Open Mike 31/01/2018

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, January 31st, 2018 - 173 comments
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173 comments on “Open Mike 31/01/2018 ”

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WILD KATIPO 1

31 January 2018 at 6:45 am

Goodbye , Mr English. Your days are numbered.

And I hate to have to say ,… ‘ I told you so ‘ . And all the other petulant , far right wing deniers who couldn’t see the obvious when it was so patently obvious the man and his Mont Pelerin / NZ Initiative policy’s are cancer to New Zealand and its people.

So good riddance. One more rabid , callous neo liberal walks the plank. We don’t want your sort around here as the nation heals .

National Party preparing plans for Bill English’s successor: Barry Soper
http://www.nzherald.co.nz › New Zealand

New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html
- red-blooded 1.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 6:54 am
  
  I won’t be sorry to farewell Bill English. Interesting to note the role of Simon Bridges, though. He may have got a bit of a bump from boxing clever on numbers and forcing the issue of select committees on day one, but he’s not one of the established big hitters. I guess they want to seem like they’re renewing.
  
  We’ll watch this space…
  - WILD KATIPO 1.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 7:06 am
    
    They’ve got a lot of clowns lined up to replace Blinglish.
    
    Either they are bland personality’s – or ones tainted with past skeletons in the closet. Not a lot to choose from for the popular appeal.
    
    Would we really want a high pitched screaming under confident Simon Bridges or an aggressive , oafish Judith Collins ? … forget Bennett – shes a joke and a destructive laughing stock , and castings ones mind back over the last decade… all of their inner circle were shown to be bumbling sociopaths…
    
    Good on you , Winston.
    
    You played the long game and won.
    - mary_a 1.1.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 5:47 pm
      
      Agree Wild Katipo @ (1.1.1) –
      
      Just one for the road … I wonder if the name Ashley Farrell jonjours up nightmares for Bennett! I hope it does, as it well should.
  - ianmac 1.1.2
    
    31 January 2018 at 8:49 am
    
    Simon Bridges represents the anti-charisma brigade.
- Ad 1.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 12:37 pm
  
  English is a political gift.
  Long may he stay in there.
  - DoublePlusGood 1.2.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 1:20 pm
    
    The thing is, some of the others might be an even larger gift.
    - Ad 1.2.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 1:32 pm
      
      Maybe.
      
      I would not be one to look a gift nat in the mouth.
eco maori 2

31 January 2018 at 7:40 am

Good morning Jack and the rest of the Breakfast crew . This is the first time Iv watched the new show your new set is excellent . I will be watching the skies at 2 am to see the SUPER BLUE MOON an the eclipse TE-NGANGANA is a beautiful part of our environment Ka pai . Jack it’s not nice making Matty blush lol you people show our kiwi culture using maori words whenever can .I have seen the eco maori effect when I turned on my computer to the Breaks show lol .

Many thanks to all OUR MPs that are going to vote for the GREEN PARTY’S version of the Medical bill this is a logical intelligent bill to lead US all to a bright prosperous future for all OUR MOKOS .

Many people have miss judge my Intelligence because I’m brown they end up regretting this discrimination of my Maori culture in the end .I feel for all OUR Mokos who go through this bad part of NZ CULTURE .Ka kite ano
- Stunned Mullet 2.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 7:48 am
  
  The only thing people here have got to judge your intelligence on EC is your comments. As I’ve commented before many would enjoy some of your website videos in open mike.
  - mary_a 2.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 6:04 pm
    
    Stunned Mullet @ (2.1) … have to agree.
    
    Eco has a great website. Living by what nature and life have given him and his whanau, an environment to use and live with and not abuse.
    
    From what I’ve seen, IMO Eco’s site would be a very good education tool for youth as well as adults.
- Carolyn_Nth 2.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 8:02 am
  
  eco maori,this morning RNZ is reporting on a study that shows there is lot of racism in our schools
  
  It is particularly bad for Māori students.
  
  The report said many of the comments were from face-to-face interviews with 144 mostly Māori students who were not well served by the education system, though some also came from an online survey of 1534 students.
  
  It said 26 percent of the respondents “really like going to school”, 67 percent thought school was “okay”, and seven percent would rather be anywhere else.
  
  The report said students wanted their teachers to understand them and have good relationships with them. They wanted education to fit their needs and interests, and they needed to be happy and comfortable at school.
  
  I enjoy reading your comments eco maori – always interesting, and informative.
- greywarshark 2.3
  
  31 January 2018 at 11:39 am
  
  ecomaori
  You express your feelings in your own way which has a particular Maori openness, directness, plain speaking, a bit of te reo and you like to finish with ka pai leaving on a positive note.
  
  Once people write in a number of times you can tell how their mind works, and what they are on about so we generally get your drift ecomaori. Kia kaha.
- mary_a 2.4
  
  31 January 2018 at 6:24 pm
  
  Eco Maori (2) … Intelligence comes in many forms. Spirituality being one form and from what I’ve learned from your posts, you have plenty of it.
  
  Also like many contributors here Eco, in my opinion you are an asset to this site, continually contributing and sharing worthy information. Much appreciated.
eco maori 3

31 January 2018 at 8:07 am

Off to work now I have to keep my Waka going forward kai pai Breakfast people
Ka kite ano
Ad 4

31 January 2018 at 8:45 am

These poverty measures are going to make Budget 2018 quite interesting:

There are four primary measures:
1. Low income before housing costs (below 50 % of median income, moving line)
2. Low income after housing costs (50% median, fixed line)
3. Material hardship (using the EU’s standard threshold)
4. A persistence measure (for low income, material hardship or both)

In addition there are six supplementary measures, which help build a deeper understanding of the impact on child wellbeing. These are:
 low income before-housing-costs (60% of median, moving line)
 low income after-housing-costs (60% of median, moving line)
 low income after-housing-costs (50% of median, moving line)
 low income after-housing-costs (40% of median, moving line)
 severe material hardship
 both low income and material hardship (using 60 percent AHC moving line and the material hardship measure from the primary list).

Can I state the obvious that it is gutsy for any government to put anything so clear out there that enables a government to be held accountable , not only every three years, but every budget.

May not feel like it yet, but it’s a rolling political earthquake.
- Psycho Milt 4.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 10:50 am
  
  Number 2’s going to be the one to watch – it’s housing costs that are fucking people over, so there’s not just poverty to deal with, there’s housing. The inter-relationship’s going to make fixing it a real prick.
- McFlock 4.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 12:50 pm
  
  That 40% of median is good to see, too – means they can’t just nudge the “only just poor” over to “not poor” without doing anything substantial.
Bill 5

31 January 2018 at 8:53 am

From the guardian –

Once Isis had established its authority in Mosul, it administered the city using a two-tier system – privileges for ‘brothers’, hardship for everyone else.

But not in Syria…
- McFlock 5.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 12:56 pm
  
  What do you base “not in syria” on? There’s no mention of Syria except as a destination/origin for trucks. The article is about life in Mosul.
  - Bill 5.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 2:57 pm
    
    Same Wahhabist inspired Jihadists occupied and ran areas of Aleppo (eastern), Eastern Ghouta, Raqqa, Deir al Zour and other places in Syria.
    
    Yet for “some reason”, reports from those places are about government sieges (causing loss of life, stopping aid deliveries etc) and cities “falling” (to the country’s army).
    
    There must be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the wildly different behaviour of the Jihadists who occupied cities across those two countries, yes?
    - McFlock 5.1.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 3:04 pm
      
      Assuming that your summary of the coverage is perfectly fair and balanced, the immediate response is that one would expect a different emphasis in coverage if one army attacking a bunch of pricks is itself a massive bunch of pricks, whereas the other army attacking a bunch of pricks has a substantially lower number of pricks in its ranks, particularly the higher echelons.
      
      FWIW, the kurds have also come under criticism for levelling villages that demographically are more Arab and leaving the kurdish-majority villages intact (using UXDs as an excuse), but they also wait for civilians to leave before demolishing the place.
      - adam 5.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:25 pm
        
        “FWIW, the kurds have also come under criticism for levelling villages that demographically are more Arab and leaving the kurdish-majority villages intact (using UXDs as an excuse), but they also wait for civilians to leave before demolishing the place.”
        
        In Syria? The YPK or YPP? Are you trying to tar them with the same brush as the KRG? .
        
        McFlock 5.1.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:29 pm
        
        🙄
        
        adam …
        
        31 January 2018 at 8:40 pm
        
        Serious question dude, you put up the FWIW. Which Kurds are the Kurds you are talking about?
        
        Or can I expect more of you sardonic side steps?
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 10:37 pm
        
        Pretty much all of the above, but especially in Iraq. ISTR an international investigation into the Syria-based Kurdish TLAs said that there wasn’t evidence of anything that amounted to an accusation of ethnic cleansing, but they did get criticism for displacing the residents without adequate welfare provisions. And they did it a lot.
        
        But it’s to fucking hot and late to go through war crimes stats for links. Google it..
        
        adam …
        
        1 February 2018 at 12:08 am
        
        I have googled it, it’s why I called you on it.
        
        McFlock …
        
        1 February 2018 at 12:20 am
        
        Sigh.
        
        Which groups do you reckon have been fighting by Queensbury rules?
      - Bill 5.1.1.1.2
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:18 pm
        
        McFlock my “summary” as you want to call it has got nothing to do with it. You’ve read the reports from Aleppo and other Syrian cities, and you’ve read the reports from Mosul.
        
        If the Wahabists installed brutal forms of governance in one area but not others, what accounts for that?
        
        It can’t have anything to do with the army they were fighting, and it can’t have anything to do with Kurds or whatever. (If you think it does, I’d be keen to hear your explanation running along those lines)
        
        One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1.2.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:08 pm
        
        If the Wahabists installed brutal forms of governance in one area but not others, what accounts for that?
        
        The fog of war? People telling lies? It’s 100% true no shit I seen it! Wahhabists are people and may not all follow the party line?
        
        The various administrative cohorts were small (and beset by ridiculous god-bothering dogma) and the individual ethics of those involved resulted in different outcomes?
        
        It’s so hard to get good henchpersons these days?
        
        [You previously spent a number of days running interference across a range of comments. I won’t be indulging that behaviour again. If your comments come across as being designed to derail discussion, or close down discussion or clutter discussion with noise or pointless smart-arsery, I’ll be treating it as deliberate trolling. This is your only warning.] – Bill
        
        McFlock 5.1.1.1.2.2
        
        31 January 2018 at 8:41 pm
        
        Actually, who they were fighting has a lot to do with it. Sometimes two equal things right next to each other look like they are different sizes because of what is around them.
        
        Bill …
        
        1 February 2018 at 9:10 am
        
        Interested that although you seem to be indicating that both things are/were the same, you suggest the perception of difference is/was solely down to the national armies that were opposing them.
        
        It was “our” media that tirelessly promoted that illusory difference. And it was “our” media that put anyone who might have challenged that promotion through the wringer.
        
        People who bought into “our” media’s narrative (and a huge number of people did)…I wonder how many unwittingly, and out the goodness of their hearts, donated money to Jihadist orgs that “our” media were promoting as good guys and heroes?
        
        McFlock …
        
        1 February 2018 at 12:33 pm
        
        I’m saying simply that if, as your position seems to be, the occupiers of Aleppo and Mosul were exactly the same sorts of folks, the armies attacking them were definitely not the same sort of folks.
        
        More time spent on talking about the attackers’ faults might apparently diminish the faults of the occupiers, but it’s simply a fact of edited column inches.
        
        Even on the ground, while being occupied by the same bunch of people one group might be more scared of the occupiers than the attackers and the other group might be the opposite.
        
        There might be actual difference between the occupiers. There might not. Even if there aren’t, your observations about differences in reporting could well be the result of balanced reporting just as much as it could be the result of biased reporting.
        
        Bill …
        
        1 February 2018 at 2:56 pm
        
        Jesus wept. In case you missed it, the people (ie, radical Sunni Jihadists) who occupied and ran eastern Aleppo were lauded as heroes. The same radical Sunni Jihadists who occupied and ran Mosul were condemned as radical Sunni Jihadists.
        
        That’s not simply “diminishing the faults” of one set of occupiers because of a focus on one country’s national army as a supposedly evil aberration.
        
        It’s straight up propaganda of a deeply cynical and hypocritical nature that was/is fed by the simple fact that in one country, there is a government that many western governments want removed for openly stated economic and political reasons.
        
        Why ignore the simple uncoverable facts of the matter, and skitter dance on homespun psychology to the tune of a thousand and one “ifs, buts and maybes”?
        
        McFlock …
        
        1 February 2018 at 3:14 pm
        
        Simply because I think you’re also incredibly biased in the matter and therefore I take your “uncoverable facts” with as much scepticism as I take MSM news reports. Which actually is a fair amount of scepticism.
        
        Bill …
        
        1 February 2018 at 3:25 pm
        
        The facts (those that can be uncovered) have nothing to do with me McFlock.
        
        McFlock …
        
        1 February 2018 at 3:30 pm
        
        That’s what the MSM say, too.
  - Psycho Milt 5.1.2
    
    31 January 2018 at 6:46 pm
    
    What do you base “not in syria” on?
    
    Beats me. Media coverage of Raqqa’s suffering under Da’Esh in Syria has been pretty extensive. I think it’s an implied premise that Aleppo was occupied by Da’Esh (or a group effectively equivalent) without media reporting on how awful that occupation was. If you accept that implied premise, Bill’s comment makes sense. “If you accept the premise” being the sticking point…
    - Bill 5.1.2.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 8:14 pm
      
      Well yes, there’s the premise.
      
      Robert Fisk went to Aleppo province as it was being cleared of Jihadists. (You’d maintain they were rebels if my recollection of previous discussions is right)
      
      Robert Fisk, whatever anyone may think of his analyses, is a seasoned journalist who, I’d suggest, is unlikely to be “taken for a ride”. Of course, plenty of other independent journalists wrote plenty of similar stuff – stuff that western media in general “declined” to pick up on.
      
      Here’s two pieces from Fisk, writing from Aleppo province, that appeared in The Independent. And a third from the evacuation of Homs.
      
      And sure, you may still not accept the premise that the same people (ie –
      Jihadists) occupied the cities in Syria and Iraq and installed brutal forms of governance.
      
      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-aleppo-syria-defeated-fighters-leave-crucifixion-stands-scorched-earth-robert-fisk-a7656736.html
      
      http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/aleppo-falls-to-syrian-regime-bashar-al-assad-rebels-uk-government-more-than-one-story-robert-fisk-a7471576.html
      
      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/homs-evacuation-syria-russia-military-supervision-bashar-al-assad-regime-rebels-a7652481.html
      - Psycho Milt 5.1.2.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 10:02 pm
        
        Not seeing anything in those Fisk stories that suggests east Aleppo was occupied by Da’Esh or an equivalent group. He does show a commendable ability not to think in terms of good guys and bad guys though, as usual. I expect the answer to the question of whether the citizens of east Aleppo suffered a “brutal form of governance” via a multi-year siege and bombardment or via the rebel groups resident there will continue to depend on whether one has a liberal or illiberal outlook.
        
        Bill 5.1.2.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 10:22 pm
        
        Not seeing anything in those Fisk stories that suggests east Aleppo was occupied by Da’Esh or an equivalent group.
        
        The first link above begins…..”You can’t mistake the front line between the Syrian army and Turkey’s occupation force east of Aleppo. The Syrians drove Isis out just a month ago…”
        
        And later in the same article…
        
        “Remarkable, too, was the way in which the largely Islamist forces – “terrorists”, as the Syrians insist on calling them, of course – had used precisely the same underground tactics in open countryside as they had used beneath the streets of Aleppo and Homs”
        
        But you could see nothing in the article to suggest any such thing?
        
        And I “like” how you expect the answer to what went on in Aleppo to not be provided by the citizens of East Aleppo.
        
        Psycho Milt …
        
        1 February 2018 at 1:04 pm
        
        “…east of Aleppo.”
        
        Er, yes. Da’esh were operating east of Aleppo. Raqqa, for instance, is “east of Aleppo.” That says nothing about who Assad and Putin were besieging within Aleppo, however my money would be on “the people who lived there.”
        
        Re the practice of building tunnels, you’re reading way too much into it. The Viet Cong also built tunnels, it’s a fairly obvious practice if you’re completely defenceless against observation and attack from the air. I’d be surprised if any urban-based rebel groups didn’t build tunnels.
        
        And I “like” how you expect the answer to what went on in Aleppo to not be provided by the citizens of East Aleppo.
        
        People living under a regime like Assad’s give whatever answer they think the government minders observing them would want them to give, so yeah, until there’s a change of regime I wouldn’t be much interested in hearing from them. No doubt there are some who successfully fled Syria and don’t have family remaining there they need to worry about – their comments would be interesting.
        
        McFlock …
        
        1 February 2018 at 1:08 pm
        
        People living under a regime like Assad’s give whatever answer they think the government minders observing them would want them to give, so yeah, until there’s a change of regime I wouldn’t be much interested in hearing from them.
        
        Which goes back to the original guardian story – a retrospective on life in Mosul when daesh were around. They sure as shit weren’t telling reporters all that at the time.
        
        Bill …
        
        1 February 2018 at 2:39 pm
        
        There have been interviews of people with very critical opinions aired on Syrian state TV. Which flies somewhat in the face of this Stalinist set-up you seem keen to present PM.
        
        And BBC journalists have been openly and spontaneously challenged by ordinary people in the street for their bias reporting. (ie – no government minders or any such clap-trap around).
        
        Meanwhile, independent, english speaking journalists have interviewed people from eastern Aleppo. Do their stories run on the BBC and such like? Of course not.
        
        But sure, I get it. You have a line. The line is known. And you will follow that line for as long as it can be followed.
        
        McFlock. There was little to no reporting from Mosul (bar the very illuminating propaganda videos from kidnapped journalist John Cantlie) in contrast to all the supposed “citizen journalists” (who were all aligned with the so called rebels, all with very good communications equipment, levels of media savvy and rather excellent access to western media) in Aleppo.
        
        The links to western governments funding (the ‘correct’) “peoples’ media” operations and such like in Syria has been linked to before (eg- a surprisingly informative Guardian article that ran off the back of UK government papers.)
        
        Psycho Milt …
        
        1 February 2018 at 4:49 pm
        
        There’s hardly a country in the Middle East where state TV gets to air stuff the government doesn’t want aired. Not Stalinist, just authoritarian, and Syria’s more authoritarian than most in a richly contested regional field.
        
        I bet BBC journalists have been publicly and “spontaneously” accosted by people in east Aleppo, but it’s unlikely that these journalists were walking around without a government minder. That’s been a feature of reporting from Syria for decades.
        
        I’m familiar with the “independent,” English-speaking journalists you refer to, and there’s a reason the Syrian government trusts them out without a minder.
Chuck 6

31 January 2018 at 8:55 am

Sue Bradford on twitter does not pull her punches on what she thinks about the current Green Party leadership…

“How dishonourable of the Greens to support the waka-jumping bill; if Rod & Jeanette hadn’t been able to leave the Alliance, Greens would never have entered Parliament in 1999”

To deny other MP’s to follow the same path the Green Party were able to take to come into existence is, to put it mildly dishonorable.
- weka 6.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 8:59 am
  
  I haven’t looked at this in a while but didn’t the Greens leave the Alliance through a normal party splitting process rather than waka jumping?
  - weka 6.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 9:05 am
    
    Matt J. Whitehead‏ @MJWhitehead
    Replying to @suebr
    
    Technically you’re wrong Sue- neither the old law (which is quite different) nor the new law would have prevented the Greens entering Parliament in 1999. Neither of those laws deal with electing parties that split in a general election. They deal with mid-term splits.
    
    Matt J. Whitehead‏ @MJWhitehead
    Replying to @MJWhitehead @suebr
    
    The old law would have kicked them out of parliament in ’97, but let them return in ’99. The new law would potentially have allowed them to stay in Parliament, as they did honour their commitment to support the Alliance until the election.
    
    IMO, the bill is a time-waster.
    
    Full thread https://twitter.com/suebr/status/958196964050415616
- weka 6.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 9:06 am
  
  Next time please put the link. It’s always better to see people’s words in context.
  - Chuck 6.2.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 10:22 am
    
    Dam weka! I did not see the MattJ reply.
    
    The first time I trust what Sue Bradford has to say…I get burnt 🙂
    - weka 6.2.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 10:26 am
      
      Lol, I was going to ask you about that.
- Psych nurse 6.3
  
  31 January 2018 at 11:50 am
  
  A list seat belongs to the party, an electorate seat to the individual MP who won it. I have no issue withan electorate MP taking their seat elsewhere but I do with a list MP.
  - McFlock 6.3.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 1:14 pm
    
    This is another one of those issues that I vacillate over – what if the caucus diverts from the party principles, e.g. Lab4 or the Alliance supporting the invasion of Afghanistan?
    
    Maybe a party membership ostracism vote is more the go for list mps…
Puckish Rogue 7

31 January 2018 at 8:56 am

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11981063

“The Hapua St house was the most expensive standalone home but the most valuable property was a 8082sq m tranche of vacant land, valued at $3.5m on Garus Ave in Mangere.”

Seems to me the most obvious solution would be to sell the 3 million dollar house and build some new houses (could probably fit a few) on the vacant land
- veutoviper 7.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 10:39 am
  
  PR, there was a longish discussion on this article yesterday under 6 on Open Mike 30/01/18, albeit more focused on the tone of the original commentator towards the longterm tenant. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22-01-2018-2/#comment-1441182
  
  As the tenant appears to be interested in moving, it would indeed seem sensible to move him to appropriate accommodation elsewhere and I suspect that this may well be on the cards.
  
  However, I also note that your suggestion is to sell the house and build new houses on the vacant land. I am sure that you know/realise that it is the land that is worth the money – not the house (see the photo in the article).
  
  So (LOL) is this you stirring in an aroundabout puckish way or really aimed at heading the discussion towards the outraged and outrageous article in the Herald this morning on this property by that icon of intelligentsia, Mike Hosking?
  - Puckish Rogue 7.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 11:38 am
    
    If you can sell the land for three million and have vacant land then doesn’t it make sense to sell and then build
    
    Hell sell both and build even more houses then, i mean getting past the whole ideological thing doesn’t it just make sense?
    - McFlock 7.1.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 1:38 pm
      
      No. It’s someone’s home.
      - BM 7.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 1:44 pm
        
        Yep, the taxpayers, old guy should have been moved into a unit years ago.
        
        Why he wasn’t is what needs to be answered.
        
        McFlock 7.1.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 1:47 pm
        
        Because state housing used to be about homes, not storage units for the poor.
        
        BM …
        
        31 January 2018 at 1:51 pm
        
        Times change, housing is in short supply.
        
        Get him out, sell home develop vacant land.
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:01 pm
        
        Nah. Let the person stay in their home, but fire the people who reduced HNZ stock and replace them with someone who can make it run competently.
        
        Oh wait, we did that last year.
        
        Stunned Mullet …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:25 pm
        
        “He said if he had a choice he wouldn’t live there – the area had become too busy for his liking.”
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:47 pm
        
        Well, he’s still there so obviously they haven’t offered him a better home.
        
        If the house is vacant, then we get into the debate about whether selling state houses in more expensive areas merely increases ghettoisation and alienation.
        
        But all this is irrelevant until the tenant chooses to move to another home.
        
        Otherwise it’s just another case of tories wanting to treat people like shit and pretending it’s for their own good.
        
        EDIT:
        “He said if he had a choice he wouldn’t live there – the area had become too busy for his liking.”
        
        TL:DR Give him a better fucking choice then
        
        Stunned Mullet …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:49 pm
        
        🙄
        
        Psycho Milt …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:27 pm
        
        Fuck yes. Why should this guy have to suffer for Tory inability to run a state housing system without adopting an Applied Misanthropy business model?
        
        mac1 …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:57 pm
        
        Why do I feel that this issue is about poor folk living where rich folk want and can afford to live? Poor folk don’t deserve to enjoy a view. Let them live amongst their own down in the valleys.
        
        It’s similar to former state housing areas that became gentrified.
        
        The old state housing ideal was predicated on some important factors. First, that it not only for the poor. Second, that the pepperpot policy meant that some social mix was achieved.
        
        The man who has lived in the same house for 37 years would have moved into that house under those factors.
        
        Now, some want that he move after a lifetime of building his life, friendships and all those ties which link us to our homes.
        
        Relocating or ‘downsizing’ has a similar effect and an Auckland advisory group toured the country pointing out the social upheaval caused by people persuaded often ill-advisedly to downsize into smaller houses or ‘units’ for financial reasons in unfamiliar localities.
        
        I live in a small town and the mixing of state and private housing was quite prevalent. There is less social stigma in that, even though certain streets are still seen as ‘over the tracks”.
        
        However, certain streets here enjoy possible fine river views and I will be watching that these don’t become purely the preserve of the wealthy.
        
        Rosemary McDonald 7.1.1.1.1.2
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:27 pm
        
        Yep, BM, the racist, who should have been banned from TS for what he wrote last night.
        
        Yet here he still is.
        
        Why?
        
        Carolyn_Nth …
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:21 pm
        
        It was a shocker last night. Surprised he isn’t ashamed to be here.
      - Puckish Rogue 7.1.1.1.2
        
        31 January 2018 at 1:45 pm
        
        So say 300 grand to build a house (rough figure) and you sell the property for 3 million you could build ten houses on the spare land and you still think it shouldn’t be done
        
        McFlock 7.1.1.1.2.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 1:49 pm
        
        Because if HNZ needs three million for new homes, it should come from progressive taxation rather than taking people’s homes.
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:01 pm
        
        Why tax people more when you can sell one home and build ten? That makes no sense at all.
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:22 pm
        
        BECAUSE IT IS SOMEONE’S HOME.
        
        (shouting because you appear to not be hearing).
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:24 pm
        
        when we let the property market determine people’s human rights to a home, we end up with the housing crisis we have now. The crisis has nothing to do with money and everything to do with values (and I don’t mean property values).
        
        Stunned Mullet …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:27 pm
        
        Human rights to a home ..what ?
        
        “He said if he had a choice he wouldn’t live there – the area had become too busy for his liking.”
        
        If he can be rehoused elsewhere and the property can be developed to make more housing for people in need what exactly is the point you’re arguing ?
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:37 pm
        
        that there is a principle that the market value of a property alone shouldn’t be more important than someone having a *home.
        
        When we treat people as stock units, or as McFlock said, housing as storage units for the poor, then we break community. Some people look at a property and see dollar signs, others look and see the person/people who live in the house, the relationships with the people around them, the years put into the verge garden or trees, the sense of place etc.
        
        If the guy who wants to live there wants to move, then help him move, not a problem. But moving someone from their home just because of perceptions of money, that’s fucked up.
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:14 pm
        
        No Weka its not his home, he doesn’t own it
        
        Taxing people more when you have a clear cut case like this is whats fucked up
        
        10 homes for the price of one is not about the money, its about building homes for potentially 9 families for cost of relocating one person
        
        One person suffers a minor inconvenience and 9 families gets homes is a very good deal
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:27 pm
        
        It’s not his house, but it is his home.
        
        Losing your home isn’t a “minor inconvenience”.
        
        OncewasTim []
        
        31 January 2018 at 5:09 pm
        
        I doubt he’ll umderstand the diff. Life’s all about economic units.
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:30 pm
        
        Not his home and for the 37 years hes lived in the house is it that unreasonable to expect him to move to another property so that another family can live in it
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:31 pm
        
        When you say ‘home’ you mean ownership. When I say home I mean the place that someone live that supports them on all levels not just the survival one. Reread what I said in that context. Treating all rentals as storage units kills community.
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:35 pm
        
        I know that fuzzy hu-mon emotions can be difficult for tories to understand, but if you live 37 years in a place, it’s you’re home regardless of who holds the deed.
        
        It’s pretty simple: if you want him to move, offer him a residence more suitable to his current and future needs. If he refuses, make him a better offer.
        
        But just going ‘you move to address X in 40 days or you’re on the street’ is indeed very unreasonable.
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:52 pm
        
        It’s pretty simple: if you want him to move, offer him a residence more suitable to his current and future needs. If he refuses, make him a better offer.
        
        I agree, up to a point.
        
        But just going ‘you move to address X in 40 days or you’re on the street’ is indeed very unreasonable.
        
        I never said that at all. I’d expect he gets moved to a place that caters to his needs but I’d expect him to be moved
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:57 pm
        
        So he’s in a place that he would maybe like to move from, you offer him a place, he refuses that specific new place, so you move him there anyway?
        
        That seems reasonable to you?
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:12 pm
        
        ‘moving to another place’ is what you do to cattle or furniture. As McFlock says, there are solutions that don’t involve turning tenants into objects.
        
        Puckish Rogue …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:15 pm
        
        Does this seem reasonable to you? There needs to be good faith, on both sides.
        
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11787549
        
        TRC housing general manager Neil Porteous said it had been in discussions with Rauti about moving to an alternative home in Tamaki since July last year.
        
        She had been offered five properties over the past four months and a “new warm, dry home” nearby was being held for her.
        
        “We have not received any feedback from Ms Rauti on the houses we have offered her. We are hoping she will contact us so that we can discuss her specific needs and assist her in moving to the property we are holding for her. In the meantime, we will be following the legal process. “
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:25 pm
        
        Sure seems unreasonable that they need to demolish every single house all at once.
        
        Sure seems unreasonable that “transparency about the plan” doesn’t mean they were willing to make any allowances to it.
        
        Sure seems unreasonable that they had to say “warm and dry” as if that’s not the minimum expectation – what if she’s happily “warm and dry” where she is?
        
        Sure seems unreasonable that it was some sort of private developer tearing down the state houses. How did that happen?
        
        Sure seems unreasonable that polite people going to visit her and find out what she wants couldn’t get any “feedback”. Unless that approach wasn’t made, in which case that is also unreasonable.
        
        patricia bremner …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:58 pm
        
        Go Weka!!
        
        Chuck …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:19 pm
        
        “Because if HNZ needs three million for new homes, it should come from progressive taxation rather than taking people’s homes.”
        
        Ok, I understand what you are saying with the above comment, no sale of land.
        
        However, the land the current house is on could be developed to allow additional people/families a place to call home would that not be a good outcome?
        
        This still requires the current guy to be moved, at least until the section has been redeveloped.
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:43 pm
        
        No, you failed to understand it.
        
        That house is someone’s home.
        
        Do not take someone’s home unless, for example, you can satisfy all the requirements for eminent domain appropriation. Not just to make your ledger look better.
        
        Offer them money or a better home, wait for them to die, whatever.
        
        But don’t take someone’s home simply because the government has run state housing for a profit and completely bollocksed the housing market over decades.
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:45 pm
        
        “eminent domain appropriation”
        
        What’s that?
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:53 pm
        
        Compulsory purchase where the highway gets built over people’s land despite refusal to sell, sort of thing.
        
        Requires a bit of work in NZ – has to justify not just necessity but also why that exact thing needs to be taken. Can’t be done on whim.
        
        In a state house rental, obviously it’s owned by the state, but if it’s also a home then the tenant should need to be compensated for that fact, in my opinion.
        
        Chuck …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:36 pm
        
        I do understand its someone’s home, who has lived there for a long period of time.
        
        All over the country people who own their own homes have for various reason had to sell the family home (too big, move out of the area etc.) Their children may have been born and grown up in the house. It’s tough no matter if you own or a state house tenant.
        
        In this particular situation, the size of the section could house vastly more people, in an established suburb.
        
        Should one person hold up 50 more getting into a home?
        
        I agree completely a suitable new house must be provided, and done in a way that mutually respects both the tenant and the state.
        
        If it’s not about “profit” rather making the best use of available resources (the land) would you still have the same view?
        
        I can’t see how Eminent Domain relates to a state house. A tenant has the use of but does not own it.
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 3:49 pm
        
        All of this stuff about the house and land allowing money or space for more homes for more people is just marsh gas.
        
        The residency of a single home has nothing to do with HNZ’s bottom line, housing stock levels, or any of that shit. It’s a billion dollar operation – if one house is the difference between 50 people being housed, HNZ is incompetently run. What will happen in the real world is they will do whatever they want with the house, but the overall stock will vary only according to government policy.
        
        Eminent Domain was an example of the level HNZ should have to meet to justify forcibly remove a tenant, in my opinion. Funnily enough, that might eventually include your resource efficiency problem if the “inefficiency” becomes severe enough. But in this case, it’s not.
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 2:45 pm
        
        “This still requires the current guy to be moved,”
        
        vs
        
        “This still requires the current guy to move”
        
        It would be nice if we didn’t treat tenants or poor people as passive objects.
        
        indiana …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:50 pm
        
        Have you not worked out the difference between a private landlord and state landlord?
        
        Private landlords would love to have tenants that are long term.
        
        State landlords need to treat people as passive objects because they only provide housing for their current needs – these needs are not fixed over time. If the needs of that person is long term, then they still need to treat them as passive objects and move them around their housing stock to accommodate the people they are responsible for.
        
        A home is where a person makes it and if you are renting, its your home only as long as the term of your tenancy. After that you need to think about where you next home is, or in the case of state landlord, where they tell you to move next.
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 5:11 pm
        
        “Private landlords would love to have tenants that are long term.”
        
        Only when it suits them. Try talking to people who have had to move a lot and it’s a different story.
        
        There is no reason that the state can’t provide longterm or lifetime tenancy for people, other than ideology.
        
        If you think it’s acceptable to move people around, then you are endorsing the end of community.
        
        indiana …
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:01 pm
        
        “If you think it’s acceptable to move people around, then you are endorsing the end of community.”
        
        That’s the harsh reality of having the State as your landlord. The State has to make a choice, move a current tenant to a dwelling that is suitable for their needs so that the needs of another state tenant can be met or preserve the community. The thing is, the State knows that communities are fluid. Some neighborhoods blossom and some degrade, the state can’t control that. If a drug gang privately purchased a house and moved in next door to a statehouse, is it the State’s responsibility to move the state tenant when their needs are being met?
        
        Carolyn_Nth …
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:29 pm
        
        The harsh reality is people’s homes (whether they, private landlords or the state owns the buildings and/or land) are a basic necessity. They should not be treated as market commodities. And people should not be treated as objects to be shunted around to suit amoral, predatory capitalists.
        
        Eventually capitalists run out of other people’s lives and activities to appropriate and commodify, and they become extremely callous about the way they treat humans as a result of their fetish for profiteering at other people’s expense.
        
        Psycho Milt …
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:50 pm
        
        That’s the harsh reality of having the State as your landlord.
        
        No, that’s the harsh reality of having right-wingers operating an Applied Misanthropy model of state housing. The solution is to not let right-wingers run the country.
        
        weka …
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:25 pm
        
        “The thing is, the State knows that communities are fluid. Some neighborhoods blossom and some degrade, the state can’t control that.”
        
        The State can protect communities though. There’s no good reason that the state can’t both run social housing fairly *and look after the community. In fact they’re dependent upon each other.
        
        “If a drug gang privately purchased a house and moved in next door to a statehouse, is it the State’s responsibility to move the state tenant when their needs are being met?”
        
        Not sure what you mean. If the tenants need to move for some reason then of course the government should help.
        
        This stuff gets easier to understand if you stop seeing people as things.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:43 pm
        
        Private landlords would love to have tenants that are long term… in some fairyland version of the “free” “market”.
        
        On Earth, actual market conditions apply, as Mr. Augustine Lao and Mr. Peter Talley can attest.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:58 pm
        
        harsh reality
        
        Translation: I project my amygdalan fears onto everything.
weka 8

31 January 2018 at 9:03 am

Greenpeace NZ‏Verified account @GreenpeaceNZ

BREAKING >> Greenpeace activists have boarded the Amazon Warrior’s supply ship – the Mermaid Searcher – in New Plymouth. We’re taking a stand to #EndOil exploration in New Zealand.

BREAKING >> Greenpeace activists have boarded the Amazon Warrior's supply ship – the Mermaid Searcher – in New Plymouth. We're taking a stand to #EndOil exploration in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/CVSwnD2YcE

— Greenpeace NZ (@GreenpeaceNZ) January 30, 2018
esoteric pineapples 9

31 January 2018 at 9:21 am

I was just reading a “New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union that claims it : “represents 31,000 members and supporters.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1801/S00124/taxpayers-union-responds-to-the-spinoff.htm

I was wondering does anyone know if the TU has ever proved its claim of having thousands of members. Is there any source online that proves they have thousands of members? Obviously, “supporters” can mean anyone in the world.

Also, I was wondering if the name “New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union” is something they have “copyrighted” or anything like that. In other words, do they now have sole rights to use that name or anything similar?
- OncewasTim 9.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 6:49 pm
  
  You mean something similar….as in the Taxpayers Onion where you peel away each layer revealing layer upon layer of vested political and economic interests up the chain each pissing the other’s pocket?
Kay 10

31 January 2018 at 9:24 am

I can’t help thinking that the MSM, – calling out Stuff in particular- intentionally or not with their ongoing and more recently blanket coverage of the rental squeeze have opened another front in the “divide and conquer” campaign. Which, like their great success in turning a good section of the population against beneficiaries we are now seeing some very vitriolic tenants vs landlord nastiness emerge, in the name of “news”, but enabled by opening comments and inviting people to write in with their own stories (read: Stuff).

It’s been common knowledge for a long time there’s a severe housing shortage in much of NZ for some time now. But what’s the reason for pitting tenants against private landlords? It seems to me to be a continuation of the class warfare we’ve somehow found ourselves in, the latest front being “I’m superior to you because I own property and have secure, stable housing and you don’t.” Well that’s the dominant theme reading the comments, but knowing what we know about how certain groups of people with an agenda deliberately overload comments sections and try and influence readers with the up and down votes, who knows exactly what the majority of private landlords are thinking? But these comments, even reading them ( I know, dumb move) with a cynical mind, it’s easy to get drawn in and find myself loathing ALL landlords because of the alleged views of some very vocal ones, despite knowing from experience they’re not. From that I can conclude said campaign is working well.

But is is also designed as a scare tactic? To keep us living in a state of permanent anxiety thus keeping us distracted from what else is going on, to wear us down so much and stop participating in the democratic process?
- Rosemary McDonald 10.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 9:30 am
  
  “But is is also designed as a scare tactic? To keep us living in a state of permanent anxiety thus keeping us distracted from what else is going on, to wear us down so much and stop participating in the democratic process?”
  
  Yes.
  
  Your comment would make a great guest post Kay.
  - Kay 10.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 9:52 am
    
    Rosemary, I was thinking about it. Maybe after this heatwave ends (if it ever does!) My brains total mush right now. I imagine this “campaign” will still be going on into Autumn…
- Olwyn 10.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 10:10 am
  
  I notice that the NZH article that Puckish Rogue has linked, about state houses “worth” millions, carries the same snooty tone, and includes such dog whistles as a certain house’s being worth … 61 times more than the $49,588 a primary school teacher would earn in their first year of work and almost 40 times more than the $75,949 a teacher could earn after seven years’ service.
  
  I think it’s a case of the property industry fighting back. The new government’s success or failure depends to a high degree on how well they address the housing crisis. And addressing the housing crisis threatens the Ponzi scheme that property developers and their real estate mates have been enjoying for the past nine years.
  - greywarshark 10.2.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 11:52 am
    
    This business of state house values is likely related to putting a market price on the houses. This should not be done for state houses, except in the rare occasion of them being made available for sale.
    
    They should instead be practically valued at land cost plus expenditure, plus a mark up each year according to the CPI. That is all the state needs to know because the houses are public property for the use of the public that need them.
    
    There should be a warning clause in big letters, stating that if any of them are sold, there should be three valuations done by separate assessor firms, and the highest of these should be compared to the recent sales of that area and they should be sold for cash obtained privately by the buyer.
- Chuck 10.3
  
  31 January 2018 at 10:13 am
  
  Kay, you do realize while Labour was in opposition and during the election and still now while in Government they have/are demonizing private landlords?
  
  Phil Twyford has solicited letters from prospective tenants and then plastered his MP office window with those letters. Other Labour MP’s are doing similar.
  
  The current Government is the ones pitting landlords verse tenants.
- Puckish Rogue 10.4
  
  31 January 2018 at 11:56 am
  
  Well its not exactly helped by Grant Robertson is it:
  
  https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/348499/robertson-asks-students-to-dob-in-dodgy-landlords
- patricia bremner 10.5
  
  31 January 2018 at 5:02 pm
  
  This is a right wing tactic world wide.
Kay 11

31 January 2018 at 11:08 am

Chuck, I’ve been renting privately for 25 years, so under National and Labour Govts. I’d much rather be in State housing for the tenure security but there isn’t any. Funny that.
What’s the vilification from Labour exactly- wanting healthy homes fit for habitation, non-extortionate reasonable rent rises? More security of tenure? How is that villifying?

What I’m seeing is an exact replay of beneficiary vilification, by politicians and the media: Find the stories of the minority extreme bad experiences with both parties (landlords and tentants) and given them the front page. Let the “other side” know just how bad landlords and tenants can be, and tar us all with the same brush.

I see (read) landlords saying they’re getting out of the market because of all the extra costs of having to do up the rentals and potential tax changes so it’s the governments fault, the implication being tenants should be greatful to have ANY roof over their heads and how dare the Govt tell us what we should do with our investment etc.

And the tenants read this and of course they interpret “greed”, especially those who have lost their leases multiple times for no reason except they legally could, or were finally priced out. Then they have no hope of finding anywhere else, especially if they’re on a low income, because the reality is there’s major discrimination going on, especially from Property managers.

Now, why are we getting bombarded with all the extreme landlord/tenants all bad, airB&B more profitable and screw society? Why aren’t the media emphasising the systematic selling off of State and Council housing over the last 20 years, and the actual reasons we’re in this mess, and the very real social problems going with it? because they get more clicks from the us vs them articles?

Not all private landlords deserve demonisation which many renters can attest to. But there are some who can for their behaviour, and certainly some just for their attitude. Like those who say if we don’t like renting then get a better job and save up for a deposit. And I have no time for tenants who don’t take care of their rental.

For me personally, I only just managed to secure a 2 year tenancy, but I’m living in the very real fear of becoming homeless, even with a disability, and I’m the perfect tenant with a perfect credit record and guaranteed income. That’s something I would never have even considered possible 10 years ago. There’s a lot of us about.
- adam 11.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 11:17 am
  
  chunk like many Tory commentators on here, has no moral compass. To make up for that, they make fake moral crisis so they can justify their hate.
- Chuck 11.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 12:26 pm
  
  Thanks, Kay, I appreciate your considered reply. Although I beg to differ that the Labour narrative has contributed to the MSM running with these types of stories.
  
  For the MSM it sells newspapers or gets them the clicks. Do I dare say it’s like a sports event?? demonize the other team…fill the stadium and push up the TV ratings.
  
  Politicians know the game all too well and are happy for this to occur when it suits there agenda. Us verse them, right verse wrong, evil verse good…
  
  Point in case; see adams reply to me @ 11.1
  
  At the moment I am renting, on a 12-month term as a widowed father so have an understanding of the tight rental market.
  - adam 11.2.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 2:58 pm
    
    How ironic, you’re the one pushing the division line you Tory hack.
    - Chuck 11.2.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 4:07 pm
      
      “How ironic, you’re the one pushing the division line you Tory hack.”
      
      Calling me a “Tory hack” “no moral compass” “justify their hate”, is not pushing the division line adam?
      - adam 11.2.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 8:47 pm
        
        So you realise your a divisive tory hack then, at least getting in touch with yourself is a start.
        
        And of course it is, you don’t know any other language.
- David Mac 11.3
  
  31 January 2018 at 1:42 pm
  
  I don’t think it’s a reality that property managers are discriminating Kay, well no more than if you were to decline my invitation to dance. I think it’s discernment rather than discrimination.
  
  This doesn’t change the outcome you highlight, yes, the demand for rentals has become so strong tenant seekers can compile a short list of applicants that meet every one of their ‘Got to have’ and most of their ‘Nice to have’ pre-requisites.
  
  I think you turned me down and accepted George’s invitation because Clooney is better looking and richer…maybe another time.
- patricia bremner 11.4
  
  31 January 2018 at 5:17 pm
  
  Yes Kay, like the lady who bought a teepee and lives in a camp ground because there were no or too highly priced units.
  
  Some owners are now selling up, because they don’t wish to upgrade, even with Govt help.
  
  They are finding they are now feeling pain losing money to sale costs and a less competitive market. They were never long term investors in housing.
  
  Good tenants like you are like workers who find their pay cheque does not cover their living costs, and they end up with payday loans, or in your case no roof.
  
  There is soooo much to fix. This is what we have been left by that smug lot.
  You are right, the coalition has hit the ground running and they have their eyes firmly on legislation to assist.
  
  Let us hope the 3 parties continue to work in people’s best interests.
- Carolyn_Nth 11.5
  
  31 January 2018 at 6:33 pm
  
  but I’m living in the very real fear of becoming homeless, even with a disability, and I’m the perfect tenant with a perfect credit record and guaranteed income. That’s something I would never have even considered possible 10 years ago. There’s a lot of us about.
  
  Yep.
adam 12

31 January 2018 at 11:15 am

Love this, not really political. But it’s an international project with a kiwi involved. Bit how we need to start thinking, more across the borders. The stinking capitalist are internationalist, especially with their trust and offshore banking. Bugger the borders. Nationalism is just another distraction to keep you suppressed.
Ad 13

31 January 2018 at 11:55 am

If you really want to get the dairy industry to listen, find a way to regularly review their entire competitive structure.

IN a really obscure little Bill now on the order paper, thye are proposing regular reviews of the entire NZ dairy industry:

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-digests/document/51PLLaw24631/dairy-industry-restructuring-amendment-bill-2017-bills#RelatedAnchor

The Bill provides for a process that requires the Minister to regularly request and respond to reports on the state of competition in the dairy industry. Seems like an innocuous little thing to form reports, but it’s the firs time I’ve seen any evidence that any government since the 2001 legislation that formed Fonterra really want to revisit the entire dairy structure at all.

And with that review goes the future of our fresh water system as a whole.
Ad 14

31 January 2018 at 12:01 pm

I liked this one:

Emma Hart
@Ghetsuhm
I have this theory that cycling is as close as a middle-class straight white guy can get to understanding Being Female. People have a reckless disregard for your safety, you have to treat everyone like they might hurt you, and if you do get hurt people will blame you for existing
- You_Fool 14.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 12:25 pm
  
  Also some people will just hate you in general and call out rude and demeaning insults. Some will think they can invade your space and get as close as they want without any thought to your thoughts on the matter. The rules of the road are made to suit cars and if you break them to get ahead you are vilified, but if you try and stick with them you are abused because you are not a car.
- Psycho Milt 14.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 1:05 pm
  
  Ha! True! Although, don’t extend the analogy too far – once we get off the roads onto cycle paths through pedestrian areas like parks, we’re back to being a potential threat (I’m not actually a threat to pedestrians, but there’s no way for pedestrians to know that).
  - Ad 14.2.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 1:19 pm
    
    The full Twitter hashtag goes through all the imperfections of the analogy.
    Emma has also posted on her site with more detail.
Puckish Rogue 15

31 January 2018 at 1:58 pm

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/01/30/79601/the-brendan-horan-never-again-bill?amp=1

I think if the Greens vote for this it’ll be the final nail in the coffin of the Greens holding the “moral” high ground and will start the slide of the Greens becoming just another power above all else party, it might also hurt the soft Green vote as well

I say this because the Greens tend to be strongest in , mostly,middle class suburbs

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11931989

The five strongest electorates for the Greens were Wellington Central, Rongotai, Mt Albert, Auckland Central and Dunedin North – the same five electorates where its vote was strongest in the 2014 election.

“The historical profile [of a Green voter] tends to be urban professionals, tertiary educated, often in public service roles.”

So if the Greens become just another party then they’ll probably leak more votes to Labour
- One Anonymous Bloke 15.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 4:21 pm
  
  The final nail
  
  🙄
  
  What sort of coffin lid only requires one nail?
  - Puckish Rogue 15.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 4:24 pm
    
    Well theres been a few so far…maybe i should have used a tipping point analogy instead?
    - One Anonymous Bloke 15.1.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 4:25 pm
      
      Wondering what you think the others were.
      - Puckish Rogue 15.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:29 pm
        
        Getting rid of the two traitors, possibly supporting the CPTPP, MTs meltdown, support for the waka bill in exchange for concessions off the top of my head
        
        One Anonymous Bloke 15.1.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:43 pm
        
        Clendon & Graham broke with the GP’s kaupapa. To abandon that kaupapa would indeed have been a nail. No nail there.
        
        CPTPP: does your imaginary nail have a name?
        
        I know you feel that way about Turei and I also know plenty who don’t.
        
        Just as I thought.
        
        alwyn 15.1.1.1.1.2
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:34 pm
        
        “support for the waka bill in exchange for concessions”.
        Please tell us. Except for allowing them to ride in the back of the Ministerial BMWs what concessions did they get? I can’t think of anything.
        They sold out very, very cheaply didn’t they?
The Chairman 16

31 January 2018 at 2:27 pm

KiwiSaver “fees clock” shows how big a bite fund managers take out of returns

A few highlights from the report (link below).

The clock is spinning round at $1000 a minute.

In January alone, KiwiSaver schemes charged a combined $40 million in fees.

“KiwiSaver is now one of the most profitable lines of business for banks.”

KiwiSaver fees were “the single biggest determinant of (an investor’s) future returns”.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/101034999/low-cost-kiwisaver-provider-simplicity-launches-kiwisaver-fees-clock
Ad 17

31 January 2018 at 2:30 pm

Another good one, for first reading to introducing a bill that would enable day: Fletcher Tabuteau puts up the KiwiFund Bill, starting the process for the state to own and operate its own Kiwisaver fund for New Zealanders, rather than the banks’ preferred providers getting all of it.

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2017/0007/latest/DLM7514804.html
joe90 18

31 January 2018 at 3:02 pm

Oops.

The Cabinet Files is one of the biggest breaches of cabinet security in Australian history and the story of their release is as gripping as it is alarming and revealing.

It begins at a second-hand shop in Canberra, where ex-government furniture is sold off cheaply.

The deals can be even cheaper when the items in question are two heavy filing cabinets to which no-one can find the keys.

They were purchased for small change and sat unopened for some months until the locks were attacked with a drill.

Inside was the trove of documents now known as The Cabinet Files.

The thousands of pages reveal the inner workings of five separate governments and span nearly a decade.

Nearly all the files are classified, some as “top secret” or “AUSTEO”, which means they are to be seen by Australian eyes only.

But the ex-government furniture sale was not limited to Australians — anyone could make a purchase.

And had they been inclined, there was nothing stopping them handing the contents to a foreign agent or government.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-31/cabinet-files-reveal-inner-government-decisions/9168442
ropata 19

31 January 2018 at 3:41 pm

Good news for renters:

Banning letting fees and allowing landlords to only increase rents once a year are two of the ways the government is looking to make life easier for renters.https://t.co/JtlvW1eLnw— RNZ (@radionz) January 30, 2018
- BM 19.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 4:06 pm
  
  How does that help?
  
  1) You raise rents once a year but by a bigger amount.
  
  2) You add the letting fee to the rent, so the tenant gets hit multiple times, longer they stay more “letting fee” they pay
  
  Btw Kiwi build is bullshit and if it ever gets started will take 10 years at least to make a difference.
  
  This rental crisis is what is going to sink this government.
  
  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11985151
  - The Chairman 19.1.1
    
    1 February 2018 at 9:39 am
    
    I concur the rental crisis will hurt and perhaps sink this Government.
    
    Labour’s policies are a driving factor when it comes to rents increasing. And unfortunately, they don’t seem to see it.
    - ropata 19.1.1.1
      
      6 February 2018 at 4:08 pm
      
      You wish. Tenants are people with rights and shelter is a basic human right. This Government is going to improve tenants rights and if landlords get shitty about it they can fuck off out of the market.
joe90 20

31 January 2018 at 3:49 pm

Purge at nine.

All Americans deserve accountability and respect — and that is what we are giving them. So tonight, I call on the Congress to empower every Cabinet Secretary with the authority to reward good workers — and to remove Federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:xsLy_F0SAh0J:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2018-state-of-the-union-address-trump-transcript-full-text/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nz&client=firefox-b
mac1 21

31 January 2018 at 3:50 pm

Tantalising stuff from TV3. A Reid poll out tonight. Results promised that will ‘devastate” at 6 pm.
- McFlock 21.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 3:54 pm
  
  ah, the joys of the first year of a parliamentary term, when one can not give two shits about polls 🙂
  - mac1 21.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 3:58 pm
    
    True, but who’s getting devastated and is it linked to media rumours re leadership changes in the opposition? About that I could raise a ‘midnight of a chuckle.”
    - Puckish Rogue 21.1.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 4:18 pm
      
      Always good to get an interesting poll
      - BM 21.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:20 pm
        
        http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/01/newshub-poll-bill-english-has-solid-backing-as-opposition-leader.html
        
        Puckish Rogue 21.1.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:26 pm
        
        Well that was a bit dull but maybe this:
        
        “Ms Ardern’s performance will be released, along with the full poll results, at 6pm on air and online”
        
        is what will be devastating
        
        BM …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:37 pm
        
        I have a suspicion it’s going to be Peters, not that he’d care, but then again it could be Ardern.
        She just starts the job, straight away gets up the duff and is going to be off for xxxx amount of time.
        
        Maybe the voters don’t like the idea of a part-time PM?
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 4:44 pm
        
        lol
        
        “Devastating” is lab or nat going sub30%, or green/NZ1 going sub4%. And even then, at this stage it’s recoverable even for the leader.
        
        I doubt either happened. It’s probably one lot or t’other has dropped slightly more than the margin for error, and the media have been hanging out for a good polling for too long.
        
        McFlock …
        
        31 January 2018 at 8:52 pm
        
        Apparently it was the NZ1 one. Meh. Too hot to give a shit.
- Anne 21.2
  
  31 January 2018 at 4:47 pm
  
  Some party has dropped 2 to 3 points. Newshub calls it devastating because it attracts viewers. The likelihood is its National which might explain the Barry Soper item re- English’s imminent demise.
  - chris73 21.2.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 4:50 pm
    
    You’re probably right ref: the dropping 2-3 points but, on current polling, it would be devastating for NZFirst or the Greens to be that low
- Chuck 21.3
  
  31 January 2018 at 5:09 pm
  
  With a headline like that…TV3 is going all out for a rating winner!
  
  This poll, in theory, should have Labour and Jacinda racing away.
  
  The honeymoon period for the new Government, baby news, etc.
  
  If its a drop of 2 to 3 points that would suggest either the Greens or NZF going below the 5% threshold with that TV3 headline.
  - Chuck 21.3.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 6:15 pm
    
    Lol the best part was watching Winston being followed around by the TV3 reporter!
    
    I am surprised that Labour is still behind National, with National not losing any support.
    - mac1 21.3.1.1
      
      31 January 2018 at 6:29 pm
      
      Labour up to 42%.
      Labour plus Greens could form a government.
      Labour leader outpolls National’s leader as preferred PM by 12%.
      Friendless National need more than NZF to form a government.
      50% say government doing well or better. 20% say worse. 20% say it’s too early.
      Minor parties insignificant.
      NZF drop but as with all minor parties they will languish between elections.
      Greens bucked that trend.
      
      Who’s devastated, TV3?
      
      As Winston said, “You have a good day.”
      - BM 21.3.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:36 pm
        
        Back to FPP.
        
        This is as good as it gets for Labour, Nationals base is around 44 -45%.
        
        The rental crisis, dropping house prices will take its toll, high chance of an outright win for National in 2020.
        
        Can you imagine Collins as PM with over 50% of the vote, the left wing would be apoplectic.
        
        Pat 21.3.1.1.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:40 pm
        
        Thanks BM…on a hot day when there is plenty of news of concern its nice to know that some still live in a world of delusional hopefulness….onya!
        
        mac1 21.3.1.1.1.2
        
        31 January 2018 at 6:47 pm
        
        Luckily I have an imagination that tends towards the benign.
        
        House prices are stable at the moment.
        
        The rental crisis helped bring down the National government. I’d expect the new governments’ moves will address the problem.
        
        I remember not so long ago a government saying there was no housing crisis.
        
        I remember National at 23% whilst under the present leader.
        
        FPP? National atm have one only friend with 0.3% support. They’d need FPP, gerrymandering and rotten borough all.
        
        BM …
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:13 pm
        
        I’d expect the new governments’ moves will address the problem.
        
        What, dumping more cost onto landlords who pass those costs onto their tenants?
        
        Renters are going to be hating Labour over the next few years, they’ll be yearning for the return of National and lower rents.
        
        As for FPP, there will be only the Lab/Green block and National, they’re the choices, one side is left one side is right.
        
        Will NZ want to stay left?, I don’t think so, 2020 is going to be a defining point in NZ history, whoever wins is going to have the ability to take NZ where they want, no holds barred.
        
        mac1 …
        
        31 January 2018 at 8:40 pm
        
        Hmmm, I wonder how many ways a new left-wing, socially-committed, humane, compassionate, people-oriented government can find to solve our housing needs?
        
        What you suggest, BM?
        
        BTW, why do you keep mentioning FPP? We’ve not been there for twenty years, two decades, a generation. You’re not yearning for The Good Old Times, are you?
        
        They’re a bit like National, and those good old times with poor mental health services, declining education performances under national standards, homelessness, suicide, increase in meth use, water and other infrastructure problems, drops in water quality standards, slow EQC responses, rack-renting, worker exploitation, 90 day trials with firing with impunity…….. yeah, those ol’ good ol’ days….. under National.
    - Psycho Milt 21.3.1.2
      
      31 January 2018 at 6:59 pm
      
      I am surprised that Labour is still behind National, with National not losing any support.
      
      Why are you surprised? It’s not like the right-of-centre voter has credible alternatives available. Take-home message is that Labour/Green could govern without NZ1 on today’s numbers – the proportion of that support held by each party is irrelevant (unless there was a really massive change in the proportions).
      - Chuck 21.3.1.2.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:35 pm
        
        I would have thought there was up to 10% of “soft National vote” that would have seen at least some drift off to Labour.
        
        So I am surprised they held and even gained slightly. It does indicate 44 – 45% is a base for National.
        
        I bet weka would like a snap election to occur tomorrow! without having to rely on NZF to govern!
        
        The first 100 days are officially over. Labour now need to deliver… this will not help them…
        
        “Housing rents have been picked to increase rapidly in the next two years – an issue which will overtake high house prices as a far bigger problem, according to Property Institute chief executive Ashley Church.”
        
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11985151
        
        National do need a support partner. Which party in the current Government is closed to the center? and is holding back Labour and the Greens from their intended policies?
        
        If as most on this blog want to happen – English and co. get shown the door…a lot of the huff and puff from Winston will be gone and he always does better on election night taking the fight to the Government of the day (so I am suggesting he will either be fired or leave on his own accord over an issue, more so if he is still 3 – 4% in 2020).
        
        weka 21.3.1.2.1.1
        
        31 January 2018 at 7:49 pm
        
        Having Labour in coalition with NZF currently is a good thing for the Greens and the progressive movements. See if you can figure out why.
        
        Chuck …
        
        31 January 2018 at 8:10 pm
        
        If I had to guess – without NZF in coalition with Labour, both Labour and the Greens would be on the opposition benches today?
indiana 22

31 January 2018 at 4:00 pm

Jacinda has perfected the art of stringing people along…

“We have set aside an appropriation, but . . . ultimately we have set our sights on the goal itself. There is no plan B. The plan is re-entry in the safest way possible.”

Don’t forget to get your selfie with her!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/west-coast/101024478/pike-river-recovery-agency-launching-in-greymouth
Anne 23

31 January 2018 at 4:49 pm

Jacinda has perfected the art of stringing people along…

I guess she learnt how to do it by watching John Key.
- chris73 23.1
  
  31 January 2018 at 4:51 pm
  
  Which makes her smart in that shes learnt from John Key and John Key learnt from Helen Clark
  - Anne 23.1.1
    
    31 January 2018 at 6:32 pm
    
    Hmmm… now I don’t recall Helen Clark stringing anyone along. She pretty much called a spade a spade and in doing so, made quite a few enemies along the way. In the end they ganged up on her big time. 🙂
veutoviper 24

31 January 2018 at 4:59 pm

On top of everything else going on today:

There is apparently a Newshub-Reid Research poll out tonight at 6pm which will “delight, daze, and devastate”;

The PM is also due to give her Child Poverty speech at 5.30pm from St Peters Church in Wellington;

And
Chloe Swarbrick’s medicinal cannabis Members Bill is due for its First Reading after the current debate on Rates Rebates which on current pace is due to finish about 5.40pm. This means the introduction of Chloe’s bill may start before the dinner break (usually 6 – 7.30pm) rather than after.

Ooops – Reid poll already under discussion at 21 above. Sorry.
Morrissey 25

31 January 2018 at 5:37 pm

Another day of dishonesty from the National Party.

Wednesday 31 Jan. 2018

“No one’s going to ‘Kill Bill’. … There’s a LOT of talent in the National Party…. Amy Adams, she’s VERY bright…”—Michelle Boag, on The Panel, RNZ National, 4:20 p.m.

“Yeah, I’m feeling great! Ummmm….”—-Paula Bennett, News, RNZ National, 5 p.m.

“I’m right behind Bill and Paula, at the moment….” —National Party M.P. (female), 5:10 p.m..

“Who knows where the future goes? All I’m saying is I want Bill as leader.”—-Paula Bennett, 5:12 p.m.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie#/media/File:Zombies_NightoftheLivingDead.jpg
Morrissey 26

31 January 2018 at 6:06 pm

More shame and disgrace for another Faux News bimbo

https://deadspin.com/report-britt-mchenry-is-fake-news-1822514814

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NZ Politics Daily: 14 April 2021
Housing crisis Henry Cooke (Stuff): Housing bonus: National say councils should be given $50,000 for every new house built Claire Trevett (Herald): National puts up its solution to housing shortage woes Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): ‘Motel generation’ feared as emergency housing need continues Damian George (Stuff): City council brushes off criticism over $400m social housing gap Daily Telegraph (Herald): Why billionaires are snapping up second ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
5 days ago

Review: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl [Film] (2009)
Time for reviewing something a bit different. Move over Tolkien adaptations, hello Japanese splatter movie. Specifically, a certain 2009 movie called Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. I watched this one a few days ago with some acquaintances, never having seen it before, and not being familiar with the manga ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
6 days ago

Forecasters predict an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2021
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD An above-average Atlantic hurricane season is likely in 2021, the Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane forecasting team says in its latest seasonal forecast issued April 8. Led by Dr. Phil Klotzbach, with coauthors Dr. Michael Bell and Jhordanne Jones, the CSU ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup -The Māori Party needs to come clean
How seriously does the Māori Party take issues of corruption and the untoward influence of big money in politics? Not very, based on how it’s handling a political finance scandal in which three large donations were kept hidden from the public. The party is currently making excuses, and largely failing ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
6 days ago

Climate Change: The latest inventory
The annual inventory report [PDF] of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing a significant increase in emissions: (Note that this is UNFCCC accounting, not the weird fudged figures the Climate Change Commission is using). Emissions increased by almost 2 million tons in 2019, from 80.6 MT ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

The IPCA should not have to repeat itself
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has ruled that the police detained a woman unlawfully and breached the Privacy Act when they used a fake traffic stop for intelligence gathering: Police have been found to have unlawfully detained a Māori woman and taken photos of her and her partner at ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Following the ‘Yellow Brick Road’
The melody from the classic movie Wizard of Oz echoes as Jacinta Ruru explains what inspired her to attend university, and her ambition to help create a more just society in Aotearoa. Jacinta, who affiliates to Raukawa and Ngāti Ranginui, specialises in the research areas of indigenous peoples and the law. ...
SciBlogsBy Rosemary Rangitauira
6 days ago

Climate Change: Still the climate arson party
Stuff reports that National is refusing to back the Climate Change Commission's recommendations, which is apparently a Bad Thing: The National Party says it can’t support the Climate Change Commission’s draft plan to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions unless changes are made. If National maintains this position when ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Driven to serve
Driven, accountable, unafraid to test limits and connected to the communities she serves are traits that come to mind when thinking about Dr Anne-Marie Jackson. (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu o Whangaroa, Ngāti Wai) She specialises in Māori physical education and health research disciplines while incorporating tikanga Māori and Te ...
SciBlogsBy Rosemary Rangitauira
6 days ago

Climate decisions in a car-reliant country
This is my first post for a while. I have been a bit overwhelmed by other work in the last several weeks, with teaching and other commitments, and the blog has sadly suffered. But I’m still here. This morning, while sitting in a car in the permanent traffic jam through ...
SciBlogsBy Marcus Wilson
6 days ago

Principled, Pragmatic AND Expedient? You Betcha! Replying To Paul Buchanan.
Predatory Morality: Is geopolitical consultant, Paul Buchanan, right? Does the rest of the world truly monitor New Zealand’s miniscule contribution to the international arms trade so closely? Are foreign chancelleries truly so insensitive to their own governments’ complicity in the world’s horrors that they expect all other sovereign states to ...
Bowalley Road
6 days ago

NZ Politics Daily: 13 April 2021
Maori Party referred to Police over donations Henry Cooke (Stuff): Māori Party referred to police over $328,000 in undeclared donations Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Māori Party undeclared donations: Electoral Commission notified as soon as error was noticed – party president Che Wilson David Farrar: Who are the mystery Maori Party funders? No Right Turn: The Māori Party’s hidden donations Claire Trevett (Herald): Election ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
6 days ago

Viking DNA and the pitfalls of genetic ancestry tests
Anna Källén, Stockholm University and Daniel Strand, Uppsala University A middle-aged white man raises his sword to the skies and roars to the gods. The results of his genetic ancestry test have just arrived in his suburban mailbox. His eyes fill with tears as he learns that he is “0.012% ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
7 days ago

CTG National Newsletter – April 2021
...
Closing the GapBy Tracey Sharp
7 days ago

Background Paper: How can we achieve affordable, secure homes for everyone?
March 2021 The housing crisis right now in New Zealand is one of our biggest contributors to income and wealth inequality. “With the explosive increase in sales and prices, those with houses have their income and/or wealth rapidly increasing, and those who are not on the property ladder are falling ...
Closing the GapBy Tracey Sharp
7 days ago

Change coming to Samoa?
Samoans went to the polls on Friday, and delivered a stinging blow to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi one-party state. Pre-election Malielegaoi's Human Rights Protection Party had controlled 44 of 49 seats in Parliament, while using restrictive standing orders to prevent there from even being a recognised opposition in ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

More Evidence that Elimination is the Best COVID-19 Control Strategy for Health and the Economy
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker In this blog we briefly consider a new Report from a European think tank that aims to identify an optimal COVID-19 response strategy. It considers mortality data, GDP impacts, and mobility data and suggests that COVID-19 elimination appears to be superior ...
SciBlogsBy Public Health Expert
7 days ago

The Māori Party’s hidden donations
Something I missed on Friday: the Māori Party has been referred to police over failure to disclose donations over $30,000. Looking at the updated return of large donations, this is about $320,000 donated to them by three donors - John Tamihere, the National Urban Māori Authority, and Aotearoa Te Kahu ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

A Break In The Wave: Giving Effect To The UN Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples In Aote...
Stormy Seas: Will Jacinda Ardern's Labour Government stand behind the revolutionary proposals contained in He Puapua – the 20-year plan devised by a government appointed working group to realise the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Aotearoa/New Zealand?“GETTING AHEAD of the story” is one of the most ...
Bowalley Road
7 days ago

NZ Politics Daily: 12 April 2021
Covid: India travel ban Sandeep Singh (RNZ): Indian travel ban leaves Kiwis stateless Audrey Young (Herald): Was Jacinda Ardern’s decision on India racist? (paywalled) Tess McClure (The Guardian): New Zealand suspension of travel from India questioned amid fears of racist backlash Siouxsie Wiles (Spinoff): The data behind the decision to suspend arrivals from India in NZ Golriz Ghahraman (Spinoff): Why NZ’s ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
1 week ago

Getting to Net Zero
We have not been fans of the Climate Change Commission’s draft report. New Zealand has an Emissions Trading Scheme with a binding cap, and a declining path for net emissions in the covered sector. Measures taken within the covered sector cannot reduce net emissions. NZU not purchased by one sector get ...
SciBlogsBy Eric Crampton
1 week ago

2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Apr 4, 2021 through Sat, Apr 10, 2021 The big news - at least from our perspective! - we shared on social media this week was Skeptical Science to expand impact as 501(c)(3) non-profit. Judging from ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

Principled, pragmatic or expedient.
For several decades under Labour and National-led governments New Zealand has claimed to have an independent (and sometimes autonomous) foreign policy. This foreign policy independence is said to be gained by having a “principled but pragmatic” approach to international relations: principled when possible, pragmatic when necessary. More recently NZ foreign ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
1 week ago

The science denial being taught in schools
This video produced in Seattle looks at the gender identity curriculum used in schools in the US. A thin veneer of pseudoscience is being used to indoctrinate children with an ideology based on scientific and medical inaccuracies. ...
RedlineBy Admin
1 week ago

Legal Beagle: A draft submission on the Harmful Digital Communications (Unauthorised Posting of Inti...
For once, I have written my submission on a bill with enough time to spare to both enocurage any of you who wants to make a submission to do so as well, and to give you time to spot the typos in mine.Louisa Wall's Harmful Digital Communications (Unauthorised Posting of Intimate ...
Public Address
1 week ago

there’s a word for this sort of misinformation about vaccines
A friend found a concerning FB post (see below – this is a public post & so I have not redacted the name) & – as you do – immediately queried it with Southern Cross Life & Health Insurance as well as sending the screenshot to me¹. We both read ...
SciBlogsBy Alison Campbell
1 week ago

Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Rumours of Collins being rolled by Luxon and Bridges
Judith Collins’ National Party leadership is under more scrutiny, with increased talk in the media of her being replaced by brand new MP Christopher Luxon. For many commentators it’s just a question of “when” rather than “if” Collins is replaced. While others ponder whether Luxon really has what it takes ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
1 week ago

The choice is clear: Fair climate policy or no climate policy
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Richard Richels, Henry Jacoby, Ben Santer, and Gary Yohe President Biden has expressed a commitment to making equity a guiding principle in domestic policy formation. When applied to climate policy, it may help eliminate major obstacles to getting our own house in order. But ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

The Slovakian Radio Hobbit (1989)
‘Tis the season for unearthing the rarest gems in Tolkien adaptation – which, considering that the fandom has been dominated by Peter Jackson for nigh on two decades, is a positively heart-warming development. It is why I have devoted so much blog space to the obscure and weirdly wonderful ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
1 week ago

Trading Red Tape
Whatever the damage, especially to the British economy, Brexit has done us a service by illustrating the complexity of trade.Brexit is the only example we have of two closely integrated sophisticated economies severing trading ties. The European Union and Britain still do not have tariffs or import quotas between them ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
1 week ago

Overturning racism in Palmerston North
The Palmerston North City Council has voted for Māori wards: Palmerston North Māori will be guaranteed one or two seats on the city council from 2022, and this time, there is nothing opponents can do about it. The council decided by an 11-5 vote at its monthly meeting this ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Totally out of touch
Kids are striking for the climate today, demanding a decent, liveable future. Meanwhile, the National Party, the reliable servant of the farm lobby and other polluting businesses, is calling for action to be delayed: National has written to Climate Change Minister James Shaw calling for him to extend the ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Striking for a future again
Today tens of thousands of schoolkids have walked out of school to strike for a future free from climate change. And tens of thousands of older New Zealanders have joined them. Their demands are clear: eliminate fossil fuels, implement 100% renewable energy with a just transition, and support our Pacific ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

NZ Politics Daily: 9 April 2021
Covid: India travel ban Luke Malpass (Stuff): Is the the ‘temporary’ India travel ban proportional or a massive overreaction? Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): Is banning all arrivals from India, including New Zealand citizens, actually legal? Keith Lynch (Stuff): What the numbers say about the India travel ban 1News: Michael Baker says halting arrivals from India ‘absolutely right thing to do’ 1News: Temporarily halting ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
1 week ago

We Still Haven't Found What We're Looking For (With Apologies to U2)
The Gods That Failed.We studied the dialecticRead the whole of ‘Capital’So we could follow youSo we could follow youHow we shoutedHow we scrawledPainted slogans on city wallsOn prison wallsProof we had followed youBut, we still didn’t find what we’re looking forAnd we still haven’t found what we’re looking forWhen they ...
Bowalley Road
1 week ago

Be Woke – Or Go Politically Broke.
Conventional Wisdom? The Republican Right is convinced that to “go woke” is to “go broke”. It simply does not believe sufficient Americans feel strongly enough about social justice to make any kind of boycott remotely effective. Clearly, the Boards of Directors of more and more American corporations disagree. RECENT MOVES by ...
Bowalley Road
1 week ago

Skeptical Science to expand impact as 501(c)(3) non-profit
On November 25, 2020 Skeptical Science Inc. became a registered nonprofit organization and on March 17, 2021 our application to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) status was approved. In this blog post, we’ll explain why we went down this path and what will come next. Since its ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

Mike Hosking “De-Platforms” The PM.
Blowing Hot And Cold: Mike Hosking’s bosses should, perhaps, ask themselves what message Newstalk-ZB (and NZME) is sending to the people of New Zealand if Mike Hosking, their self-appointed “People’s Prosecutor”, is accorded bragging rights for “cancelling” the democratically-elected Prime Minister of New Zealand. Especially when said Prime Minister’s only ...
Bowalley Road
2 weeks ago

Horses can recognise themselves in a mirror — new study
Ali Boyle, University of Cambridge If you ask people to list the most intelligent animals, they’ll name a few usual suspects. Chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants are often mentioned, as are crows, dogs and occasionally pigs. Horses don’t usually get a look in. So it might come as a surprise that ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
2 weeks ago

Media Link: “A View from Afar” on emerging multipolarity and rival blocs.
Selwyn Manning and I dedicated this week’s video podcast to the potential emergence of rival blocs within the transitional process involved in the move from a unipolar to a multipolar international system currently underway. However one characterises the phenomenon–autocracies versus democracies, East versus West, colonial versus post-colonial–the global order is ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
2 weeks ago

The Complete (Screen) Tom Bombadil: 1971-1993
With the rediscovery of the lost Soviet Lord of the Rings, the time has come for the important things in life. Specifically, compiling the Tom Bombadil scenes from the three known screen adaptations that feature him: This is a collection of scenes from:– Sagan om Ringen (1971: ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
2 weeks ago

Older posts

Pasifika mental wellbeing initiative must protect our communities: Greens
The Greens welcome $6.6 million from the Government’s $455 million programme to increase access to mental health and addiction services for our Pasifika communities in Auckland and Wellington. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Greens will embed tikanga Māori into rewrite of social security legislation
The Green Party is putting a Member’s Bill into the ballot today which will be a significant step towards overhauling the Social Security Act by embedding a tikanga Māori framework into the welfare system. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Strong relationship continues as Green Party renew MoU with E Tū union
The Green Party have reaffirmed their strong commitment to the union movement in Aotearoa New Zealand by renewing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with E Tū. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Mana Ake expansion announced
Soon, more kids in Aotearoa will have access to the in-school mental health support that has boosted the resilience of tamariki and whānau in Canterbury. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Green Party plans significant rewrite of social security legislation
The Green Party is putting a Member’s Bill into the ballot today which will be a significant step towards overhauling the Social Security Act. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Service providers and communities call on Government to treat drugs as a health issue
The Green Party supports the open letter released today by a cross-sector coalition calling for the Government to treat all drug use as a health issue, to repeal and replace the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. ...
Greens
7 days ago

Boosting small businesses
Small businesses are not only the heart of our economy – they’re also the heart of our communities. They provide important goods and services, as well as great employment opportunities. They know and love their locals. And after a tough year, they need our support! ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Young Pasifika Leaders call for climate action: Greens
Green Party spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Teanau Tuiono MP, supports the demand from Pasifika communities fighting for climate action as their homelands are more at risk in the Pacific region. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Green Party supports climate strike demands
The Green Party supports the six demands for climate action put forward by School Strike for Climate NZ, who are striking across the country today. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Systemic racism rooted in Māori victimisation report
The Ministry of Justice Māori victimisation report, released today, reinforces what we already know about the impact of systemic racism in Aotearoa and that urgent action is needed. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Greens legacy bill to ensure a more inclusive and accessible Aotearoa to be debated in Parliament
Ricardo Menéndez March’s Members Bill to ensure that disabled New Zealanders do not face discrimination for having a disability assist dog was today pulled from the biscuit tin to be debated in Parliament. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

More businesses switching to clean energy
More businesses are making the switch to cleaner, more sustainable energy, with support from our Government. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

More families better off, thanks to Labour
More than one million people will be better off from today, thanks to our Government’s changes to the minimum wage, main benefits and superannuation. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

We have a poverty crisis in New Zealand, we need to do more
The Green Party is calling for the Government to do more for New Zealanders who continue to miss out, as main benefits are set to rise by less than $8 a week tomorrow, Thursday 1 April (at the start of the financial year). ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Auckland light rail back on track, Greens welcome engagement with community
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement today by the Minister of Transport that Auckland light rail is getting back on track. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

New Zealand provides support to Timor-Leste for flooding and COVID-19 surge
New Zealand is providing further support to Timor-Leste following severe flooding and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “Our thoughts are with the people of Timor-Leste who have been impacted by the severe flooding and landslides at a time when the country is ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
22 hours ago

WHANAU OF MĀORI BATTALION SOLDIERS REUNITED WITH MEDALS
A ceremony has been held today in Gisborne where the unclaimed medals of 28 (Māori) Battalion C Company soldiers were presented to their families. After the Second World War, returning service personnel needed to apply for their medals and then they would be posted out to them. While most medals ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

SolarWinds compromise attributed to Russian state actor
New Zealand has today added its voice to the international condemnation of the malicious compromise and exploitation of the SolarWinds Orion platform. The Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau, Andrew Little, says that New Zealand's international partners have analysed the compromise of the SolarWinds Orion platform and attributed ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Queenstown roading project given fast track approval
An expert consenting panel has approved the Queenstown Arterials Project, which will significantly improve transport links and reduce congestion for locals and visitors in the tourism hotspot. Environment Minister David Parker welcomed the approval for the project that will construct, operate and maintain a new urban road around Queenstown’s town ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Screen industry secures landmark project
Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash says a landmark deal has been agreed with Amazon for The Lord of the Rings TV series, currently being filmed in New Zealand. Mr Nash says the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) secures multi-year economic and tourism benefits to New Zealand, outside the screen ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Report into review of health response to lead contamination released
The Government welcomes the findings from a rapid review into the health system response to lead contamination in Waikouaiti’s drinking water supply. Sample results from the town’s drinking-water supply showed intermittent spikes in lead levels above the maximum acceptable value. The source of the contamination is still under investigation by ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

NZ Upgrade Programme revs up economic recovery
Transport Minister Michael Wood today marked the start of construction on the New Zealand Upgrade Programme’s Papakura to Drury South project on Auckland’s Southern Motorway, which will create hundreds of jobs and support Auckland’s economic recovery. The SH1 Papakura to Drury South project will give more transport choices by providing ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Speech releasing the Digital Council's report 'Towards Trustworthy and Trusted Automated D...
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karanga maha o te wa, tēnā koutou, tēna koutou, tēna tātou katoa. Ki ngā mana whenua, ko Ngāi Tahu, ko Waitaha, ko Kāti Māmoe anō nei aku mihi ki a koutou. Nōku te hōnore kia haere mai ki te ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Green light for 10 minute e-bus to Auckland Airport
Transport Minister Michael Wood today marked the completion of upgrades to State Highway 20B which will give Aucklanders quick electric bus trips to and from the airport. The State Highway 20B Early Improvements project has added new lanes in each direction between Pukaki Creek Bridge and SH20 for buses and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Review into greyhound racing announced
The Government is putting in place a review of the work being done on animal welfare and safety in the greyhound racing industry, Grant Robertson announced today. “While Greyhound Racing NZ has reported some progress in implementing the recommendations of the Hansen Report, recent incidents show the industry still has ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Road safety boosted by increased penalty for mobile use while driving
The infringement fee for using a mobile phone while driving will increase from $80 to $150 from 30 April 2021 to encourage safer driving, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood said too many people are still picking up the phone while driving. “Police issued over 40,000 infringement notices ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Pacific mental wellbeing supported across Auckland and Wellington
Pacific people in New Zealand will be better supported with new mental health and addiction services rolling out across the Auckland and Wellington regions, says Aupito William Sio. “One size does not fit all when it comes to supporting the mental wellbeing of our Pacific peoples. We need a by ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Fresh approach proposed to Smokefree 2025
New measures are being proposed to accelerate progress towards becoming a smokefree nation by 2025, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced. “Smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke kills around 12 people a day in New Zealand. Recent data tells us New Zealand’s smoking rates continue to decrease, but ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Govt expands Mana Ake to provide more school-based mental wellbeing support
More children will be able to access mental wellbeing support with the Government expansion of Mana Ake services to five new District Health Board areas, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Health Minister made the announcement while visiting Homai School in Counties Manukau alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Record Number of People Move Into Work
The Government’s COVID-19 response has meant a record number of people moved off a Benefit and into employment in the March Quarter, with 32,880 moving into work in the first three months of 2021. “More people moved into work last quarter than any time since the Ministry of Social Development ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Significant global progress made under Christchurch Call
A stocktake undertaken by France and New Zealand shows significant global progress under the Christchurch Call towards its goal to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. The findings of the report released today reinforce the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach, with countries, companies and civil society working together to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

New chair of interim TAB NZ Board appointed
Racing Minister Grant Robertson has announced he is appointing Elizabeth Dawson (Liz) as the Chair of the interim TAB NZ Board. Liz Dawson is an existing Board Director of the interim TAB NZ Board and Chair of the TAB NZ Board Selection Panel and will continue in her role as ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Government to phase out live exports by sea
The Government has announced that the export of livestock by sea will cease following a transition period of up to two years, said Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “At the heart of our decision is upholding New Zealand’s reputation for high standards of animal welfare. We must stay ahead of the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Workshop on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems – opening remarks
WORKSHOP ON LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS SYSTEMS Wednesday 14 April 2021 MINISTER FOR DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL OPENING REMARKS Good morning, I am so pleased to be able to join you for part of this workshop, which I’m confident will help us along the path to developing New Zealand’s national policy on ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Inter-prison kapa haka competition launched
For the first time, all 18 prisons in New Zealand will be invited to participate in an inter-prison kapa haka competition, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. The 2021 Hōkai Rangi Whakataetae Kapa Haka will see groups prepare and perform kapa haka for experienced judges who visit each prison and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Government takes step forward on counter terrorism laws
The Government has introduced the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Bill, designed to boost New Zealand's ability to respond to a wider range of terrorist activities. The Bill strengthens New Zealand’s counter-terrorism legislation and ensures that the right legislative tools are available to intervene early and prevent harm. “This is the Government’s first ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Carbon neutral government a step closer
Coal boiler replacements at a further ten schools, saving an estimated 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next ten years Fossil fuel boiler replacements at Southern Institute of Technology and Taranaki DHB, saving nearly 14,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next ten years Projects to achieve a total ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Appointment of Chief Parliamentary Counsel
Attorney-General David Parker today announced the appointment of Cassie Nicholson as Chief Parliamentary Counsel for a term of five years. The Chief Parliamentary Counsel is the principal advisor and Chief Executive of the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO). She is responsible for ensuring PCO, which drafts most of New Zealand’s legislation, provides ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Emissions report shows urgent action needed
Every part of Government will need to take urgent action to bring down emissions, the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw said today in response to the recent rise in New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions. The latest annual inventory of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions shows that both gross and net ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

NZ becomes first in world for climate reporting
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark says Aotearoa New Zealand has become the first country in the world to introduce a law that requires the financial sector to disclose the impacts of climate change on their business and explain how they will manage climate-related risks and opportunities. The Financial ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Awards celebrate the food and fibre sector employer excellence
Exceptional employment practices in the primary industries have been celebrated at the Good Employer Awards, held this evening at Parliament. “Tonight’s awards provided the opportunity to celebrate and thank those employers in the food and fibres sector who have gone beyond business-as-usual in creating productive, safe, supportive, and healthy work ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Tourism Infrastructure Fund now open
Applications are now invited from all councils for a slice of government funding aimed at improving tourism infrastructure, especially in areas under pressure given the size of their rating bases. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has already signalled that five South Island regions will be given priority to reflect that jobs ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Electricity Networks Association (ENA) Annual Cocktail Speech 2021
Tēnā koutou e ngā maata waka Tenā koutou te hau kāinga ngā iwi o Te Whanganui ā TaraTēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te Rā. No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa. It is a pleasure to be here tonight. Thank you Graeme (Peters, ENA Chief ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Construction Skills Action Plan delivering early on targets
The Construction Skills Action Plan has delivered early on its overall target of supporting an additional 4,000 people into construction-related education and employment, says Minister for Building and Construction Poto Williams. Since the Plan was launched in 2018, more than 9,300 people have taken up education or employment opportunities in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Youth Justice residence offers new pathway
An innovative new Youth Justice residence designed in partnership with Māori will provide prevention, healing, and rehabilitation services for both young people and their whānau, Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Whakatakapokai is located in South Auckland and will provide care and support for up to 15 rangatahi remanded or ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

The Duke of Edinburgh
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today expressed New Zealand’s sorrow at the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. “Our thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen at this profoundly sad time. On behalf of the New Zealand people and the Government, I would like to express ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Five Country Ministerial Communiqué
We, the Home Affairs, Interior, Security and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (the ‘Five Countries’) met via video conference on 7/8 April 2021, just over a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Guided by our shared ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Inspiring creativity through cultural installations and events
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni has today announced the opening of the first round of Ngā Puninga Toi ā-Ahurea me ngā Kaupapa Cultural Installations and Events. “Creating jobs and helping the arts sector rebuild and recover continues to be a key part of the Government’s COVID-19 response,” Carmel ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Drug-testing law to be made permanent
Interim legislation that is already proving to keep people safer from drugs will be made permanent, Health Minister Andrew Little says. Research by Victoria University, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, shows that the Government’s decision in December to make it legal for drug-checking services to operate at festivals ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Better rules proposed for freedom camping
Public consultation launched on ways to improve behaviour and reduce damage Tighter rules proposed for either camping vehicles or camping locations Increased penalties proposed, such as $1,000 fines or vehicle confiscation Rental companies may be required to collect fines from campers who hire vehicles Public feedback is sought on proposals ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government backs Air New Zealand as Trans-Tasman bubble opens
The Government is continuing to support Air New Zealand while aviation markets stabilise and the world moves towards more normal border operations. The Crown loan facility made available to Air New Zealand in March 2020 has been extended to a debt facility of up to $1.5 billion (an additional $600 ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Building gifted for new community hub in Richmond red zone
Christchurch’s Richmond suburb will soon have a new community hub, following the gifting of a red-zoned property by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to the Richmond Community Gardens Trust. The Minister for Land Information, Damien O’Connor said that LINZ, on behalf of the Crown, will gift a Vogel Street house ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Pacific languages funding reopens
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the reopening of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ (MPP) Languages Funding in 2021 will make sure there is a future for Pacific languages. “Language is the key to the wellbeing for Pacific people. It affirms our identity as Pasifika and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

ERANZ speech April 2021
It is a pleasure to be here tonight. Thank you Cameron for the introduction and thank you for ERANZ for also hosting this event. Last week in fact, we had one of the largest gatherings in our sector, Downstream 2021. I have heard from my officials that the discussion on ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Strengthening Māori knowledge in science and innovation
Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods has today announced the 16 projects that will together get $3.9 million through the 2021 round of Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund, further strengthening the Government’s commitment to Māori knowledge in science and innovation. “We received 78 proposals - the highest ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Older posts

Live updates, April 19: ‘Milestone’ – Morrison and Ardern celebrate ‘win-win’ trans-Tasman...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for April 19, bringing you the latest news live from Auckland International Airport. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz To mark the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, The Spinoff is casting an eye across the ditch all week – read our Australia Week content here. 7.50am: ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
29 mins ago

The Bulletin: Risks and benefits loom as trans-Tasman bubble opens
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Risks and benefits loom as trans-Tasman bubble opens, government signs big deal with Amazon, and cabinet paper produced on hate speech law change proposals.New Zealand is more open today than it has been at any time in the past twelve ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
55 mins ago

'Alcoholics, drug deals, gang affiliations, domestic violence' – Emergency housing d...
Emergency housing has been described as dangerous and terrifying for some, with families mixed in with gang members and many places rife with crime and intimidation. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Economy into high gear as manufacturing hits 19 year high
Business & Investing: A new survey of manufacturing sees production and orders soaring, Plus two NZ energy shares close higher despite index linked sell-off ...
Newsroom
2 hours ago

Uber launches Commute rideshare in Auckland
Passengers could share their first rides with strangers in Auckland this month, as part of the company’s global strategy to reduce cars on the road. ...
Newsroom
2 hours ago

Live Export Ban Should Be Immediate
The two-year phaseout of the export of livestock by sea, announced by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor last week, could mean over 200,000 animals will be shipped overseas before the cruel trade is ended. TVNZ’s ‘Sunday’ programme last night ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Young Chinese turn on billionaire's easy credit
Encouraging Chinese consumers to buy products on easy credit was sensationally popular, until it wasn't. Benjamin Liu and Xin Chen of the University of Auckland explain the troubles facing Jack Ma's Ant Group. China has been leading the world in the exponential growth of e-commerce. Rising from this massive and highly competitive ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Newsroom daily crossword, Monday 19 April
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Newsroom
3 hours ago

Covid-19 officials dodge Speaker's bullet
Ministry officials must take some responsibility for government transparency. ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Newsroom's daily sudoku, Monday 19 April
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Newsroom
3 hours ago

Helen Petousis-Harris: Covid and blood clots – what's the deal?
You are more likely to be hit by lightning than suffer a blood clot after a Covid vaccine, but consequences can be dire for those who do. Vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris explains. COMMENT: Recently the vaccine safety watch dogs in Europe noted reports of unusual types of blood clots in people vaccinated ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

How to inspire a $6.5million TV drama
The one about a tough loner from Quebec who comes to New Zealand and writes a crime novel that screens tonight on TV2 Where I grew up, there were two ways to make big money: farming pigs for the corporate machine or running drugs over the border for the gangs. ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Mountain bike champ's race against RED-S
Newly-crowned national mountain bike champion Sammie Maxwell only knew how to go fast. But slowing down and putting her health first has helped her back to top speed. Sammie Maxwell felt confused as she stood on top of the podium at this year's mountain bike national championships. She hadn't won because ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 19 April
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

The good, bad and awkward of the new public interest media fund
'We're from the Government, we're here to help' might well be the message from the holders of Kris Faafoi's new $50m of taxpayer money as they start to dispense it to the nation's media. Stephen Parker examines the implications of the PIJF. Later this year, when reading daily news, you ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Schools – where creativity goes to die
We live in post-normal times: A time which means nothing will ever be normal again, writes Peter O'Connor of the University of Auckland. The world order has stumbled under the devastating global impact of Covid-19, resulting in the most serious assault to the economic, public health and social order of ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

All your questions about the Australian travel bubble, answered
From today, travelling between New Zealand and Australia becomes a little bit easier. Here’s everything you need to know about the new trans-Tasman bubble.To mark the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, The Spinoff is casting an eye across the ditch all week – read our Australia Week content here. What’s this ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
3 hours ago

The terrible story of Mrs P: Cruel injustice compounded by arbitrary, unkind response
The premature dismissal of compensation for a woman wrongly convicted and sentenced to a year of home detention is morally rotten and practically misguided, writes Andrew Geddis.In her magnificent reporting on things New Zealander’s usually don’t like to think about, Stuff’s Kirsty Johnston has told some pretty sad stories. Families ...
The SpinoffBy Andrew Geddis
3 hours ago

Warning to small businesses engaging in cartels: Ignorance no excuse
Ignorance is no excuse. That's the warning from the Commerce Commission as a campaign offers firms a last chance to clean up before facing jail. ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Shameful legacy of the Dawn Raids
The Dawn Raids of the 1970s carry a shameful legacy to this day - and those who haven't forgotten want an apology Nearly 50 years after the police started a crackdown on Pasifika people in Auckland, people are opening up about their experiences of the Dawn Raids for the first time. ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Educators desperate to resurrect $5b international industry
With borders closed, private tertiary education providers are losing students to Australia and Canada. ...
Newsroom
3 hours ago

Hate Speech Sentence Longer Than Male Assaults Female
“The Government’s proposed Hate Speech Laws mean someone could spend longer in jail for having an unpopular opinion than assaulting a child, male assaults female, participating in a riot and common assault," says ACT Leader David Seymour. ...
Scoop politics
19 hours ago

An ode for .. Prince Philip
New Zealand's demi-official poet laureate Victor Billot composes an ode to a public figure every Sunday. Today: Prince Philip The artist formerly known as Prince He is fallen, just short of one hundred. An antique connection sundered with an old and vanished world over which the Union ...
Newsroom
20 hours ago

Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Government’s historic ban on live animal exports
Analysis by Bryce Edwards Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. The Labour Government received plaudits this week for its historic announcement that it will ban the live export of animals by sea. It’s said to be a world first. The decision comes after years of pressure, which increased after last year’s ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
21 hours ago

Same-sex adoption, religious freedoms, and child-abuse petitions before Parliament
The House: Calls to force witnesses to child abuse to speak, reforming adoption law for same-sex couples, and better protections for religious freedoms have been made by petitions to Parliament. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

How we made Creamerie, a pandemic black comedy, in the middle of Covid-19
Creamerie is a new dystopian comedy about three New Zealand women and the last man on earth. Its co-creator and co-star, Perlina Lau, explains how they made a show about the aftermath of a deadly pandemic, during a pandemic.In 2018, when we sat around a dining table spitballing ideas about ...
The SpinoffBy Perlina Lau
1 day ago

The Sunday Essay: Cricket with child
James Borrowdale bids farewell to a summer of cricket with his oblivious baby daughter.Made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandOriginal illustrations by Sophie Watson If cricket, at least in its longer forms, can lay claim to something approaching artistic meaning – that is, for its actions to ...
The SpinoffBy James Borrowdale
1 day ago

Newsroom's daily sudoku, Sunday 18 April
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Newsroom
1 day ago

What marine algae means for our climate emergency
Why are ice core samples and marine algae important for understanding our climate in the future? Dr Holly Winton, a geochemist with the Antarctic Research Centre at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, explains in this short video. Winton is working on a Rutherford Foundation-funded project analysing ...
Newsroom
1 day ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Sunday 18 April
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...
Newsroom
1 day ago

From architect to housekeeper: an immigrant's journey to NZ
Sebastian Contreras Rodriguez was an architect in Chile, but after moving to New Zealand he started working as a housekeeper. Federico Magrin speaks to him about architecture being a service for the poor, and the differences between Chile and New Zealand. Sebastian joins me after a tiresome and proving day at ...
Newsroom
1 day ago

Pulling teeth: the secrets in 3000-year-old skulls
University of Otago researchers examine 2000-3000-year-old skulls to uncover why Pacific communities of that era intentionally pulled their teeth Ritual tooth ablation, the intentional removal of teeth, is a highly visible form of body modification that can signal group identity and mark certain life events, such as marriage. In our ...
Newsroom
1 day ago

Newsroom daily crossword, Sunday 18 April
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Newsroom
1 day ago

Recipe: Feijoa and lemon clafoutis
New Zealand’s favourite autumnal fruit meets a fancy-sounding but super-simple French dessert. The result? Delicious. There is only so much you can do with the fruit that drops (non-stop) from 17 feijoa trees. We’ve had ripe fruit peppering our lawn now for over two weeks. So far I’ve used them to ...
The SpinoffBy Emma Boyd
1 day ago

Remembering Andrew Peacock, a Liberal leader of intelligence, wit and charm
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Hancock, School visitor, Australian National University Andrew Sharp Peacock, for so long “the coming man” of Australian politics, has died in the United States aged 82. Born in 1939, he was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne, acquired a law degree at ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Graph Illustrates Government's Failures
“ A Ministry of Health graph drawn by a graphic designer with no data to inform it is the perfect metaphor for this Government, all spin and no substance,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Like most things with this government, they present ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

You tell ’em, Andrew – this country will not tolerate Russian mischief with malware
OWell, well, well. New Zealand its expressing its indignation about something the Russians may or may not have been doing. But this expression of the nation’s indignation comes not from Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta but from Andrew Little, our Minister of … No, not Health on this occasion. Nor ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

Short story: Double Dose, by Leanne Radojkovich
"He pulled down the straps of her tank top with his teeth and bit her neck..Afterwards, she pretended it didn’t happen": a short story by Auckland writer Leanne Radojkovich A teenager riding an e-scooter shot across the intersection towards Patsy, she stepped aside, the front wheel took the ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Music's living treasures shine in lockdown gloom
Critic's Chair: Guy Somerset watches and listens to two wonderful series on YouTube and Spotify featuring great raconteurs and wits broadcast from their homes during the long UK lockdown This week, the UK started off along the second stage of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “cautious but irreversible” roadmap to the ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Saving our rarest gull from downtown disaster
What happens when the world’s rarest gull sets up camp in earthquake-damaged buildings in central Christchurch? Frank Film investigates. Christchurch’s population of endangered tarāpuka/black-billed gulls may have a new home. The Christchurch City Council is hoping to fashion a new site for the gulls in what was once part of ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Pure As: Maia Wilson
WATCH: In the heart-wrenching final episode of the Pure As video series, Silver Ferns shooter Maia Wilson reveals the on-court highs and off-court lows she's been through. Maia Wilson's young life has already been an emotional rollercoaster. While her netball career soars to new heights every time she takes the court, away ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Saturday 17 April
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Can smart Tactix bring change of netball's guard?
LISTEN: Is 2021 the year the Tactix finally get to lift netball's ANZ Premiership trophy? with the ANZ Premiership starting this weekend, how will the absence of Silver Fern captain Amerliaranne Ekenasio affect the two-time champions Central Pulse? What impact will Australian international Caitlin Bassett have for the Waikato Bay of ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Newsroom daily crossword, Saturday 17 April
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Newsroom
2 days ago

Newsroom's daily sudoku, Saturday 17 April
...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Auckland Council sets first ever water targets
After a marathon year of droughts and water restrictions, Auckland finally has a goal to reduce its water consumption Water, water everywhere, and most certainly in the news. After a massive public information campaign last year, Aucklanders managed to knock 100 million litres a day off the city’s water consumption. ...
Newsroom
2 days ago

Chefs on why you should take your leftovers home – and how to jazz them up
A new initiative is taking on food insecurity and food wastage by encouraging diners to take uneaten food home. And, as chefs taking part of the scheme explain, what you do with those leftovers needn’t be limited to a quick blat in the microwave. It’s hard to know just how much ...
The SpinoffBy Charlotte Muru-Lanning
2 days ago

Wellington’s nearly man on why he lost and the state of the council today
With the council in disarray, former Wellington mayor Justin Lester sat down with The Spinoff to share his thoughts on what’s gone wrong, and what needs to happen from here. Justin Lester is running again. When we meet at the Civic Square cafe Nikau, the former Wellington mayor is breaking in a ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
2 days ago

The first pint of freedom: London takes a step towards normality
After months of lockdown, pubs in England were allowed to reopen this week, with outdoor seating only. New Zealander George Fenwick headed out to see how Londoners were welcoming the return of a cornerstone of British social life.Trying to explain what life has been like in the UK for the ...
The SpinoffBy George Fenwick
2 days ago

Amazon Lord of the Rings deal furrows brows over government priorities
The government's priorities are being questioned after announcing it will be giving Amazon a more than $100 million boost to film the Lord of the Rings television series here. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 days ago

China’s record fine against Alibaba spells the end of big tech’s romance with the state
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Keane, Professor of Chinese Digital Media and Culture, Queensland University of Technology China’s state-run anti-monopoly bureau has tightened its regulations on big tech players, as shown by its recent move against the country’s largest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group. Alibaba was hit ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Petition Launch Calling For An Immediate Independent Inquiry Into Insitutional Racism By The Waikato...
Campaign & Petition Launch “Racial INJustice Matters” calling for an immediate independent inquiry into Institutional Racism and Racial Profiling by the Waikato Police. Where we live, work, play should be safe for everyone, no matter ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on unemployment figures, Christine Holgate, and the withdrawal from Afghanis...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Director of the Institute for Governance & Policy Analysis Dr Lain Dare discuss the week in politics. This week the pair discuss the evidence given by Christine ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

No public outrage, no vigils: Australia’s silence at violence against Indigenous women
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University Recently, we have witnessed an uprising of thousands marching in the streets fuelled by outrage against the violence and sexual assault experienced by women. Indigenous women and gender diverse people also marched and shared this ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid-19: Countries with recent coronavirus upsurges
Analysis by Keith Rankin. India only at Magnitude 4 for reported cases. Chart by Keith Rankin. New Zealand has, for the rest of this month, banned all people who have been in India this month from entry into New Zealand. The decision is based not on the incidence of Covid19 ...
Evening ReportBy Keith Rankin
3 days ago

After a flurry of wellbeing initiatives for Kiwis, the Govt lifts the wellbeing (and profit hopes, p...
The screen industry – or some of its more well-heeled operators – today learned the government is keen to improve its wellbeing. This followed several blasts of Beehive trumpeting about initiatives to improve the wellbeing and wellness of we Kiwis. The announcements yesterday included the heartening news that the Government’s ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Statement From Anusha Guler, Executive Director Office Of Ethnic Communities
The new Ministry for Ethnic Communities comes into being on 1 July. It’s important that the views and needs of Aotearoa New Zealand’s many and diverse ethnic communities help set the priorities for the new organisation from day one. We are running a series ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

'I don't want my children to lose loved ones to smoking'
Jonathan Milne: Raising tobacco taxes helps some quit, but impoverishes others. These are the tough calls where ministers earn their pay. ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

National Party Support Of Amazon Corporate Welfare Cronyism Is A Disgrace
The National Party need to take a good hard look at themselves, following their Economic Development spokesperson’s endorsement of Kiwi taxpayers stumping up for welfare for the American multi billion dollar corporation, Amazon. Responding to ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Government not rejigging immunisation roll-out after 'speculation' third Pfizer shot neede...
New Zealand is not rejigging its Covid-19 immunisation programme despite predictions people will need a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine within 12 months. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 days ago

Predator Free Projects Receive New Funding
Predator Free 2050 Limited has announced new investments in predator free projects around the country. Existing projects in Taranaki, Waiheke and Dunedin, a new project in Te Urewera, and a feasibility study on Aotea Great Barrier Island will benefit ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Treating NZ’s far right groups as terrorist organisations could make monitoring extremists even ha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayden Crosby, PhD Candidate, University of Auckland The government’s recently proposed changes to New Zealand’s counter-terrorism legislation are focusing attention on how best to equip law enforcement agencies with the tools to prevent the kind of atrocity witnessed in Christchurch on March ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

A ‘deep clean’ has been ordered for a Brisbane hospital ward. What does that actually involve?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Mitchell, Professor of Nursing, University of Newcastle The Australian public’s infection control literacy continues to expand. We know what PPE is, what “flattening the curve” means, and we are growing increasingly familiar with the term “deep clean”. But what does a ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

Overseas Investors To Pay $1.38 Million For Breaking Rules
The High Court in Auckland this week ordered overseas investors to pay penalties totalling $1.38 million and legal costs for breaching the Overseas Investment Act. The significant penalty follows a family purchasing five forestry blocks totalling ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 16
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Mirror Book by Charlotte Grimshaw (Vintage, $38)It’s the book everyone’s talking about – and writing about. ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
3 days ago

Ten things everyone can do to make Autistic people’s lives better
A little understanding – and a few simple, easy-to-follow rules – can make a huge difference to our lives, Autistic advocate Rory McCarthy writes.Autistic people have difficult lives: a lot of things that seem trivial or a sign of over-sensitivity to allistic (non-Autistic people) actually affect us quite significantly. There ...
The SpinoffBy Rory McCarthy
3 days ago

The Week in Politics: Pandemic response under stress
Analysis - A startling revelation shows up cracks in the testing regime just as the vaccine rollout comes under scrutiny, and National faces another bout of leadership speculation, writes Peter Wilson. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 days ago

ACC Should Ignore Robertson’s Muldoonist Diktats
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is urging ACC to ignore diktats from the Minister of Finance . “ACC should be left to independently manage the hard-earned funds it receives from levy-payers,” says Union spokesman Jordan Williams. “It’s ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

NZVA Accepts Live Export Ban Is Consistent With Animal Welfare Science
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) is not surprised by the government’s decision to ban live exports by sea and believes the two- year transition period is pragmatic for businesses in the sector. We are not surprised by the decision and ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Demand for rare-earth metals is skyrocketing, so we’re creating a safer, cleaner way to recover th...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cristina Pozo-Gonzalo, Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University Rare-earth metals are critical to the high-tech society we live in as an essential component of mobile phones, computers and many other everyday devices. But increasing demand and limited global supply means we must urgently ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 days ago

A Living Hell: Apartment Disasters exposes the dire state of housing in Aotearoa
Looking to buy a unit or apartment? You might need to think twice or even three times, if this Prime documentary is anything to go by, writes Jacqueline Paul.If you are hoping to buy a home built between the late 1980s and the mid-2000s, there is a significant risk that ...
The SpinoffBy Jacqueline Paul
3 days ago

Yesterdaze: National sticks to its shivving
Amid some in-House knitting drama this week, there was more speculation the knives are out for National Party leader Judith Collins. But doesn't National always have its knives out? James Elliott has the news of the week. It was an exciting week for those holding tickets in the “Seymour Sweepstake”, ...
Newsroom
3 days ago

The Friday Poem: And before that we were stars, by Mohamed Hassan
A poem from Mohamed Hassan’s Ockham-shortlisted collection National Anthem.And before that we were starsCan you please look at this poem and tell me if it’s good?it’s for my fiancé she’s really far away I want to say how I feel but my English is limited, can you read it?she works ...
The SpinoffBy Mohamed Hassan
3 days ago

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – April 16 2021
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content National Party leadership Matthew Hooton (Herald): My message to National – and how to avoid ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
3 days ago

We’re hiring: podcast engineer/studio manager, The Spinoff
A new full-time role recording, editing and mixing content for The Spinoff podcast network, based in our Morningside office. We’re looking for an experienced sound engineer. The successful applicant will be responsible for recording, editing and mixing content for The Spinoff podcast network and managing the podcast studio. In addition to ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
3 days ago