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
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.
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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Once Isis had established its authority in Mosul, it administered the city using a two-tier system – privileges for ‘brothers’, hardship for everyone else.
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?
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.
“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? .
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..
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)
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
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?
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.
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”?
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
“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
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?
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.”
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.
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
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).
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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. “
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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?
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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?
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?
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?
“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, 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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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
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
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
“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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.”
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?
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.”
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).
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.”
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. 🙂
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.
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.
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With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
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 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
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
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…
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.
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.
Simon Bridges represents the anti-charisma brigade.
English is a political gift.
Long may he stay in there.
The thing is, some of the others might be an even larger gift.
Maybe.
I would not be one to look a gift nat in the mouth.
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
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.
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.
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.
I enjoy reading your comments eco maori – always interesting, and informative.
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.
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.
Off to work now I have to keep my Waka going forward kai pai Breakfast people
Ka kite ano
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.
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.
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.
From the guardian –
But not in Syria…
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.
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?
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.
“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? .
🙄
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?
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..
I have googled it, it’s why I called you on it.
Sigh.
Which groups do you reckon have been fighting by Queensbury rules?
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)
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
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.
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?
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.
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”?
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.
The facts (those that can be uncovered) have nothing to do with me McFlock.
That’s what the MSM say, too.
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…
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
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.
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.
“…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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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?
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
Next time please put the link. It’s always better to see people’s words in context.
Dam weka! I did not see the MattJ reply.
The first time I trust what Sue Bradford has to say…I get burnt 🙂
Lol, I was going to ask you about that.
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.
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…
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
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?
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?
No. It’s someone’s home.
Yep, the taxpayers, old guy should have been moved into a unit years ago.
Why he wasn’t is what needs to be answered.
Because state housing used to be about homes, not storage units for the poor.
Times change, housing is in short supply.
Get him out, sell home develop vacant land.
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.
“He said if he had a choice he wouldn’t live there – the area had become too busy for his liking.”
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
🙄
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?
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.
Yep, BM, the racist, who should have been banned from TS for what he wrote last night.
Yet here he still is.
Why?
It was a shocker last night. Surprised he isn’t ashamed to be here.
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
Because if HNZ needs three million for new homes, it should come from progressive taxation rather than taking people’s homes.
Why tax people more when you can sell one home and build ten? That makes no sense at all.
BECAUSE IT IS SOMEONE’S HOME.
(shouting because you appear to not be hearing).
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).
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 ?
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.
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
It’s not his house, but it is his home.
Losing your home isn’t a “minor inconvenience”.
I doubt he’ll umderstand the diff. Life’s all about economic units.
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
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.
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.
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
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?
‘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.
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. “
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.
Go Weka!!
“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.
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.
“eminent domain appropriation”
What’s that?
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
“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.
“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?
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.
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.
“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.
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.
harsh reality
Translation: I project my amygdalan fears onto everything.
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.
https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceNZ/status/958422435753160704
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?
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?
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?
“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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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
This is a right wing tactic world wide.
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.
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.
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.
How ironic, you’re the one pushing the division line you Tory hack.
“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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
The full Twitter hashtag goes through all the imperfections of the analogy.
Emma has also posted on her site with more detail.
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
The final nail
🙄
What sort of coffin lid only requires one nail?
Well theres been a few so far…maybe i should have used a tipping point analogy instead?
Wondering what you think the others were.
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
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.
“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?
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
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
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
Good news for renters:
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
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.
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.
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
Tantalising stuff from TV3. A Reid poll out tonight. Results promised that will ‘devastate” at 6 pm.
ah, the joys of the first year of a parliamentary term, when one can not give two shits about polls 🙂
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.”
Always good to get an interesting poll
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/01/newshub-poll-bill-english-has-solid-backing-as-opposition-leader.html
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
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?
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.
Apparently it was the NZ1 one. Meh. Too hot to give a shit.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).
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.
If I had to guess – without NZF in coalition with Labour, both Labour and the Greens would be on the opposition benches today?
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
Jacinda has perfected the art of stringing people along…
I guess she learnt how to do it by watching John Key.
Which makes her smart in that shes learnt from John Key and John Key learnt from Helen Clark
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. 🙂
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.
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
More shame and disgrace for another Faux News bimbo
https://deadspin.com/report-britt-mchenry-is-fake-news-1822514814