And the media just repeat the government’s lies, day after day after day.
In answer to Jarrod Gilbert’s question yesterday, “did we elect idiots or did we elect smart people who have treated us like idiots?” We elected idiots, who are run by smart people who really run this country.
These people own the politicians and own the media.
You quote an article highly critical of the ‘Governments lies’ that was published in a MSM outlet, but at the same time you say the media is ‘owned’ and ‘just repeat the Govt’s lies’.
You seem to have disproved your own argument there Paul?
Anything negative towards National in the media is the truth, anything supportive of National in the media is lies and anything negative of the left in the media is *cue ominous voice* dirty politics
Paul’s world view may very well be along those lines, but as he runs away from the discussion every time someone raises a seemingly contradictory statement he has made….it is very hard to know for sure.
How the elite manipulate the media is a little bit more complex than this somewhat reductive view of yours.
There has to be a perception of some balance.
Hence Fox have Hannity and Colmes. Nevertheless, the basic prejudice of the media is towards right wing governments across the western world.
This of course is no surprise to anyone informed and educated on the matter.
Look at who owns the media, lost sheep.
That is not or has never been my argument.
However, if you wish to reduce the debate to such an infantile level, yes, I shall choose to avoid debating with you.
Ah, no. Occasionally the MSM will publish an article critical of the government to give the illusion of being balanced while all the rest of the time they act as supporters and propagandists of the government.
No. I mean zero evidence. A complete and total abject failure to come up with anything. A level of failure and incompetence even greater than that of the National Party. Embarrassing, credibility destroying drivel.
Of course being extreme right wing lying media it’s presented as a hit piece but that doesn’t mean the truth isn’t the truth!
9/11 was an inside job!!!
He didn’t say anything of the kind. He comments on how the events were manipulated to justify war. He does not say the attacks were not carried out by crackpot Muslims in planes.
Note how little actual quotation from Corbyn there is, and how desperately the Mail spins it to make it look like something it isn’t.
Love it, below, our data a “full-take collection” of information from New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours, sweeping up information from the region and passing it on to the NSA. (but this is NOT mass surveillance). Hmm?
Also along with the corporate welfare and you have to wonder about our intellectual property and security as, the NSA supply the Cortex program which is installed on “A growing number of private companies and government departments to get “official protection from powerful cyber attacks”.
(In another context installing foreign programmes is not really recommended which are not regulated and under secrecy). As well as being able to access NZ data collected from these major IT companies it is unknown what is done with it, how it is stored, how often it is accessed by the NSA and other organisations etc).
But in spite of the high secrecy of the GCSB they are going to have a reality show Rebecca Kitteridge, NZSIS director, recently said.
My God! What a joke. They are so secret the public is not allowed to know anything but not so secret they can have film cameras in there filming a reality show. Um only it sounds more like a propaganda show. Possibly because the GCSB are not really in charge of our security anymore it is actually the NSA and they are just the ‘window dressing’ to appear on reality shows.
Hope the illegal spying on Dotcom gets int here. However we do not have to worry though as “A major review of the GCSB and NZSIS is under way after a series of revelations and allegations, including illegal spying in the Kim Dotcom case”.
You have to wonder about the implications of people’s personal privacy when NSA and whoever they want to give it too as well as presumably the GCSB are installing programmes on companies like Telecom.
I guess if the NSA ever turn against us, it will be pretty easy to a) get intelligence as our bumbling agencies have already put foreign software on all our major companies and b) an easy way to put glitches and stop the companies working if they ever wanted to – say if some lobbyist wants to put their rival telecom company in there.
The other question is, should our GCSB be getting tax payer money when they are wasting money appearing on reality TV shows, and is their really a need for them to be getting all that extra funding or even be there, if they have got time to appear in reality shows and their role is to ‘sell’ themselves and how competent and indispensable they are, and the brainiac idea of putting NSA software on NZ companies. Remember the Trojan Horse.
Maybe instead of 10 million to oil companies the government could have spent some of the science grants money to the NZ IT elite to design something to protect them.
Although like in the Alan Turing case, after helping to break the Nazi enigma code he became persecuted from his own government later on. Would anyone intelligent and moral want to put their hands up to work with GCSB – not likely.
“Five and a half years is enough! The obsessive secrecy that shrouds the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations was challenged in the High Court in Wellington on Monday….
A ruling in our favour will help to breakthrough the secrecy of the TPPA and prevent a re-run in future negotiations. Already a similar pact applies to the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), where documents are to be kept secret throughout the negotiations and, aside from the final text, for five years after the agreement comes into force. Future agreements could extend that period to 10 or 20 years, or even indefinitely.
The case could also serve a much wider purpose. This is the first time the New Zealand’s courts have reviewed some provisions of the Official Information Act. A progressive interpretation that reflects the Act’s objectives of promoting democratic engagement and accountability would benefit journalists, campaigners, academics, NGOs and many others who have been frustrated by the rise of executive power and its corresponding unaccountability.
TPPA- Big Pharma try to get maximum profits using “safety reasons”
(Obama Pushes For Flexibility On Key Issues In Calls With TPP Leaders · Import Penetration Is Key Yardstick In TPP Dairy Market Access Talks http://insidetrade.com/
““But US health experts have revealed a new TPP proposal based on Japanese practice which would enable effective extension of monopolies by three years without changing Australia’s or other countries’ laws. Japan’s system of ‘post marketing surveillance’ allegedly for safety reasons, provides effective extension of data protection monopolies through administrative decisions, without requiring a change to the law. This produces the same result as the original US proposal by preventing access to clinical data and registration of cheaper versions of medicines for eight years,” explained Dr Ranald.” http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1509/S00398/tpp-robb-should-reject-new-sneaky-tricks-to-extend-medicine.htm
The following link gives you some idea of the lack of moral compass of some of these Big Pharma corporations and the difficulties involved in holding them to account.
TPPA protests in Canada
“Tractors, cows take over Ottawa, Parliament Hill as dairy farmers protest TPP”
“Dairy farmers from eastern Ontario took their tractors and cattle to Parliament Hill to protest possible dairy concessions in the soon-to-be-signed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The farmers rolled down a busy Bank Street in downtown Ottawa on Tuesday, one day before trade ministers from 12 Pacific Rim member countries were set to meet in Atlanta to discuss the TPP.
Ok so heres some links to he who shall not be named but some of you might find it interesting, if someones wants to change it to to that donotlink thing then thats cool as well
“Under the Extradition Act, the Justice Minister is meant to be given a copy of provisional arrest warrants and the supporting evidence, as part of a briefing.
Mr Ortmann and Mr van der Kolk’s lawyer, Grant Illingworth, asked a Ministry of Justice witness, Charlotte Haigh, whether those documents had been included in the briefing given to the Minister at the time, Judith Collins.
Ms Haigh told the court she didn’t recall if that was recorded on the Ministry’s file.
Judge Nevin Dawson has ordered Ms Haigh to review the file and confirm whether the Minister was given the relevant information.”
Just wanted to say I think he was my favourite newsreader, and possibly has the best kiwi news reading voice. He’s got the trustworthy voice, although now finding out he’s involved in car sales is not so good..
Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert show up the hypocrisy in the media treatment of Corbyn vs Cameron…really Cameron needs to be hammered every time there is a right wing attack on Corbyn
“In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the role of #PigGate on national and economic security. They also look at the war machine and the Norman Bates-like fight Janet Yellen is having with the markets. In the second half, Max interviews Mark McGowan – aka the Artist Taxi Driver – about David Cameron’s relationship with pigs – both those at the trough and those on the platter.”
“The Russians have once again thrown Washington a lifeline to rescue Obama from his administration’s catastrophic policies in Syria. After years of demanding forced regime change and watching the rise of Islamic State, can the official groupthink in Washington finally accept defeat and embrace Putin’s offer?
CrossTalking with Sami Ramadani, Abdel Bari Atwan, and Daniel McAdams.”
Tolley said some at-risk families are “simply unable” to look after their children.
But isn’t this partly due to the failures of Child, Youth and Family (struggling families further deteriorating due to not sufficiently receiving the help they’ve required) thus largely leading to the call to overhaul Child, Youth and Family?
Tolley would like to be assured that we’re not just turning up and taking babies and thinks we need to be getting in there with better contraception and family planning advice.
How about addressing causes and helping families turn their lives around? One would think Tolley would like to be assured that addressing causes and turning lives around will be a priority of a newly overhauled Child, Youth and Family.
As for getting in there with better contraception and family planning advice, Tolley didn’t rule out certain mums actively being encouraged to undergo a long-term or permanent procedure.
How does Tolley foresee actively encouraging certain mums to undergo a long-term or a permanent procedure taking shape on the front line?
Key would not rule out punitive consequences for certain parents.
However, isn’t punitive measures basically forcing (therefore, going beyond encouraging) people to be sterilized?
David Farrar floated the idea of paying people. A few years back, scorn was poured upon former ACT MP David Garrett when he suggested similar.
What will the panel recommend? Ultimately, what will Tolley do?
Nothing. It may be a fact that some people are write-offs and the only useful thing they can do for their society is not reproduce, but it’s not a fact that a politician can put to the voting public and expect to survive. She’ll dog-whistle it some more, but that’s as far as it will go.
That seems to be what Tolley is conveying ( some people are write-offs).
Alternatively, some would argue some people are merely more challenging.
Which raises the question, what defines a write off? Moreover, when do we cease assistance and focus on their ability to reproduce? What’s to say with a little more assistance, we couldn’t have turned a family around?
Tolley has made to much song and dance out of this to then turn around and do nothing. She will be expected to act.
I’m guessing predicative algorithms will be given the go ahead. Doors will open for further data sharing. Privatization and the investment approach will be taken on.
But what shape the active encouragement will take is a tricky one. Can the Party utilize its political capital to push something through? Some will argue they can, thus should.
Others (considering the public disdain) will be concerned its a step too far too soon.
Key seems rather relaxed about punitive measures, so it could be the path they take.
Get Serco to deal with it or some other private practise. Anything to throw money at a corporate instead of tackling real causal factors – like education and minimum standards of living in this country.
Yes, I have an uncomfortable feeling if more money is recommended, it will largely go to the private sector to help combat the problem, opposed to dealing to the causes.
This is weird @ No Right Turn!
“The Crown has been unable to produce the original notices asking for Kim Dotcom and his co-accused to be extradited to the United States……
Mr Dotcom’s lawyer Ron Mansfield pointed out the documents were not date-stamped and asked Ms Parkes if she knew whether any originals existed.
She said she did not……”
And his comment,”This matters. A key question in extradition hearings is whether the supporting documents have been produced to the court.”
Ah ha. Thanks. I was trying out the object caching model in wordpress again. It is impossible to tell if it is doing what I expect in a test framework. I have to try it on a real system. The mods were warned to watch for complaints about that.
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney hedgehog94/Shutterstock Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research associate in exercise, nutrition and activity, University of South Australia Peera_Stockfoto/Shutterstock It’s never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we’re on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we ...
The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled “Made in Palestine.” The piece, described ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian men’s cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
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 ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
Bill English warning there is going to be an oversupply of houses in 8 years crashing the property market, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11520936 gobblygook voodoo magic & jellybeans.
And the media just repeat the government’s lies, day after day after day.
In answer to Jarrod Gilbert’s question yesterday, “did we elect idiots or did we elect smart people who have treated us like idiots?” We elected idiots, who are run by smart people who really run this country.
These people own the politicians and own the media.
You quote an article highly critical of the ‘Governments lies’ that was published in a MSM outlet, but at the same time you say the media is ‘owned’ and ‘just repeat the Govt’s lies’.
You seem to have disproved your own argument there Paul?
Not all.
Sound like you fall for the propaganda.
Your choice.
Jarrod Gilbert’s article was published in the MSM.
That must mean it is propaganda and lies then Paul?
Anything negative towards National in the media is the truth, anything supportive of National in the media is lies and anything negative of the left in the media is *cue ominous voice* dirty politics
Paul’s world view may very well be along those lines, but as he runs away from the discussion every time someone raises a seemingly contradictory statement he has made….it is very hard to know for sure.
How the elite manipulate the media is a little bit more complex than this somewhat reductive view of yours.
There has to be a perception of some balance.
Hence Fox have Hannity and Colmes. Nevertheless, the basic prejudice of the media is towards right wing governments across the western world.
This of course is no surprise to anyone informed and educated on the matter.
Look at who owns the media, lost sheep.
May I suggest you watch this film?
Ah, the overt simplicity of the RWNJ mind. Their inability to comprehend nuance is truly unlimited.
That is not or has never been my argument.
However, if you wish to reduce the debate to such an infantile level, yes, I shall choose to avoid debating with you.
Life is a bit more complex than that, lost sheep.
I think you know that.
Or are you truly lost?
Ah, no. Occasionally the MSM will publish an article critical of the government to give the illusion of being balanced while all the rest of the time they act as supporters and propagandists of the government.
That sort of subtlety is beyond The Lost Sheep and Puckish Rogue.
Interesting nom de plumes given Jarrod Gilbert’s article, eh?
It’s the Govt’s propaganda machine.
Auckland next Detroit.
And meanwhile, young people are being cajoled into trades at an increasing rate, including funding incentives…and in 8 years Bill?
Corbyn says Bin Laden was set up:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3249892/Corbyn-s-conspiracy-theory-9-11-attacks-manipulated-make-look-like-Osama-Bin-Laden-responsible.html
Of course being extreme right wing lying media it’s presented as a hit piece but that doesn’t mean the truth isn’t the truth!
9/11 was an inside job!!!
No, it wasn’t. Fourteen years – zero evidence.
You mean no evidence that the MSM has had the guts to publish!
No. I mean zero evidence. A complete and total abject failure to come up with anything. A level of failure and incompetence even greater than that of the National Party. Embarrassing, credibility destroying drivel.
is it going to be one of those days? 🙂
😆 good point, enuf sed!
Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good move by Corbyn.
…from 2003…
Don’t trust the Daily Mail.
They have an agenda.
classic propaganda hate-piece – photo of second plane hitting WTC, and underneath it is a photo of corbyn doing a thumbs up.
Same shit, different century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinoviev_letter
He didn’t say anything of the kind. He comments on how the events were manipulated to justify war. He does not say the attacks were not carried out by crackpot Muslims in planes.
Note how little actual quotation from Corbyn there is, and how desperately the Mail spins it to make it look like something it isn’t.
Love it, below, our data a “full-take collection” of information from New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours, sweeping up information from the region and passing it on to the NSA. (but this is NOT mass surveillance). Hmm?
Also along with the corporate welfare and you have to wonder about our intellectual property and security as, the NSA supply the Cortex program which is installed on “A growing number of private companies and government departments to get “official protection from powerful cyber attacks”.
(In another context installing foreign programmes is not really recommended which are not regulated and under secrecy). As well as being able to access NZ data collected from these major IT companies it is unknown what is done with it, how it is stored, how often it is accessed by the NSA and other organisations etc).
But in spite of the high secrecy of the GCSB they are going to have a reality show Rebecca Kitteridge, NZSIS director, recently said.
My God! What a joke. They are so secret the public is not allowed to know anything but not so secret they can have film cameras in there filming a reality show. Um only it sounds more like a propaganda show. Possibly because the GCSB are not really in charge of our security anymore it is actually the NSA and they are just the ‘window dressing’ to appear on reality shows.
Hope the illegal spying on Dotcom gets int here. However we do not have to worry though as “A major review of the GCSB and NZSIS is under way after a series of revelations and allegations, including illegal spying in the Kim Dotcom case”.
You have to wonder about the implications of people’s personal privacy when NSA and whoever they want to give it too as well as presumably the GCSB are installing programmes on companies like Telecom.
I guess if the NSA ever turn against us, it will be pretty easy to a) get intelligence as our bumbling agencies have already put foreign software on all our major companies and b) an easy way to put glitches and stop the companies working if they ever wanted to – say if some lobbyist wants to put their rival telecom company in there.
+100 saveNZ
The other question is, should our GCSB be getting tax payer money when they are wasting money appearing on reality TV shows, and is their really a need for them to be getting all that extra funding or even be there, if they have got time to appear in reality shows and their role is to ‘sell’ themselves and how competent and indispensable they are, and the brainiac idea of putting NSA software on NZ companies. Remember the Trojan Horse.
Maybe instead of 10 million to oil companies the government could have spent some of the science grants money to the NZ IT elite to design something to protect them.
Although like in the Alan Turing case, after helping to break the Nazi enigma code he became persecuted from his own government later on. Would anyone intelligent and moral want to put their hands up to work with GCSB – not likely.
I would think IT specialists should avoid such jobs like the plague if they were sensible…because they would be first on a hit list
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Gareth_Williams
https://www.rt.com/uk/312628-mi6-spy-killed-money/
‘The latest on the fight against TPPA’ by Professor Jane Kelsey
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/09/30/the-latest-on-the-fight-against-tppa/#sthash.Er2apMn3.dpuf
“Five and a half years is enough! The obsessive secrecy that shrouds the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations was challenged in the High Court in Wellington on Monday….
A ruling in our favour will help to breakthrough the secrecy of the TPPA and prevent a re-run in future negotiations. Already a similar pact applies to the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), where documents are to be kept secret throughout the negotiations and, aside from the final text, for five years after the agreement comes into force. Future agreements could extend that period to 10 or 20 years, or even indefinitely.
The case could also serve a much wider purpose. This is the first time the New Zealand’s courts have reviewed some provisions of the Official Information Act. A progressive interpretation that reflects the Act’s objectives of promoting democratic engagement and accountability would benefit journalists, campaigners, academics, NGOs and many others who have been frustrated by the rise of executive power and its corresponding unaccountability.
+100 Chooky
TPPA- Big Pharma try to get maximum profits using “safety reasons”
(Obama Pushes For Flexibility On Key Issues In Calls With TPP Leaders · Import Penetration Is Key Yardstick In TPP Dairy Market Access Talks http://insidetrade.com/
““But US health experts have revealed a new TPP proposal based on Japanese practice which would enable effective extension of monopolies by three years without changing Australia’s or other countries’ laws. Japan’s system of ‘post marketing surveillance’ allegedly for safety reasons, provides effective extension of data protection monopolies through administrative decisions, without requiring a change to the law. This produces the same result as the original US proposal by preventing access to clinical data and registration of cheaper versions of medicines for eight years,” explained Dr Ranald.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1509/S00398/tpp-robb-should-reject-new-sneaky-tricks-to-extend-medicine.htm
The following link gives you some idea of the lack of moral compass of some of these Big Pharma corporations and the difficulties involved in holding them to account.
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/miracleindustry/americas-most-admired-lawbreaker/chapter-15.html
TPPA protests in Canada
“Tractors, cows take over Ottawa, Parliament Hill as dairy farmers protest TPP”
“Dairy farmers from eastern Ontario took their tractors and cattle to Parliament Hill to protest possible dairy concessions in the soon-to-be-signed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The farmers rolled down a busy Bank Street in downtown Ottawa on Tuesday, one day before trade ministers from 12 Pacific Rim member countries were set to meet in Atlanta to discuss the TPP.
They also brought cattle.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/trans-pacific-partnership-dairy-farmers-ottawa-protest-1.3248479
TPP trade deal will be decided by Canadians, not ‘foreigners,’ Harper says
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-harper-tpp-trade-talks-1.3248876
Ok so heres some links to he who shall not be named but some of you might find it interesting, if someones wants to change it to to that donotlink thing then thats cool as well
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2015/09/and-so-we-begin/
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2015/09/210994/
That irrelevant loser is still whining? Too funny.
Interesting thing about Fran O’sullivan in there
Perhaps someone honest and relevant will publish it.
In NZ politics, media or blogging? Good luck with that…
Trouble with people like Slater they convince themselves they’re telling the truth and everyone else is lying.
That she despises Boagie? Is that news?
Jeremy Heimans: What new power looks like (TED Talk)
As we all expected!
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/29675355/groser-makes-beeline-for-atlanta-tpp-talks/
The extremely violent …
Chris Brown by Russell Brown – http://publicaddress.net/10034
Tariana? Tukuroirangi?
Mike Hosking gets a slap on the hand with a wet bus ticket and publicity…
It’s almost like his motivation is “”selfish” and “a puffed up self-involved pile of political bollocks”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/72551742/ponytailgate-bsa-rules-against-mike-hosking
Oh, and Stuff posted it under Entertainment
Is this the most “I don’t/didnt know” Prime Minister we have EVER had?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/72543754/key-didnt-know-brownlee-was-delivering-panda-proposal-to-china
Grant Robertson
@grantrobertson1
@jo_moir What a time to be alive, to witness events such as this. its like Nixon in 72.
Ms Judith Collins is back in the news…
“Under the Extradition Act, the Justice Minister is meant to be given a copy of provisional arrest warrants and the supporting evidence, as part of a briefing.
Mr Ortmann and Mr van der Kolk’s lawyer, Grant Illingworth, asked a Ministry of Justice witness, Charlotte Haigh, whether those documents had been included in the briefing given to the Minister at the time, Judith Collins.
Ms Haigh told the court she didn’t recall if that was recorded on the Ministry’s file.
Judge Nevin Dawson has ordered Ms Haigh to review the file and confirm whether the Minister was given the relevant information.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/285563/doctom-hearing-ministry-under-microscope
Kate Newton @katenewtonnz Sep 27
It was worth re-reading the 191-page summary of evidence against Dotcom for this
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Anyone remember Neil Waka? looks like hes looking for a new waka.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/72545053/Neil-Waka-in-abrupt-Holden-NZ-departure
Just wanted to say I think he was my favourite newsreader, and possibly has the best kiwi news reading voice. He’s got the trustworthy voice, although now finding out he’s involved in car sales is not so good..
I remember seeing him on TVNZ a few years ago (I cannot remember when)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-takes-down-right-wing-media-reports-in-labour-conference-speech-a6672121.html
This was on Stuff for 5 minutes! Go Jeremy. Way to handle the trash media.
Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert show up the hypocrisy in the media treatment of Corbyn vs Cameron…really Cameron needs to be hammered every time there is a right wing attack on Corbyn
https://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/316161-episode-max-keiser-813/
“In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the role of #PigGate on national and economic security. They also look at the war machine and the Norman Bates-like fight Janet Yellen is having with the markets. In the second half, Max interviews Mark McGowan – aka the Artist Taxi Driver – about David Cameron’s relationship with pigs – both those at the trough and those on the platter.”
‘Saving Syria’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/316465-syria-us-regime-change/
“The Russians have once again thrown Washington a lifeline to rescue Obama from his administration’s catastrophic policies in Syria. After years of demanding forced regime change and watching the rise of Islamic State, can the official groupthink in Washington finally accept defeat and embrace Putin’s offer?
CrossTalking with Sami Ramadani, Abdel Bari Atwan, and Daniel McAdams.”
Groser off to the U.S to sign away our sovereignty
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/285667/tpp-groser-heads-to-'wrap-up'-meeting
Meanwhile Trevett at the Herald write a pathetic puff piece.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11521259
and Stuff discusses what car Key drives.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/72557094/are-the-new-bmw-crown-limos-green-enough
The dumbing down of NZ continues as our democracy is dismantled.
+100
And you keep reposting it.
every
single
day
It’s called highlighting the propaganda machine.
Key is looking more and more like Roderick Spode (PG Wodehouse) with his policies of pandas, beemers and flags.
and you keep posting stupid inane comments
every
single
day
You keep acting like a prick every day. Are you this douchey in real life?
Tolley said some at-risk families are “simply unable” to look after their children.
But isn’t this partly due to the failures of Child, Youth and Family (struggling families further deteriorating due to not sufficiently receiving the help they’ve required) thus largely leading to the call to overhaul Child, Youth and Family?
Tolley would like to be assured that we’re not just turning up and taking babies and thinks we need to be getting in there with better contraception and family planning advice.
How about addressing causes and helping families turn their lives around? One would think Tolley would like to be assured that addressing causes and turning lives around will be a priority of a newly overhauled Child, Youth and Family.
As for getting in there with better contraception and family planning advice, Tolley didn’t rule out certain mums actively being encouraged to undergo a long-term or permanent procedure.
How does Tolley foresee actively encouraging certain mums to undergo a long-term or a permanent procedure taking shape on the front line?
Key would not rule out punitive consequences for certain parents.
However, isn’t punitive measures basically forcing (therefore, going beyond encouraging) people to be sterilized?
David Farrar floated the idea of paying people. A few years back, scorn was poured upon former ACT MP David Garrett when he suggested similar.
What will the panel recommend? Ultimately, what will Tolley do?
Thoughts?
Ultimately, what will Tolley do?
Nothing. It may be a fact that some people are write-offs and the only useful thing they can do for their society is not reproduce, but it’s not a fact that a politician can put to the voting public and expect to survive. She’ll dog-whistle it some more, but that’s as far as it will go.
That seems to be what Tolley is conveying ( some people are write-offs).
Alternatively, some would argue some people are merely more challenging.
Which raises the question, what defines a write off? Moreover, when do we cease assistance and focus on their ability to reproduce? What’s to say with a little more assistance, we couldn’t have turned a family around?
Tolley has made to much song and dance out of this to then turn around and do nothing. She will be expected to act.
I’m guessing predicative algorithms will be given the go ahead. Doors will open for further data sharing. Privatization and the investment approach will be taken on.
But what shape the active encouragement will take is a tricky one. Can the Party utilize its political capital to push something through? Some will argue they can, thus should.
Others (considering the public disdain) will be concerned its a step too far too soon.
Key seems rather relaxed about punitive measures, so it could be the path they take.
Get Serco to deal with it or some other private practise. Anything to throw money at a corporate instead of tackling real causal factors – like education and minimum standards of living in this country.
Yes, I have an uncomfortable feeling if more money is recommended, it will largely go to the private sector to help combat the problem, opposed to dealing to the causes.
This is weird @ No Right Turn!
“The Crown has been unable to produce the original notices asking for Kim Dotcom and his co-accused to be extradited to the United States……
Mr Dotcom’s lawyer Ron Mansfield pointed out the documents were not date-stamped and asked Ms Parkes if she knew whether any originals existed.
She said she did not……”
And his comment,”This matters. A key question in extradition hearings is whether the supporting documents have been produced to the court.”
And more http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/muppets.html
Iprent the replies tab is playing up I’ve been bm and you today .
Ah ha. Thanks. I was trying out the object caching model in wordpress again. It is impossible to tell if it is doing what I expect in a test framework. I have to try it on a real system. The mods were warned to watch for complaints about that.
OK, that means I will have to Ajax it.
I will revert it to database caching.