir Peter is everything you and your ilk will never be.An outstanding New Zealander that will go down in history as a real working class hero!
Calm down, dale – take a pill, breathe, and use your words…
Sir Peter came out for years in support of Helen Clark
I call bullshit on that Joe Bloggs. Sure, he was happy to be seen associating with her when she was the prime-minister but he never claimed to support her politically. Indeed he is on record at the time saying (and I paraphrase) “I prefer not to talk about the politics” Well, he reneged on his word by politically endorsing Key so perhaps Mr. Leitch owes an apology too.
mad butcher fairweatrher friend just like glenn.H’ell back any horse so long as he thinks its a winning one.Working class hero he has shown he is not
Apologise? Not really.
Fenton has said that her reaction was impulsive and silly. A small concession to be sure, but it’s evident from Butch’s reaction that Fenton has not picked up the phone and apologised to him.
Here’s a clue – an apology is an expression of one’s regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, or wronged another.
A fulsome apology might sound something like this: “I’m sorry Butch. I apologise for my pig-ignorance and vilification of your character. I’m truly remorseful for the distress I’ve caused you.”
As for Larsen? Wishing death on the Butch – then whining when someone tells his agent??? Oh grow me some balls, boy! He’s just another piece-of-shit example of how out of touch Labour and its liberal-left supporters are with mainstream New Zealand.
Typical RWNJ’s. Child poverty, undermining the rule of law, environmental devastation, ratings downgrades, pwah and who cares.
But find a leftie who used a couple of not very nice words about an old guy and there is hell to play …
troll alert!
I post a few words in defense of Sir Peter and you imply that I have no concerns about child poverty, undermining the rule of law, environmental devastation, and ratings downgrades????
Well good on you for parading your own moral and socio-political virtue by being seen to express the “right” thoughts on every subject under the sun.
Now back to reality – will Fenton apologise to the Butch?
JB to you and Lowerstandard can I suggest that you adopt the action proposed in the case of Arkell v Pressdram?
MS – I would rather ‘place my John Thomas in the hands of a madman with a meat cleaver’ than take the advice from NZ’s answer to Lionel Hutz.
Priceless!
Higher Standard
Thats a bit below the belt.
I understand Lionel Hutz is much better thought of in the legal profession than MS
Whether or not you want to take advice from Mickey, I really think you two really should look up Arkell, it’s still the best response to a lawyer ever formulated.
Will do.
You guys are an irony and hypocrisy recognition free zone. Wailing and complaining about hate speech and then engaging in attempted character assassination.
You do realise that it is being hypocritical … don’t you?
Her comment
; is far removed from Campbell’s death wish.
Sir Peter Leitch himself has clearly indicated why some of us are pissed off by what he has said.
;
So whilst he may have supported Labour, he never went on TV rabbiting on about how “John Key was the man to sort out ChCh” (especially when he clearly isn’t).
Of course this sort of story deflects from Blinglish’s financial incompetence, the lack of sensible policies and the smile and wave approach.
So whilst he may have supported Labour,
He never said he supported Labour. He was happy to support Helen Clark when she was prime-minster but he never endorsed her politically!
Sorry, but in some respects at least, he’s a home grown Owen Glenn.
Cry me a river Joe. I have never shied away from genuine attempts at discussion and I believe that those that have actually participated in this one, rather than just throwing insults and schoolyard taunts around, are wiser for having taken part.
The questions remain:
Is celebrity endorsement of political leaders a good thing?
Doesn’t this just led us down the path of American style personality politics? Is this what we want?
When does ‘news’ become electioneering? is it a problem? If so how should we respond?
‘Butch’ may very well have been innocently doing what he has always done, selling stuff on tv, but an election is not a sausage. I am convinced by others reports that he is a very generous and well meaning fellow – unfortunately the same cannot be said of Jonkey – the man he supports.
Frankly I don’t give a flying fuck for you or your thoughts on having ‘become wiser’
“The questions remain:
Is celebrity endorsement of political leaders a good thing?”
Well according to you ‘yes’ if they are on your team and ‘no’ if they’re on the opposition team.
Now back off to your latte with the luuuuuuurvies.
Oh and by the way……. MACBETH.
Campbell Larsen said ‘are wiser for having taken part.’
I’ll agree with that, having learned that Peter Leitch has on’sold’ his business to his daughter, pocketed the money in trusts, and with no capital gains tax to reduce that, keeps a huge amount of money that he now helps out the less fortunate blue collars on their $13 per hour wages, if they have a job that is.
Key doesn’t want a CGT; Goff does. There’s a good reason for wanting to get Key back in right there.
What business wouldn’t want to get alongside any PM to advertise their wares and get more huge tax cuts. Look at Matthew Ridge.
Sure Leitch is probably a nice guy. But, he’s not a saint; he’s a businessman who gets tax concessions and helped people with cheap meat, thereby earning him huge advertising for free.
I also heard him say when asked who he supported at the 2008 election; he said he was not telling. That’s a given admission that he already supported Key but did not want to upset his business progress. He said that when in the company of Clark.
Once more; if he has used his cancer card to push voter choice for Key, then he has earned my contempt.
What a muppet thing to say by Fenton.
Some people need to be media managed.
.
Farrrk, Phil Goff agrees with me! I’m doomed with the kiss of death!!
Labour leader Phil Goff said today he did not agree with Ms Fenton’s comments about Sir Peter. “I’m a real Warriors fan. I’ve been going to their matches for years and have caught up with the Mad Butcher many times. He is a great guy and a great ambassador for rugby league. He is absolutely entitled to express whatever opinion he likes.”
Just a pity that Butch has to go to that vile place Red Alert to read Fenton’s apology – instead of receiving a contrite phone call from her directly…
Yes Joe Bloggs,
Phil Goff said that another person has a right to say what he likes.
We all accept that. That’s why we all state on here what we like, and the moderators then decide if that is okay or not because it is their site, and I e.g. say Peter Leitch is using his public persona to influence voting, and if he is using his cancer card to do that, that is reprehensible, lowers him in my estimation, and earns him my contempt.
Funny that you don’t want to hear what we have to say, which makes you a fascist.
Go ahead, knock yourself out Jum – say what you like – tar yourself with the same brush as that piece of shit Larsen.
But before you crawl down to that level, take a moment to remind yourself that it was the Butch who got on the BBQ and fed every mourner at David Lange’s funeral. And very grateful we all were for his efforts.
joe bloggs, crawl? No.
Like I said, the man’s a businessman; there’s nothing like a funeral to advertise…
Nah, I like the guy really, but to make out he’s some sort of national hero is quite frankly bizarre.
I’ll even let him join my cancer club if he stops trying to influence voters.
There’s nothing worse.
Oh yes there was – John Key giving extra money for herceptin, just before the 2008 election, a drug unproven to produce any greater result over a longer period, yet cunningly expected to con women into voting for him. I didn’t like him before the 2008 election knowing he was one of The manipulative Hollow Men, but even I was gobsmacked to find that he had used women’s illnesses to gain extra votes.
The man has no shame. Those who associate with him will eventually be tainted by the brand.
Maybe those herceptin women are the guinea pigs; do they know? That’s the history of New Zealand by men – don’t inform the women you are experimenting on them.
So, since Key used the illness card in 2008, and it proved very successful with women, voting-wise, using the cancer card is being tried again. I hope not; I can’t believe Peter Leitch would do what Key did. I can believe it of Key – not of Leitch, at least I hope not.
No. What she said was mild, it was nothing… Don’t exaggerate! The Mad Butcher (who has the squickiest radio jingle in creation, btw) needs to grow a thicker skin.
Once more; if he has used his cancer card to push voter choice for Key, then he has earned my contempt.
Cheers Jum: on the button. I didn’t have feelings one way or the other about Peter Leitch until he used his cancer as a political tool – and don’t anyone pretend he didn’t because he bloody well did! He plummeted in my estimation as a result. Darien Fenton’s response was fair enough.
Nuance is lost on you isn’t it LS?
There is an important difference between celebrities supporting policies and taking a stance on issues vs celebrities simply endorsing the leader of a party on a superficial basis – you don’t seen to have grasped it yet so I will let you ponder it some more.
What the Hell, why don’t we just do away with elections and instead appoint whichever party can line up the most celebrities? After all if they were on TV a few times, or played rugby, or gave to charity they must be much more important and worthy than that silly old democratic principle of one person, one vote.
Campbell Larsen,
Unfortunately, Campbell, your second paragraph has already come to pass. How do you think Key got in in 2008? Taking two sportsmen around the pacific people during the election campaign so they all thought – gee if these two pacifica people like Key, he must be okay. No thoughts about the policies or the mask of Key.
It worked so well in 2008, he’s doing it again, but rarking it up somewhat with visuals from Matthew Ridge and rotundtable financiers and what I once thought were reputable public personalities i.e. Leitch who in 2008 would not say whom he was voting for but in 2011 is happy to.
If people fall for a con once, that’s okay; if they fall for it twice they deserve the fallout.
Key got in via the 2008 election because the swing voters wanted to vote Helen and Labour out – you really are in Lala land you naughty teletubby.
No higherstandard(who is slipping as we blog).
It was reported that many of the people that voted for National had been told that they would still get Helen Clark as Prime Minister.
Gullible enough to believe anything a NAct campaigner would say is a worry, but far too many people are still too trusting of this government and they will continue to vote for Key for what is basically – nothing.
MACBETH
higherstandard,
get thee behind me you wicked warlock and take your damned ghosts with you – crosby and textor to go by the modern titles.
Sorry,l I honestly don’t see where what Darien Fenton said was so bad! She simply said she wasn’t going near him again, but never said that anyone else should follow suit…
Hate speech? RWNJ’s really do have thin skin.
Seems that the right can dish it out, but they cannot take it.
I see right wingers dish out hate speech galore, especially on kiwiblog.
And Peter Leitch is a fat idiot. So what if he ‘donates to charity’. Charites always pick and choose who they help anyway.
Darien should have stood by her comments. The world needs more people like her, who would stick it to the powerful in the name of the powerless.
Mad Butcher, you are dirty stinking flithy traitor.
[lprent: You are getting very close to the bounds of deliberate flame starting. I would suggest modifying the style in a hurry. ]
Wow classy people at this site.
[lprent: Is that a question?
We don’t segregate by class or anything else part from behaviors.
Read the policy if you want to figure out what we allow from commentators (and where we would interfere) ]
Yes bemused.
We are classy people at The Standard, because we actually care about what is happening to our beloved country New Zealand and the Kiwis that live here.
Ranged against us are greedy people that will make a huge pile of money out of betraying everything this country stands for or once stood for; an egalitarian style of living.
Too much greed was once a disease, not a career choice.
Then we got Douglas, then we got Richardson – we slowed down with Clark and then we got Key AND Douglas.
Greed and selfishness is now a career choice.
Heh. That was a amusing. I popped out to see who you were talking to to find myself looking at two separate moderation notes.
Of course I seldom look at who or what people are responding to because of the nature of the moderation queue. In this case a newbie saying something daft, and millsy walking too close to the edge :twsted:
Right wingers hate speech??????
Mad Butcher, you are dirty stinking flithy traitor……….. Now if that ain’t hate speech, I think you Millsy could teach them a thing or 2………….not good form!!!!!!!
Comments yesterday on the MSMs inability to say anything that reflects reality (as opposed to the interest driven orthodoxy)…and in this mornings New York Times we see more front page fantasy.. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/business/global/even-if-europe-averts-crisis-growth-may-lag-for-years.html?_r=1&hp
Growth may lag for years, whoopee. There will be middle class angst, hand wringing, wailing and a great gnashing of teeth. That which is held real and precious will become a distant dream.
Guys, even if the MSM cant write it up as it really is get used to the idea, long term growth economics is mortally wounded. prepare forthe new reality of solid state resource limited economics.
Your thoughts please on the impartiality (racism/old boy network/power of the sponsors) of the IRB
Samoan player wears MOUTHGUARD which has an ‘unauthorised sponsors logo’ – fined $10000 – the wearing of such item breaches ‘contracts’ but not ‘the laws of the game’. Player feels it in the pocket.
England trainers (and their most respected/well known player) deliberately change the ball being used for the conversion, breaching the laws of the game (on more than one occasion) – result the trainers are told not to be at Eden park for the next game (one game ban) – nil for the player asking for the ball, nil for the team that cheated, nil for the opposition.
Gin swilling gits.
IRB = International Racist Board
Perfectly consistent. One hits their income stream, the other merely drags the integrity of the game closer to stadium wrestling.
Although they should probably remove “rugby” from their name, otherwise they’ll eventually run foul of fair trading act.
Fractional reserve banking is a great system because.:
1. It fuels economies.
2. Makes heaps of money for banks.
3. Works because depositors will never all ask for their money back at the same time.
What was number 3 again?
Oh dear!
#3 really is true, though. Imagine if all of the depositors at banks all over the world did actually ask for their money back. It would actually be impossible to liquidate everything that represented that money, and what would everyone do with the money anyway? Buy some of the assets? It would just be a huge money-go-round.
I’ve actually had similar thoughts about the concentration of wealth in the hands of the minority – it effectively works as a great big dampener on inflation by preventing money from circulating in the economy.
If the 5% or less who own 95% of the deposits asked for their money………
Indeed – will be interesting to see how the Australian banks weather the oncoming storm.
Bank run
It seems that which will never happen has happened quite often.
I don’t recall any bank runs in which every single person in the world took out all of their money at the same time. Which is what I said.
Watch Mary Poppins and you’ll see what happens when people ask for what is rightfully theirs.
So listening to Morning Report this morning, it turns out with this cigarette ban in prisons that the prisons now give out patches and nicotine lozenges to prisoners whenever they ask for it, without any restrictions or limitations on consumption. Some prisoners have been spotted wearing 2-3 patches at a time, and others have been going through lozenges “like they were mints”.
These nicotine replacement therapies are paid for by the taxpayer, where previously cigarettes were paid for by the prisoners.
I’ll note just before the ban came into effect 3 months ago there was a nice little story going around about how prisoners were going to be enrolled in singing classes and given carrots as a way to prevent nicotine withdrawal. It seems that that news report was entirely PR spin from the government to make them look “tough on criminals”, when the reality is that they can get all the nicotine they want from the therapies. I expect the prisoners probably prefer the new regime because they aren’t paying for it and may be able to get more nicotine than they used to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few of them actually preferred these alternatives over cigarettes (I’ve heard quite a few smokers say they don’t really enjoy it, but just do it because they’re addicted).
Be nice to see Labour ask some questions on this in parliament.
That’s how I was for quite some time before I gave up. Sitting down to a coffee and ciggy for relaxation is enjoyable for a while but it soon palls.
Sitting down to a coffee and ciggy for relaxation is enjoyable for a while but it soon palls.
It palled for me when I became aware in a hospital bed with a foreign body stuffed in a artery, and Lyn stating that I’d smoked my last cigarette because she wasn’t going through the trauma of keeping me alive again.
Seven months off the tobacco now after 30 years smoking. But I’d have to say for me it was definitely a straight addiction that I wasn’t getting too much pleasure from….
Coffee is a lot less of an addiction. I can and have stopped using that easily, something that was incredibly difficult with cigarettes
The good news is after cessation of smoking your risk decreases quite sharply over time – as should your insurance costs.
Haven’t noticed the latter yet. I should investigate because as I get older the rates go up.
True enough.
Although there’s still a measurable long term effect.
Indeed – Never starting to smoke is one of the best things you can do for your health.
Although it might make life more boring. I’m a big fan of QALY (quality-adjusted life years) when it comes to alcohol, cigars, and avoiding rabbit food 🙂
Good on you Lyn, first sensible thing you’ve said for a while. More power to you.
And I didn’t know that you cared… 😈
Yeah well, we’re all human (sort of)
it took me 20 years to knock the habit. I wish someone had told me that nicotine was more addictive than heroin 🙁 🙁 when I first started smoking…
So like I said more power to you…
But that’s no reason to get all cosy with me – I’m also a reformed liberal 😆
When my dad was in hospital after his heart attack, he said to my mum “well at least I don’t have to quit smoking!”. They got some rather puzzled looks from other people (patients/nurses) in the room – he had to explain that he never smoked.
Good on you, and if I were in your position I would probably do the same. The problem is that absent any of the stuff I’ve been told will happen to me, (none of it has), I have no motivation to quit – I know better than to believe that anti-smoking campaigners actually give a monkey’s about the ‘health’ of anyone! They’re simply authoritarians, who will actually have far more credibility with me, (and others!) when they have a word to say against alcohol misuse, air-pollution etc. I used to be on the periphery of a social circle that had at its core several dozen hard-core ASH members. Every one of them drank more alcohol (in the form of expensive wine!) in an evening than I’ve drunk in a lifetime, and than the average non-middle class kiddie would have in a year! I looked on and thought “hello hypocrites!”
I truly believe a lot of it is a class thing…
I take it you don’t smoke and never have, Lanth… What on earth good were
‘singing classes and carrots’ supposed to do? My son worked at CADS (Community Alcohol and Drug Support) in 2008, and although he’s a fanatical anti-smoker, he was sensible enough to agree with CADS policy – they don’t insist that people trying to deal with alcoholism and P addiction, quit cigarettes. It’s too much to cope with. You can’t force someone to give up anything and expect them to do it. They have to want to themselves!
You’re also either very naive or very authoritarian, if you believe that patches and gum actually come even close to actually supplying “all the nicotine they want”. (I’ve tried the patches, and I assure you that even though I smoke a fraction of the amount that some others do, I barely notice that I have a patch!) Crazy old Tariana came up with the idea of making prisoners all stop smoking, and the “let’s hate on crims” brigade all immediately orgasmed over the prospect of punishing “crim’nals” some more. Very vicious, very authoritarian, just plain nasty. I recommend you read the book ‘Face to face with evil’, written by a psychologist who spent years interviewing Ian Brady (one of the Moors murderers) about his life in a “secure hospital”. He’s 73 now, has been banged up there for 46 years… and periodically gets ‘given the bash’ which I believe is the NZ term… On top of it all, they declared that the secure hospitals (equivalent of the Mason Clinic) would become Smoke Free from 2008. Just lovely!
I really haven’t the words to express how angry I feel about this issue. My anger is just exacerbated by all these news stories invited the Garth McVicar types (and the anti-smoking hysterics) to cream their jeans and laugh at the stupid crims…
Given the Credit Rating downgrade I expected that the Herald would have large headlines. And commentary on why so.
Fraid not. The Mad Butcher having his feelings hurt is much more important.
I was listening to morning report at 7:30 and they were saying “it’s only just come out” and so the markets hadn’t had much time to react.
So the print edition will have nothing on it. Online will probably doing some scrambling to get stories out, too. I’d expect more this afternoon.
NO sign of Hooten, though I bet he is snooping around (or does he do that in the early hours)? Not such good news today Matthew regarding the credit rating – seem to remember Joky Hen wouldn’t implement some measure a couple of months back on the grounds that it might affect our AAAAAA+++ standing. Seems the agencies have done it anyway so he might just as well have implemented the change.
Too busy sucking up to the Chinese, and working out how to ensure our ports wind up in their hands.
Someone should remind him that they actually hanged Petain. They didnt give him a pat on the back,
Elvis says hi.
Tramp The Dirt Down – for NZ PM John Phillip Key.
Lprent – has the WYSIWYG interface got screwed; things like the blockquote button are misbehaving.
I always had troubles with it any way. So now I just use regular style.
I tend to post then edit in tags afterwards. But then at work I also prefer to programme directly, rather than using the project GUIs 🙂
Spreading with at least 52 cities in America occupied or organizing.
http://occupytogether.org/
You know you can have all the huffington posts and michael moore web sites you like, until the MSM start giving this coverage it wont work.
brett dale,
a citizen class action against the NZ media might bring some notice.
The action would be that foreign-owned media are actively trying to rort a fair election in New Zealand.
What would it cost to take it to court and how many people would be interested in funding it?
Are you in some kind of a competition with Trav ?
Jon Stephenson clarified the role of SAS troops in Afghanistan on Morning Report today
He made the point that the soldiers (especially the dead ones) had a right to be acknowledged for the actual role they are playing. He was not kind about John Key’s continuing claims that their role is ‘mentoring’ and argued that it amounted to using the soldiers deaths to support the PR spin and, consequently, misrepresenting the brave, individual efforts they were putting in to their role.
An interesting observation.
Labour sells out – again.
Yeah Draco,
Wish I was surprised. I’m really starting to get my head around the death of the Labour movement. I’ve been talking about it for a while, but that didn’t mean I’d accepted it.
It scares the shit out of me cos there’s this big vacuum on the left, at the worst possible time, and no way of knowing what, if anything, will takes its place. I realise Labour hasn’t been anything like Labour for yonks, and that was never going to be sustainable. We couldn’t pretend forever. The financial crisis has just brought things to a head. And Labour turned further right/authoritarian because there just wasn’t enough Labour left in Labour.
Hope you’re proud of yourselves, Labour parliamentarians (and the likes of John Pagani). The Opposition (must give you a wry laugh when we call you that), putting the last nails in the coffin, kicking the working class in the teeth.
Slow clap.
United States is a Joke
There’s no doubt that climate change is one of the biggest issues we’ve ever faced, and that the planet is warming, mostly due to human activity.
Despite unequivocal evidence that we’re responsible, those most able to make changes to reduce emissions are failing to act. Some openly deny that climate change exists while others have a vested interest in allowing polluting industries to continue their destructive practices…
Joky Hen – talk about political interference and friends in high places. There used to be a programme on BBC TV hosted by Jimmy Saville – it was called “Jim’ll fix it.”
Rushed Visas
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/5684460/Michael-Luck-Junior-may-get-help-from-PM
The wheels have been put in motion for a fast-tracked passport but there is a backup plan, with rugby league and Warriors ambassador Sir Peter Leitch calling upon his mate Key for help in the event of any glitches in the process.
Coronation Street schedules.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/john-key-pledges-fight-coro-switch-4428912
He said he would talk to “someone important” at TVNZ about the change of timeslot.
Suggest all the unemployed write to him in person – god knows what he’ll turn up for you.
Hey nobody has picked up on John Boscawen complaining that life as an MP was “too” hard”.
what a softcock he turned out to be. All those priniciples and all the rest weren’t wortha tin of it when it came down to his personal comfort.
‘Anne 1.1.1.1.2
30 September 2011 at 7:21 pm said,
in reply to Joe Bloggs saying ‘Sir Peter came out for years in support of Helen Clark’
“I call bullshit on that Joe Bloggs. Sure, he was happy to be seen associating with her when she was the prime-minister but he never claimed to support her politically. Indeed he is on record at the time saying (and I paraphrase) “I prefer not to talk about the politics” Well, he reneged on his word by politically endorsing Key so perhaps Mr. Leitch owes an apology too.” ‘
@ Anne
I heard him say that he did not get involved with the politics when asked if he supported Helen Clark.
I am beginning to be a little concerned for Peter Leitch now. If Leitch is so adored by the blue collars and they are usually the ones to be laid off when greed for profit becomes the catchcry of NAct, will they thank him later for helping Key to get back in to put into practice everything he needed to wait for the second term to do, everything that erodes still further the working rights their fathers and grandfathers fought to obtain. I doubt it.
Damned right Leitch owes an apology; it is patently obvious that he did not support Helen Clark politically but was happy to use that connection to his own advantage. If he did support Helen Clark he would have said so then, just as he is saying now that he supports John Key.
Court Game set and match against Peter Leitch. Apology please, Peter Leitch.
@ JUM
“blue collars”????
You arogant arse.
I’m a “blue collar” & don’t vote left…..just re-read the bile your spewing.
If it was posted by someone from the right you lot would be all over them.
It’s called the Right for a reason, so get your head out of your arse!!!!
Kenelle,
I have no interest in how you vote; the term ‘blue collars’ was used by another blogger from the rightwing (small r) i.e. the sewer, your neck of the woods, a couple of threads ago.
I just recycled it.
So get your facts right and then return to the sewer – kiwiblog – from whence you came.
what ever………..
Which just proves that you’re a stupid RWNJ voting against your interests.
i’m stupid…..yeah thats right….
No, you just have a bit of difficulty with punctuation, capitalisation, and basic political comprehension.
who asked you
Nobody asked me, because Who is outside talking to Somebody.
McFlock,
LOL.
Kenelle,
Maybe we can start again – have a truce maybe? I always prefer a conversation not a slanging match.
Latest Roy Morgan is out. It happened at the time of the RWC launch. National down 6%, Labour up 4.5%, Greens at 11%, all that I would like to say in a self conscious restrained way is …
FCUK YEAH!
Yeah, baby! You bet me by a nano-second, MS, I just checked in an idle moment and there ya have it. A top start to the weekend and I sniff a change in the media’s attitude to Key in the last couple of weeks too.
One question though. Where’s Winny?
Wow down 1.5% to 1%, and the bad part of the result is that confidence is up …. How can this be … The country and the world are facing huge problems and kiwis think that she will be right …
I wonder however if Key finally jumped the shark today. For the sake of my country I hope so …
Keep everything crossed for the next eight weeks mates. 😀
Anne,
Done.
My eyes rolled when I heard on TV 3 news that English wants people to pay off personal debt and save. Yeah right, don’t do as the government does.
Saving would be nice, many can’t feed their kids!