Twyford is a dead man walking. The meta from today's stories in Stuff is he has zero political capital, his credibility is exhausted and the media smell blood.-
I’m no fan of Twyford, he’s certainly turning out to be a less than stella cabinet minister. And it’s intolerable that he appears to have totally fucked up the years of light rail planning in Auckland. But this campaign by Coughlan in cahoots with Chris Bishop and National’s old pals still in the the transport ministry is starting to look pretty nasty and personal.
Yes, it’s appalling when the opposition does its job and points out that Twyford couldn’t even plan the route for light rail, let alone product a plan to build it. Must be a media conspiracy that prevented Twyford from pulling out a map and finding a route, which is almost identical to a road, from the cbd to mount roskill.
Twyford is at the heart of some of the government's most ambitious and difficult plans. He is simultaneously managing huge capital demands and battling a range of entrenched interests to effect major changes in policy and performance. It was never going to be easy. Nor is it obvious that all of those policies are well-founded. But they are the government's agenda.
If anything, his greatest personal failing mirrors that of the government as a whole – he's better at thinking policy up than at executing it. He's also not terribly humble about that fact.
But it's highly contestable to suggest that he should be falling on his sword in response to a campaign by a government agency to protect its own patch.
Excellent hit job by Stuff. A new Minister with a big knife and plenty of gaffer tape should cure the problems with a department that sounds dysfunctional.
For no other reason than destroying the dreams of those who were sold the Kiwibuild dream, he needs to go. March 18 we had confirmed the promise of $600k cap from the election was still there, then less than 2 months later sorry it is now $650k.
Thanks to that inability of this government we have lost 3+ years into addressing the housing issue. His legacy will go well beyond this govts tenor.
we now face in the 2020 election a bad option or a slightly worse option. Meanwhile the rest of us face REAL day to day issues.
median 'household' income in Auckland would be around $120k . Any other system of direct government subsidy to reduce the price to say $450k would be a $$$ gift to those who can take advantage of it.
The building of state houses for rent as social housing is continuing, Kiwibuild isnt designed to replace that
I don't know how your response relates to my comment, I’m guessing it was for Herodotus.
But aside from that, I'd be interested in where are you finding the median Auckland household income? I can only find the average, which is not the same. Also, it might have some data on the distribution of income and number of household occupants.
No idea where Duke gets his figures from, but this seems more accurate to me…
"First-home buyers in Auckland would need to be earning three times the median income to be able to afford a comfortable first home, according to real estate statistics website One Roof.
Based on the median house value in Auckland of $1.2 million, a household would need to earn $241,200 to comfortably afford mortgage repayments of 5.79 percent over 30 years.
That's triple the median income of $76,232, and the household would also need to be able to save $248,607 for a 20 percent deposit, according to One Roof."
Another concern I have about using "household" income is that overcrowded or multiple family households, flatten out any financial stresses that would otherwise be apparent. A household with grown children earning money, but unable to afford their own housing on their individual income, will be contributing to the statistics of household income and improving it.
Also, given the information in your link. The article shows the disparity (or despair-ity) of median housing costs compared to median incomes. Although we know that indicates that at least half the households are in that position – or worse – we have no idea how the top 50% is distributed, and whether the housing stress affects 51% or 80%.
I never did understand why Kiwibuild was separated from the need for social housing – the two go together – it is all about making sure that as many as possible have somewhere to call home. As for why some initial targets have not been able to be met, there are two that I suspect do not get much attention. The first is that housing is just one of the neglected (or deliberately diminished) areas of government service – the previous government did its best to either privatise (largely to "Charities", but that produced a fragmented industry that cannot be measured, and importantly reduced expectations of government doing anything itself), or sell off state houses to private purchasers. The second is the comparative weakness of the building industry. The Government choices regarding Christchurch were to use Fletchers as much as possible – controlling supply, the pace of work, and subcontractors. Accompanying that were a deliberate mis-interpretation of insurance contracts (requiring fixed price sign offs from policyholders for example) and shoddy regulatory monitoring. We now know that many newer buildings collapse in an earthquake than those built 50 to 100 years ago; we know that concrete has not always had the correct amount of steel reinforcing, or properly connected steel. We know that New Zealand builders are bejind overseas companies with mechanisation and pre-built houses – our big companies do not want to knw, while small companies go bankrupt too easily . . .
We know the limitations of our clean water, waste water and sewage reticulation systems – new developments are harder than they used to be. Then we have stupid pandering to employers to bring in large numbers of people to keep wages low – remember when baristas was the biggest single occupation for immigrants? The separation of trade education from work meant that it was cheaper for companies to avoid having apprentices; that is only now being turned around by the current government, and unemployment is lower partly a a result. Some of the problems we now know exist are the fault of deferred maintenance and poor regulation in the last government, and some of them have also been surprises to all of New Zealand in the last 2 years. Deferred maintenance in Health has been well publicised, but it goes beyond just buildings to staff levels and (together with teachers) to pay levels. All that has required ambitions for the current government to not always be met. It is fair to say that some could have been anticipated, but not all of them.
National's preoccupation with selected bits of government is well known – and as we know from The Standard, most of their claims turn out to be severely distorted, if not plain wrong.
Kiwibuild was only meant to reduce prices in the part of the 'market' above social housing levels. To drag houses on an average section in an average suburb from $900k to 750k, say. Not remotely 'affordable' for most families.
State houses were always going to have a bigger impact at the bottom and this govt have done an appalling job of communicating what they have done in that space.
Irrespective of the merits of Kiwibuild, it created great hope out there, and this was initially promoted in 2014. So there has been plenty of time available to ensure that this at least was more successful that what is has been, and many of the issues should have been worked out, instead of fixing it as we go 4 years after its conception. The hubris that has surrounded this when valid short comings were pointed out.
What are the 20-30's who placed their hope into this scheme ? 3 years wasted, dreams destroyed.
And remember this govt. increased the scope from 50k to 100k over 10 years, without any prompting.
It was probably pretty well planned out – but when you hit reality, sometimes plans go awry.
For me, KB always gets points for actual effort and setting up a testable goal. Like a lot of this government's work.
That having been said, it's fallen well short. But Twyford never struck me as being a Clare Curran, so maybe replacing him won't magically improve things. Maybe the initial slog of KB is just a much worse job than expected.
I was never a fan of this approach. In effect, it actually reinforces buoyant market prices for housing.
I had posted this link previously, about Grand Design series "The Street" about an approach to housing development that provides benefits to both the purchaser and the authorities. Apparently the series is going to be on NZ television soon.
The original Netherlands development Almere is still going, and worthwhile researching for how successful it has been in providing lower-cost housing, while building community:
Custom-build housing: Almere Poort
Initiated at the height of the financial crisis when housing providers had virtually stopped building, Almere Poort is a project built on council land as part of the city plans to provide affordable housing for low-income households of €20,000 (£14,500) a year.
Individuals can purchase a plot designated by the local authority. Once the plot is secured and a mortgage in place, the buyer is free to customise their home from a wide variety of different “ready-made” homes, many designed by in-house architects.
Ekim Tan, co-founder of Play The City, which uses gaming to resolve complex urban challenges, worked on an interactive user guide for the Almere project. She says the mayor’s idea was to make a direct relationship between the local authority and the housebuyer.
“They [volume housebuilders] feared the project’s success because it proved that the public could do without them,” adds Floris Alkemade, former partner at architects OMA and project architect for the masterplan.
The first view of the government;s housing plan showed it as not only feeble but probably terminal. How come the voters were cast in the role of the simple, direct, clear-eyed viewers on the sideline looking at the Emperor with No Clothes, but a heck of a con story to sell us?
Where are the smarts in Cabinet? Did they get left on the Cabinet table after a meeting. And was it like that funny happening on the way to an Art Installation where the arrangement of an Aftermath of a 'do' with cigarette ends and other detritus', was mistaken as rubbish by the prosaic cleaner and swept away.
Not what I would call art; and the Cabinet decisions lacked veracity also.
Ryan Bridge really? Who gives a toss what he thinks.
And Newshub knows like everybody else that Lees-Galloway had no choice but to allow the guy to stay if we were to comply with our international obligations.
Lets not forget Newshub as part of MediaWorks is going down the toilet and this bullshit is one of the reasons why.
It would help if people were less prepared to be spoon-fed bullshit. A lot of the time no one does any research for themselves, preferring to just meekly accept what they're being told, without knowing if it's a partisan hit-job, or just the 'feels' of some sour hack with an axe to grind. David Cunliffe was put through the wringer based on what turned out to be manufactured horseshit, and yet you had John Armstrong hysterically shrieking about his resignation. If 'The Hollow Men' and 'Dirty Politics' taught us anything, it's that none of this stuff is accidental. There's a cohesive strategy behind it.
That's a weak point Paddington, whatever is written about you will affect perceptions so you should drop off as soon as someone makes up a convincing lie? Where do standards sit in your part of the world – does anyone try to do anything good, and do most that you know sit on fences going hee-haw at the earnest tryers while they make up some juicy concoction about them for the gullible.
It's not a 'weak point', it is an observation of human frailty. The media's influence is, at least in part, determined by the willingness of the general public to accept 'news' at face value. When we challenge prevailing narrative, when we scratch below the surface, we expose the shallowness of media coverage. Too few do.
Actually I think Clark, would, if she felt that her minister was being undermined by his ministry, have moved pretty smartly to curtail a few careers in that department. The minister would have been most likely given a minder and told not to move unless Heather Simpson said he could.
I suspect part of Twyford's problem is that he has been too trusting of some in his ministry portfolios. Once upon a time these officials were strictly neutral but I fear that is no longer the case.
Twyford IS the problem IMO along with the other ABC national light ministers such as Nash, Robertson, Hipkins, Parker, O'Connor etc. WTF does Faafoi do !
Phildo has fallen into the trap of thinking his dept is behind him when any idiot can see the entire public service was turned over by National to suit it’s backers requirements.
Also there is the toxicity that is Shane Jones who thrives on undermining Labour with a proven history of laziness, arrogance and boorish behaviour.
But everyone knew that Shane Jones was like that tc, and he was chosen I think, despite those attributes because he was someone that the centre-Trump voters would feel akin to. Probably his rating is still positive with that group despite having his foot in his mouth, his automatic rifle in his meaty arm etc.
No doubt there. Quite a few ministries are larded with so many Gnat spoilers they're a trap for ministers – Radio NZ for one. By all means give Twyford a holiday – but lose the fake public servants – there's no place for them under this government.
That attack is bollocks- Nat party stooge is helped by journo. Coughlin needs to be asked why he doesn't identify the clear party affiliation.
The bigger question is why were we f- around with PPPs. It's a marquee policy- Twyford isn't on his own here. Sure he hasn't done that well, but he's not working in a vacuum.
Nope quite different. I'm asking if he was encouraged to seek a PPP when the project was quite a ways down the track and had already been campaigned on.
Snowden's twitter account is rich in news including Brazil, with the Bolsonaro family implicated in murder,Epstein's "suicide" (looking more like homicide according to Michael Baden who observed the autopsy)latest polling from New Hampshire..Sanders leading
Snowden's memoir Permanent Record should make interesting reading
Does anyone know the policy around police involvement in Auckland Transport fare dodging?
My son is a regular commuter on AT trains into Auckland. Leaves home between 5.30 and 6.30am so often wears a hoodie and sometimes a beanie for his early morning commute and just plays podcasts on his phone to pass the time.
He noticed several police officers board the train, and precede an AT staff member down the aisle. Surreptitious hand signals to the AT staff member resulted in various passengers being asked to confirm their fare payment. He was one of them.
Is this a judicious use of police time? Given that AT staff has a right to require proof of fare at any time, what would this operation been useful for? The only thing I can think of is immediate arrest of any farejumper.
Does anyone know the reasoning or legality behind this? Seems a lot like casual profiling.
Anyone who has approached the police about certain types of crimes – especially if it involves harassment, bullying and intimidatory criminal acts is likely to be – metaphorically speaking – turfed out on to the street and told to stop bothering the police. There have been instances in the past when women in particular have been physically attacked and even killed because police didn't take them seriously.
Yet they're happy to hop on a train and check law abiding passengers' tickets to see if they have diddled some corporate body of a dollar or two. Money talks.
About half of each region's public transit operations funding has to come from fares under current regulations.
People who steal free rides are not reducing some company's profits but are disdvantaging everyone else who uses and benefits from PT – hence operators all over the world act against that theft. Many places have dedicated transit enforcement officers so they are not diverting attention from other policing. NZ could do that if our govt changes the law.
Except Sacha, they are not acting on evidence or suspicion of someone breaking the law.
This is purely going through the carriage and pointing out persons to the AT staff member – who already has the ability to ask for proof of fare, and can arrange for suitable backup at the next station if there is evidence of fare dodging. This is profiling.
Given climate change transition requirements, the regulations that should be changed is not to introduce more police to the transport system, but to subsidise public transport fully.
AT already have ticket checkers, who can randomly check for fare dodgers. That is still the point.
My last sentence added after initial posting, was for Sacha, who in his closing sentence suggested regulation change would make police on transport systems legal. I should have ensured the missing the point comment stayed in position. We subsidise a lot of things, limiting subsidies of public transport to only 50% of cost is limiting options in addressing climate change, and reducing the harm from air pollution. We should at least consider higher levels of subsidy. My preference would be fully subsidised public transport for NZ citizens.
But grammar aside, do you think this it a good use of police resources, and whether it is a form of profiling?
We rang cops a few weeks back as a friends phone went missing then she got a call she could get phone back for $100 (she got him down to $10), she asked for cops to witness but they said they didn't have the staff, just take some friends. I went with her, scary dudes, paid $10, got phone back.
AT staff have no power to detain anyone. Offenders scarper at will unless police are there. Having specific transit officers who do not need to be fully-trained police is one way other places manage that.
Profiling is another thing altogether and not specific to this situation.
Free PT is an ideal but meeting the daily peak demands for it may not be achievable without pricing or some other rationing system. I believe our current arrangements deliver neither fairness nor climate action.
Sacha – It appears that you think profiling is happening here, and it is one of Molly's points. Some of the comments that pass for answers that you and Duke put up are off the track but you imply you have definite knowledge, which can not be possible as you make replies to everything, and no-one knows everything.
I don't know about the transport policing, but our country's approach seems to let things happen that make life hard for folks, and intrusively check on the population for infringements, and when people can't or don't comply with rules, they get punished. It would be better if the country was run to make it easy for people to manage their lives, but that idea isn't on the table.
I compare police going on transport looking for unpaid money infringement, and at hospital in the A&E section, their own security staff have to handle assault and violence infringements. That is where police should be stationed, at least one all night, and that would be policing for the people's good.
OK, I accept that. So what is the benefit of a police presence in this situation, given the level of the crime and the ability of AT to call ahead to have police present at the next station.
Profiling is another thing altogether and not specific to this situation.
In this case, the use of police – who are looked on to be experts in criminals – to identify possible farejumpers is the definition of profiling. Random checks are already possible.
Free PT is an ideal but meeting the daily peak demands for it may not be achievable without pricing or some other rationing system. I believe our current arrangements deliver neither fairness nor climate action.
I agree about the fairness and the climate action. I haven't witnessed any real discussions about higher subsidies for public transport either from this government or our local transport associations. I have seen dismissals that price was not considered to be a deterrent.
I have little faith that the pragmatists, who are usually not the most vulnerable or financially stressed, will even consider the impact of fairness in discussions about raising the 50% threshold that you stated was a regulatory limit. I would like to see that happen, and although I would like to see free public transport – understand the limitations of delivering that result.
I would love public transit to be free for our poorest and youngest – something like the Gold Gard. Also cheaper than increasing that 50% subsidy across the board. Nothing to stop govt doing it right away.
I would love public transit to be free for our poorest and youngest – something like the Gold Gard.
My partner's father, who died at the age of 93, utilised his Gold Card to catch the bus, train, ferry to Devonport and then return for a days outing. The benefit he had from this in terms of mental and physical health was considerable. As a community, we also benefit from having our older citizens visible, engaged and active. However, he was financially well off.
Any assessment on suitability for discounts etc is often crude and badly managed. We don't measure income vs fixed outgoings, we just measure taxed incomes. I know a few people who live very comfortable lives including private schools for their children and long annual overseas trips that are entitled to community services cards or similar benefits because of the way their personal incomes are calculated. Until these designs get better, I would rather have a way for citizens to access lower fares and leave the higher fares for tourists and non-citizens. We used to have a discount card provided for access to our local swimming pools that was delivered once a year to all households in our district. It allows those that regularly contribute taxes on top of fares, a reduction in fares and recognises their contribution.
Here's another one for Greywarshark. The guy couldn't be bothered stopping for police. Wimpy judge gives an $850 fine and Community detention………should have got jail time of say, six months and a fine of at least $5k. Need a decent deterrent. I believe the fines for not stopping for police in Australia are a lot harsher which may be a real deterrent which may be why police do not chase as often.
In contrast, all other Australian jurisdictions permit a term of imprisonment from the first offence of failing to stop, with Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) having the most significant penalties. In Queensland, a conviction for failing to stop carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $25,230 AUD. In the ACT, offenders on their second or subsequent offence can be imprisoned for up to three years and fined up to $63,000 AUD. In New South Wales, the penalties are more severe – offenders can be imprisoned for up to three years for first offence and up to five years for a second or subsequent offence.
The whole report is worth a read. Probably several times to absorb it all, there's a lot there.
This fellow is not going to be affected by bigger fines, whatever. He sounds like someone a bit lost, out of control, hophead or a druggie, definitely not going to be have second thoughts about behaving better as he doesn't even have first ones by the sounds.
Defence lawyer Michael Scott said Chasteauneuf was under significant stress at the time, resulting in him being admitted to Palmerston North Hospital's mental health ward.
Australia having heavy penalties and putting people in prison would not be a useful line for us to follow. We already imprison people, second to the USA, which is an indication that we too are a hollow country, looks good on the outside, but inside worm-eaten.
He looks as if he might come from a comfortably off family and perhaps there has not been enough time spent helping him through the difficult teen years, with affection and encouragement.
Something that those who know-all might be able to advise is about set tasks for people needing actual 'correction'. If he was told to go to driving instruction and perhaps counselling, and didn't go, would he be followed up and then given a short jail term? I have the idea that after conviction there isn't much available except that Maori are trying to work with their own people.
WTF ? This is the judge (who's on 350K a year) – …..the chase put numerous people at risk, including police officers, the judge said. "They don't get paid enough for that to occur." "They don't get paid enough……"???
I mean the comment, apparently made to a probation officer – "I couldn't be bothered stopping…." is obviously a load of weird crap yet it seems that at both ends we're happy to settle for that as definitional. The media at one end and the wiseacres on here at the other end who lustily fantasise that smashing up an attitudinally fucked young life is going to result in a young life that's not fucked up ???
It's almost like we don't actually want any advance.
Surprise surprise. When you give rich people money, they keep it.
/
Mechanism by which the GOP tax cut was supposed to supercharge growth was by supercharging business investment. Business investment instead *fell* last quarter, by 3% annualized.
investment in structures — factories, offices, oil rigs, etc. — plunged 15.3% in Q3, after falling 11.1% in Q2
This was 2nd consecutive quarter in which overall business investment shrank.
2019 GDP growth also now on track to equal about what it averaged during Obama’s 2nd term.
The Trump economic agenda — tax cuts, trade wars, pro-pollution deregulation — ain’t so magical after all
Also worth pointing out that the mechanism by which we were supposed to get supercharged biz investment was through big capital inflows to the US. Capital inflows to US have instead been shrinking
A great move. Someone makes a start at taming the digital wild west.
We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought. Why? A few reasons…🧵
Twitter bans political ads in yet another attempt by the left to silence Trump and conservatives. Wouldn’t be surprised if @twitter lifted the ban after 2020.
The most sophisticated online program ever known? Really? Spittle-flecked Twitter rants at two in the morning because Faux News doesn't lavish you with unearned praise any more? It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.
Poor fucking Brad Parscale my heart weeps. One day maybe not too long off 'conservatives' will be declaring from under their straw coiffs that Trump was never a 'conservative' anyway. Which the decent people knew forever.
BREAKING: Chile's President Sebastián Piñera announces his embattled government will not host the APEC & COP25 summits "given the circumstances of recent weeks". Protesters continue to demonstrate, daily, and sometimes violently, protesting income inequality & social injustice. pic.twitter.com/MdLxOZkFOH
The crisis in Chile is terrifying, protesters are "violent" because cops are beating people up, and reports of rape and brutality etc. Scary place right now.
Someone held in jail in harsh conditions because he is an environmentalist who has criticised the USA government and was labelled as a possible terrorist! And Muslims who seem perfectly good people but paranopia finds them otherwise. I found this clip on line and interested people may have missed the link and my comment at –
What the heck? Our lives are to be continually disrupted by paranoid super liberal middle class apparatchiks who want to turn our lives upside down and spoil them to accommodate the new, demanding, restless culture who will never be happy and always mewling about something that they haven't got. It is an unimagined expansion of the Me Generation that wishes to insert themselves into every niche and space we have.
Now students have decided that they shouldn't clap with enthusiasm because..,.
Jazz hands is the British Sign Language expression of clapping, and the [Oxford] university union hopes that by doing away with clapping, whooping and cheering, events will be more accessible to people suffering from anxiety and those with hearing problems…
Frank Furedi is emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent. He is well known for his work on the sociology of fear, education, therapy culture, paranoid parenting and the sociology of knowledge.
"One of the great things about applauding, or applauding people, is it brings people together it's a kind of solidarity and you see it in sporting events in concerts, in all kinds of public situations.
"And if now, what you do is you kind of marginalise that very human way of identifying with each other. I think that has a very negative effect on the spirits."
Ferudi is a long-time critic of a style of parenting and teaching that he believes medicalises ordinary life challenges.
If you get tired of the constant PCness arising each day like weeds, you might like Ruth Dudley Edwards’ (Irish/UK writer) book called Murdering Americans about how an educational business makes money from teaching this stuff, and doesn’t like it being exposed to public gaze.
Surely, the acceptable norm that includes both jazz hands and audible clapping with understanding of noise sensitivities is the desired outcome?
People aware of such sensitivities, such as my sister-in-law who had several operations on her head and scalp, will often remove themselves from situations where noise may be an issue. Or she – in rare instances – will use hearing protection to protect herself from the associated pain of loud noises.
It would be good to see a combination of both "jazz hands" and "palm-to-palm" clapping being so common, that it is accepted without need for discourse.
How do you mean? Having a mix won't solve the noise/anxiety issue.
I'm quite sensitive to noise for health reasons and I'm ok with avoiding places where people are clapping and cheering if it's too much for me. This is a key human experience, to express excitement and joy by making a noise, not a good thing to interfere with.
I can imagine some exceptions to this eg where people with anxiety or noise sensitivity are speaking or at an event that is specific to them. I can also see the value in an option of some events using jazz hands. I'm a big fan of quiet spaces too, and hope libraries sort out the conflict on this sooner rather than later. Rather than banning clapping/cheering, I'd rather see quiet spaces increased.
Hi Molly, yes, I read it as a reply. I just wasn't clear what you meant by "It would be good to see a combination of both "jazz hands" and "palm-to-palm" clapping being so common, that it is accepted without need for discourse."
The comment " If you get tired of the constant PCness arising each day like weeds" just struck me as non-inclusive. I could be reading it wrong, but would like to live in a society where differences are just accepted, and not referred to as PC.
I know what you mean, and rising intolerance seems a thing. We don't seem that good at the moment as a society for resolving conflicting needs and it think this is made worse by the tension and fear people are feeling about the world.
I agree about library, not perfect quiet but controlled quiet. We have a man who clucks like a hen every few minutes, I don't know if I am unreasonable to dislike this. But if there were a few of them and perhaps a mentally different person whooping away then it is hardly a space for concentrated thinking.
Too much chatting and socialising of young people at the library general spaces some times. They need to be shushed off to their own space where they could enjoy talking at the tops of their voices.
I suppose headphones would help, and block out the distractions.
Too much chatting and socialising of young people at the library general spaces some times.
Libraries are almost our last equal access community space, open to all demographics, ages and skill levels. If it is used as a free sociable space by any community members, I'm all for it. Too many are trying to diminish or remove libraries, and they need to adapt.
Some of the more recent library buildings have a purpose-built acoustically designed quiet reading space. I think this is a great solution for those who want to read in silence while in the library. Best thing is, they can also take out items on loan and read in the privacy of their own homes – with a cup of tea.
it's not hard to design spaces once the needs are understood. Because libraries have traditionally been quiet places, I favour keeping them that way and adding in other, more socially loud spaces (or times). Not everyone can take books home to read. I sometimes used to sit in the library just to rest.
Papakura library was renovated a few years ago, and I tried out their quiet reading room. It was great, there was a specific toddler reading and singing activity scheduled, but inside the room itself was all comfortable armchairs and quiet.
As someone who enjoys quiet spaces, I understand the preference for libraries to remain so. I am also painfully aware of reoccurring proposals that aim to reduce or diminish our library resources. For me, making them more valued and indispensable to a wide range of ages and people may include changing traditional rules about how they are used. It's a fine balance though, and must include provisions for those who have always valued the library for it's quiet public space.
There are places I don't go because the noise is too loud, and heavy metal bands I avoid. I put my habnds to my ears when standing on the tarmac waiting to board a plane and one is revving next door, you do have to be careful with your hearing.
After dismissing the rants from Anti-Twyfords today it was refreshing to read Patrick Smellie' column. Won't stop the odious from creating mischief but any reasonable person might wonder at the mountains out of little bumps.
Consistent with Wellington's failure for years to get its act together under the previous government, the Basin Reserve and Mt Victoria tunnel choke point remains at the heart of the political stalemate between motorists and the public transport lobby….
…
"Some of the current commentary has suggested an entirely appropriate meeting between Twyford and the NZ Super Fund about the fund's alternative proposal for light rail was somehow illegitimate. In the process, the NZ Super Fund's good name is dragged through the mud, as if its desire to fund a multi-billion dollar asset for the country's largest city were some evil plot.
Wondering about the concerted attack focussed on the same people from papers, blogs, radio online. Going to be hard going for the next 12 months. Did I read that Bridges has 7 staff working on media and only 2 on policies?
The fact the new NZTA chair, Brian Roche, and Twyford are in unison in suggesting NZTA dropped the ball on the Super Fund proposal should be read as evidence the agency stonewalled rather than that Twyford has a yes-man on board or that this is all just some giant Twyford screw-up.
Aha… just as I thought. Petty-fogging officials are far more likely to be behind the screw-up – not Phil Twyford. To describe Twyford as incompetent and not up to ministerial level tasks is poppycock.
I know him well and have seen him in action on the campaign front. He's a superb organiser and knows exactly what he wants to do. I can imagine him getting up the noses of some in officialdom who like to think they are the real masters of policy formation and expect ministers to follow them – not the other way around.
Twyford is a glass half-full personality. Nothing is impossible to him but, maybe, when you're in government some things are impossible – at least in the short term. And that could be where he came a little unstuck.
"Twyford is a glass half-full personality. Nothing is impossible to him but, maybe, when you're in government some things are impossible – at least in the short term. And that could be where he came a little unstuck."
and that is possibly the most generous and polite description I have ever read
Why did he get both Housing and Urban Development as well as Transport to start off with? That was a really bad decision on the part of the Labour medical team. He couldn't breathe life into both those portfolios, especially seeing housing had an overdose of happy potion.
Maybe this Government has been trying too hard? I can't really think of any Minister in the previous Government who pushed so hard on any program that the people pointed the finger at rate of progress. Hard to think of any real strides forward. Therefore if Phil had promised little and kept very quiet, no more chitter chat then the naysayers would be stumped.
The coalition Government has actually achieved a huge amount in 2 years haven't they?
Some truth in that. Especially where Phil is concerned. As I said… he's a glass half full type of person who puts his heart and soul into any venture he is involved in.
Well Labour over-promised and expected miracles in giving Twyford two demanding and key portfolios. I wonder again why did they make this error, it's lacking in reason. Housing has been top of the mind for yonks and people wanted action. Gaping holes could be seen. I don't understand how things work – voters elect a government and then government puts all responsibility for certain work on a particular MP who then seems to become king-pin though the government wear the results.
They say a week is a long time in politics. For Mayor Wayne Brown, turns out 24 hours was long enough for many of us to see, quite obviously, “something isn’t right here…”. That in fact, a lot was going wrong. Very wrong indeed.Mainly because it turns ...
One of the most effective, and successful, graphics developed by Skeptical Science is the escalator. The escalator shows how global surface temperature anomalies vary with time, and illustrates how "contrarians" tend to cherry-pick short time intervals so as to argue that there has been no recent warming, while "realists" recognise ...
A new Prime Minister, a revitalised Cabinet, and possibly revised priorities – but is the political and, importantly, economic landscape much different? Certainly some within the news media were excited by the changes which Chris Hipkins announced yesterday or – before the announcement – by the prospect of changes in ...
Currently the government's strategy for reducing transport emissions hinges on boosting vehicle fuel-efficiency, via the clean car standard and clean car discount, and some improvements to public transport. The former has been hugely successful, and has clearly set us on the right path, but its also not enough, and will ...
Buzz from the Beehive Before he announced his Cabinet yesterday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced he would be flying to Australia next week to meet that country’s Prime Minister. And before Kieran McAnulty had time to say “Three Waters” after his promotion to the Local Government portfolio, he was dishing ...
The quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing that unemployment has risen slightly to 3.4%. There are now 99,000 people unemployed - 24,000 fewer than when Labour took office. So, I guess the Reserve Bank's plan to throw people out of work to stop wage rises "inflation", and ...
* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular reforms in water and DHB centralisation ...
Completed reads for January Lilith, by George MacDonald The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (poem), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Christabel (poem), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, by Anonymous The Lay of Kraka (poem), by Anonymous 1066 and All That, by W.C. Sellar and R.J. ...
Pity the poor Brits. They just can’t catch a break. After years of reporting of lying Boris Johnson, a change to a less colourful PM in Rishi Sunak has resulted in a smooth media pivot to an end-of-empire narrative. The New York Times, no less, amplifies suggestions that Blighty ...
On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth.Genesis 6:11-12THE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS that dumped a record-breaking amount of rain on Auckland this anniversary weekend will reoccur with ever-increasing frequency. The planet’s atmosphere is ...
Buzz from the Beehive There has been plenty to keep the relevant Ministers busy in flood-stricken Auckland over the past day or two. But New Zealand, last time we looked, extends north of Auckland into Northland and south of the Bombay Hills all the way to the bottom of the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters When early settlers came to the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers before the California Gold Rush, Indigenous people warned them that the Sacramento Valley could become an inland sea when great winter rains came. The storytellers described water filling the ...
Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Last night’s opinion polls answered the big question of whether a switch of prime minister would really be a gamechanger for election year. The 1News and Newshub polls released at 6pm gave the same response: the shift from Jacinda Ardern to Chris Hipkins ...
Last night’s opinion polls answered the big question of whether a switch of prime minister would really be a gamechanger for election year. The 1News and Newshub polls released at 6pm gave the same response: the shift from Jacinda Ardern to Chris Hipkins has changed everything, and Labour is back ...
Over the last few years, it’s seemed like city after city around the world has become subject to extreme flooding events that have been made worse by impacts from climate change. We’ve highlighted many of them in our Weekly Roundup series. Sadly, over the last few days it’s been Auckland’s ...
A ‘small target’ strategy is not going to cut it anymore if National want to win the upcoming election. The game has changed and the game plan needs to change as well. Jacinda Ardern’s abrupt departure from the 9th floor has the potential to derail what looked to be an ...
When Grant Robertson talks about how the economy might change post-covid, one of the things he talks about is what he calls an unsung but interesting white paper on science. “It’s really important,” he says. The Minister in charge of the White Paper — Te Ara Paerangi, Future Pathways ...
The news media were at one ceremony by the looks of things. The Governor-General, the Prime Minister and his deputy were at another. The news media were at a swearing-in ceremony. The country’s leaders were at an appointment ceremony. The New Zealand Gazette record of what transpired says: Appointment of ...
I n some alternative universe, Auckland mayor Efeso Collins readily grasped the scale of Friday’s deluge, and quickly made the emergency declaration that enabled central government to immediately throw its resources behind the rescue and remediation effort. As Friday evening became night, Mayor Collins seemed to be everywhere: talking with ...
They called it an “atmospheric river”, the weather bombardment which hit NZ’s northern region at the weekend. It exacted a terrible toll on metropolitan Auckland and the rest of the region. Few living there may have noted a statement from electricity generator Mercury Energy labelled “WET, WET, WET!” This was ...
I know, that is a pretty corny title but given the circumstances here in the Auckland region, I just had to say it. The more oblique reference embedded in the title is to the leadership failures exhibited by Mayor Wayne Brown and his so-called leadership team when confronted by the ...
How much confidence should the public have in authorities managing natural disasters? Not much, judging by the farcical way in which the civil defence emergence in Auckland has played out. The way authorities dealt with Auckland’s extreme weather on Friday illustrated how hit-and-miss our civil defence emergency system is. In ...
Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The recent leadership change in the governing Labour party resulted in a very strange response from National’s (current) leader, Christopher Luxon. Mr Luxon berated Labour for it’s change of leader, citing no actual change.As ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 22, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 28, 2023. Story of the Week New Study Reveals Arctic Ice, Tracked Both Above and Below, Is Freezing LaterClimate change is affecting the timing of both ...
Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.It was another ‘SHOCK! HORROR!’ headline from a media increasingly venturing into tabloid-style journalism:Andrea Vance’s article seemed to focus on the "million dollar sums from the Government as the country grapples with a housing ...
Dr Brian Easton writes: It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. Here is my guess at some ...
What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. ...
In case you hadn't noticed, FYI, the public OIA request site, has been used to conduct a significant excavation into New Zealand's intelligence agencies, with requests made for assorted policies and procedures. Yesterday in response to one of these requests the GCSB released its policy on New Zealand Purpose and ...
Farming leaders are watching closely whether Damien O’Connor keeps the key portfolios of Agriculture and Trade when Prime Minister Chris Hipkins restructures his Cabinet. O’Connor has been one of the few ministers during Labour’s term in office who has won broad support for what he has done ...
South Islands farmers are whining about another drought, the third in three years. If only we knew what was causing this! If only someone had warned them that they faced a drying climate! But we do know what is causing it: climate change. And they have been warned, repeatedly, for ...
Ok, there’s good news and bad news in this week’s inflation figures, but bad > good. Our inflation rate held steady but hey, at a level below the inflation rate in Australia. The main reason for the so/so result here? A fall in petrol prices of 7.2% offset the really ...
Dr Bryce Edwards writes: Since her shock resignation announcement, Jacinda Ardern has been at pains to point out that she isn’t leaving because of the toxicity directed at her on social media and elsewhere, rebutting journalists who suggested misogyny and hate may have driven her from office. Yet ...
Since her shock resignation announcement, Jacinda Ardern has been at pains to point out that she isn’t leaving because of the toxicity directed at her on social media and elsewhere, rebutting journalists who suggested misogyny and hate may have driven her from office. Yet there have been dozens of columns ...
The Clinical Magus: Of particular relevance to New Zealanders struggling to come to terms with the sudden departure of their prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is Jung’s concept of the anima. Much more than what others have called the feminine principle, the anima is what the human male has made out ...
The Select Committee, considering the proposed RNZ-TVNZ merger, has come back with a report conceding many of the criticisms that were made of the original legislation. In what is one of the most comprehensive demolitions of a Bill submitted to a Select Committee, the Economic Development, Science and Innovation ...
Such are the 2020s, the age when no-one, it seems, actually respects the basic underpinnings of democracy. Even in New Zealand. This week, I stumbled across a pair of lengthy and genuinely serious articles, that basically argue that Something is Rotten in the state of New Zealand democracy. One ...
Buzz from the Beehive Hurrah. Today we found something fresh on the Beehive website, Beehive.govt.nz, which claims to be the best place to find Government initiatives, policies and Ministerial information. It wasn’t from Finance Minister Grant Robertson, whose reaction to the latest inflation figures would have been appreciated. So, too, ...
Smiling And Waiving A Golden Opportunity: Chris Hipkins knew that the day at Ratana would be Jacinda’s day – her final opportunity to bask in the unalloyed love and support of her followers. He simply could not afford to be seen to overshadow this last chance for his former boss ...
Extremism Consumes Itself: The plot of “Act of Oblivion” concerns the relentless pursuit of the “regicides” Edward Whalley and William Goffe – two of the fifty-nine signatories to King Charles I’s death warrant. As with his many other works of historical fiction, Robert Harris’s novel brings to life a period ...
To challenge the Government’s promotion of co-governance, to share power between Maori and public authorities and agencies, is to invite accusations of racism. An example: this article by Martyn Bradbury on The Daily Blog headed Luxon’s race baiting hypocrisy at Ratana. The article was triggered by National leader Christopher Luxon, ...
A very informative video discussion: Are we getting the whole story about Ukraine? | Robert Wright & Ivan Katchanovski Getting objective information on the situation in Ukraine and the cause of this current war is not easy. There is the current censorship and blatant mainstream media bias – which ...
Yesterday the Herald ran an op-ed from Mayor Wayne Brown titled “The case for light rail is lighter than ever” and a few things stood out. However, it’s getting more and more tricky to make a strong economic case for spending up to $29 billion on a single route of ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Samantha Harrington Imagine it’s a cold February night and your furnace breaks. You want to replace it with an electric heat pump because you’ve heard that tax credits will help pay for the switch. And you know that heat pumps can reduce ...
In 2005, then-National Party leader based his entire election campaign on racism, with his infamous racist Orewa speech and racist iwi/kiwi billboards. Now, Christopher Luxon seems to want to do it all again: Fresh off using his platform at this week's Rātana celebrations to criticise the government's approach to ...
Inflation is showing little sign of slowing down, posing a problem for freshly minted PM Chris Hipkins. According to that old campaigner Richard Prebble, Hipkins should call a snap election. If he waits till October, he risks being swept away. The dilemma for the new leader is that fighting an election ...
Buzz from the Beehive A great deal has happened since January 19. Among other things, a new Prime Minister and deputy have been sworn in and our leaders (past, present and aspiring) have delivered speeches at Ratana. Newshub reported that politicians of all stripes had descended upon Rātana for the ...
It’s a big day for New Zealand; our 41st Prime Minister has taken office and the new, “Chippy” era of politics is underway. Or, on the other hand, the Labour Party continues to govern with an overall majority and much the same leadership team in place. Life goes on and ...
New Zealand has another Prime Minister who does not have a basic grasp of the three articles of the Treaty of Waitangi. THOMAS CRANMER writes: It is simply astonishing that New Zealand’s next Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, is unable to give even a brief explanation of the three articles ...
A statue of a semi-naked Nick Smith puts the misogyny debate into perspective. GRAHAM ADAMS writes … In the wake of Ardern’s abrupt resignation, the mainstream media are determined to convince us she was hounded from office mainly because she is a woman and had to fall on her sword ...
A Different Kind Of Vibe: In the days and weeks ahead, as the Hipkins ministry takes shape, the only question that matters is whether New Zealand’s new prime minister possesses both the wisdom and the courage to correct his party’s currently suicidal political course. If Chris “Chippy” Hipkins is ...
An editorial in the NZ Herald last week, titled “Nimbyism goes bananas as housing intensifies“, introduced Herald readers to a couple of acronyms that go along with the now-familiar NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard): “bananas” (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone) “cave” dwellers (citizens against virtually everything). The editorial ...
Back in the dark autumn of 2020, when the prospect of Covid was freaking the country out, Finance Minister Grant Robertson set himself and Treasury a series of questions about what a post-Covid economy might look like. Those were fearful days, and the questions in part reflected a series ...
Buzz from the Beehive Yet another day has passed without Ministers of the Crown posting something to show they are still working for us on the Beehive website. Nothing new has been posted since January 17. Perhaps the ministers are all engaged in the bemusing annual excursion ...
Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has already indicated he intends making the tax system “fairer”. That points to the route a government facing an election could take to tilt the odds towards winning in its favour, given Labour’s support in the last months of the Ardern era had been ...
NewsHub has a poll on the cost-of-living crisis, which has an interesting finding: the vast majority of kiwis prefer wage rises to tax cuts: When asked whether income has kept up with the cost of living, 54.8 percent of people surveyed said no and according to 58.6 percent of ...
Labour has begun 2023 with the centre-left bloc behind in the polls and losing ground. That being so, did his colleagues choose Chris Hipkins as the replacement for Jacinda Ardern because they think he has a realistic shot at leading them to victory this year, or because he‘s the best ...
Two Flags, Two Masters? Just as it required a full-scale military effort to destroy the first attempt at Māori self-government in the 1850s and 60s (an effort that divided Maoridom itself into supporters and opponents of the Crown) any second attempt to establish tino rangatiratanga, based on the confiscatory policies ...
The first of Kiwirail’s big network shutdowns to fix the foundations on our tracks is now well underway with the Southern Line closed between Otahuhu and Newmarket. This is following on from the network wide Christmas/New Year shutdown, during which Kiwirail say that nearly 1,300 people working across 69 different ...
This is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blogIn last year’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Congress included about $20 billion earmarked for natural climate solutions. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for deciding how those funds should be allocated to meet the climate ...
You’ve really got to wonder at the introspection, or lack thereof, from much of the mainstream media post Jacinda Ardern stepping down. Some so-called journalists haven’t even taken a breath before once again putting the boot in, which clearly shows their inherent bias and lack of any misgivings about fueling ...
Over the weekend I was interviewed by a media outlet about the threats that Jacinda Ardern and her family have received while she has been PM and what can be expected now that she has resigned. I noted that the level of threat she has been exposed to is unprecedented ...
Dr Bryce Edwards writes: The days of the Labour Government being associated with middle class social liberalism look to be numbered. Soon-to-be Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni are heralding a major shift in emphasis away from the constituencies and ideologies of liberal Grey ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a climate crisis. ...
The tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says. ...
A new Government and industry strategy launched today has its sights on growing the value of New Zealand’s horticultural production to $12 billion by 2035, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “Our food and fibre exports are vital to New Zealand’s economic security. We’re focussed on long-term strategies that build on ...
25 cents per litre petrol excise duty cut extended to 30 June 2023 – reducing an average 60 litre tank of petrol by $17.25 Road User Charge discount will be re-introduced and continue through until 30 June Half price public transport fares extended to the end of June 2023 saving ...
The strong economy has attracted more people into the workforce, with a record number of New Zealanders in paid work and wages rising to help with cost of living pressures. “The Government’s economic plan is delivering on more better-paid jobs, growing wages and creating more opportunities for more New Zealanders,” ...
The Government is providing a further $1 million to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Cabinet today agreed that, given the severity of the event, a further $1 million contribution be made. Cabinet wishes to be proactive ...
The new Cabinet will be focused on core bread and butter issues like the cost of living, education, health, housing and keeping communities and businesses safe, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. “We need a greater focus on what’s in front of New Zealanders right now. The new Cabinet line ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Canberra next week for an in person meeting with Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. “The trans-Tasman relationship is New Zealand’s closest and most important, and it was crucial to me that my first overseas trip as Prime Minister was to Australia,” Chris Hipkins ...
The Government is providing establishment funding of $100,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “We moved quickly to make available this funding to support Aucklanders while the full extent of the damage is being assessed,” Kieran McAnulty ...
As the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the Government, through NEMA, is able to step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland. “I’d urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information. As always, the Government ...
Ka papā te whatitiri, Hikohiko ana te uira, wāhi rua mai ana rā runga mai o Huruiki maunga Kua hinga te māreikura o te Nota, a Titewhai Harawira Nā reira, e te kahurangi, takoto, e moe Ka mōwai koa a Whakapara, kua uhia te Tai Tokerau e te kapua pōuri ...
Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development and Employment, has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to flooding and damaged caused by Cyclone Hale in the Tairāwhiti region. Up to $500,000 will be made available to employ job seekers to support the clean-up. We are still investigating whether other parts ...
The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “Announcing the election date early in the year provides New Zealanders with certainty and has become the practice of this Government and the previous one, and I believe is best practice,” Jacinda ...
Jacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister. A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days’ time on Sunday the 22nd of ...
The Government is maintaining its strong trade focus in 2023 with Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visiting Europe this week to discuss the role of agricultural trade in climate change and food security, WTO reform and New Zealand agricultural innovation. Damien O’Connor will travel tomorrow to Switzerland to attend the ...
The Government has extended its medium-scale classification of Cyclone Hale to the Wairarapa after assessing storm damage to the eastern coastline of the region. “We’re making up to $80,000 available to the East Coast Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers recover from the significant damage in the region,” ...
The Government is making an initial contribution of $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Tairāwhiti following ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “While Cyclone Hale has caused widespread heavy rain, flooding and high winds across many parts of the North Island, Tairāwhiti ...
Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor has classified this week’s Cyclone Hale that caused significant flood damage across the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne District as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking Government support for farmers and growers. “We’re making up to $100,000 available to help coordinate efforts as farmers and growers recover from the heavy ...
It’s the biggest week in Real Pod history! Jane made her debut in Treasure Island: Fans v Faves and we grill her all about the drama from week one. Why did she put up Micah? How brutal was the wrestling challenge IRL? And what were her concerns about joining Lance’s ...
Treasure Island is back, baby, and so are our power rankings. Tara Ward recaps all the big plays from the dramatic first week of Fans v Faves. Treasure Island: Fans v Faves has finally washed ashore, and after hoovering down the first three action-packed episodes, I’m fuller than a weatherman ...
By Felix Chaudhary in Suva New Zealand-based Fijian academic Professor Steven Ratuva says that if the coalition government is strong, resilient and lasts, “this will reflect well as a future model for coalitions in Fiji”. “It’s a learning process for a new government and a new democracy and we expect ...
By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist Many Pasifika families affected by the flash floods and torrential rainfall that have lashed New Zealand’s North Island over the past few days were braced for more bad weather overnight. With four people dead and hundreds forced out of their homes over the weekend ...
RNZ Pacific A New Zealand-based professor in comparative politics says the Fiji constitution needs to clear up the role of the military. Dr Jon Fraenkel of Victoria University, formerly of the University of the South Pacific, says the 2013 constitution revived the provision that existed in the 1990 constitution which ...
By Repeka Nasiko in Lautoka Fiji’s Media Industry Development Act will soon be reviewed over the next few weeks. Speaking to The Fiji Times in Lautoka on Monday, Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica said the review was one of the main objectives of the coalition government when it came to ...
ANALYSIS:By Peter Wilson, political commentator for RNZ News Tuesday, February 7, at 2pm. That’s when New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ parliamentary year begins and he faces National leader Christopher Luxon in the debating chamber for the first question time of 2023. He needs to “Win the House”, ...
Analysis - Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has had a dream start with polls showing Labour ahead of National, but now he has to prove himself in Parliament and quickly deliver on his promises. ...
Andrew Kirton has been appointed the prime minister’s staff by Chris Hipkins. He begins the role on February 8, replacing Raj Nahna, who has resigned. Nahna become Jacinda Ardern’s chief of staff after Mike Munro resigned for health reasons in 2019. A former Helen Clark staffer, Labour Party general secretary ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luciano Beheregaray, Matthew Flinders Professor of Biodiversity Genomics, Flinders University Shutterstock As the climate heats up rapidly, many species will struggle to avoid extinction. If they had time, they could evolve to the new environmental conditions. But they don’t. That’s ...
The Labour Party has selected Sarah Pallett as its candidate for the Ilam electorate in the 2023 general election. Sarah has been the MP for Ilam since the 2020 General Election. She currently sits on two Select Committees, is the Chair of the Labour ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madison Williams-Hoffman, PhD Candidate in Environmental Radioactivity, Edith Cowan University WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services By now, you’ve probably heard about a tiny radioactive capsule that went missing from the back of a truck somewhere in Western Australia. ...
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has welcomed the news that schools will be allowed to reopen from tomorrow morning. The Ministry of Education backtracked on its initial decision to keep schools closed until next week. In a statement, Brown also welcomed the blue sky that had replaced clouds across the super ...
Auckland Pride has quietly become one of the most culturally and economically important festivals in the country. Jade Winterburn writes about what it means to her as a queer Aucklander and her hopes for its future.It took some encouragement from a friend to get me out to see my ...
As Auckland begins a big dry following record rainfall and devastating floods, the official response from Mayor Wayne Brown and others has come under scrutiny. In The Spinoff’s politics podcast Gone By Lunchtime, Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Ben Thomas debate the deluge ...
How has Chris Hipkins performed in his first big tests as prime minister? Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Ben Thomas debate the deluge aftermath, as well as assessing Wayne Brown’s emergency response, and a pair of polls that show an election year in the balance. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan de Groot Heupner, Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rushed to the Middle East this week to make yet another push for a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians following yet another dramatic escalation in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol Johnson, Emerita Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide Mick Tsikas/AAP Treasurer Jim Chalmers begins his Monthly essay “Capitalism After the Crises” with a quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in ...
New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins followed up an announcement of new cost of living measures on Wednesday with a visit to a North Shore Marae The clouds parted and a tableau of brilliant blue rushed in to fill the void as the fledgling Prime Minister made his rounds of Auckland ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University In its new national cultural policy, the Australian government grapples with issues extending well beyond the creative arts. The policy document places issues like First Nations representation, work and wages, technological upheaval, discrimination ...
Morningside Live Blockparty will proceed this Sunday February 5 as scheduled, and at this point sunshine is forecast. Severe weather over the weekend and last night, however, has seen the location of The Spinoff Carpet Club stage (a basement below The Carpet Court) flooded and unusable for the event taking ...
Auckland schools will be able to open their doors to students from tomorrow. That’s despite the Ministry of Education announcing late on Monday afternoon that all learning facilities, including kura and universities, must close until after the Waitangi long weekend. Schools have been notified today that the blanket directive to ...
What are you going to be watching in February? We round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ+. The biggies You (season four, part one on Netflix from February 9) When we last left murder-curious hipster Joe Goldberg, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Grattan Institute Lukas Coch/AAP Nine months after the 2022 federal election, voters finally get a look at how much the parties spent and who funded their campaigns. Data released today reveal Australia’s political parties collectively ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has welcomed the decision to lift the Ministry of Education’s directive on Auckland schools and other learning facilities, which means schools can open from tomorrow at their discretion. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, ...
The head of the South Island’s Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency says the new Cabinet announced by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday is good news for Māori, with Peeni Henare retaining his spot as Minister of Whānau Ora, and Kiri Allan and Willie ...
The latest report from Aroturuki Tamariki, the Independent Children’s Monitor, on Experiences of Care in Aotearoa shows that there is not yet a significant improvement in outcomes for children in care, or their whānau and caregivers. Experiences of ...
The Children’s Commissioner, Judge Frances Eivers, said today that the latest Independent Child Monitor report into the performance of Oranga Tamariki, provides valuable insights, but its findings are of huge concern. Judge Eivers said, “In ...
Auckland’s deputy mayor has commented (via tweet) after this morning appearing to label her boss “part of the problem” in an interview about the flooding. On TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning, Desley Simpson was asked when the media will be able to speak with Wayne Brown, who has been particularly reluctant ...
Found a lost pet? Wondering how the animal shelters are going? The SPCA and the Auckland Council animal management team share some advice. Floods don’t just affect humans, they affect the furry members of the family too. It’s important to look out for animals following the Auckland floods, although it’s ...
An assessment of the impacts on an “inundated” City Rail Link project is under way following flooding in Auckland. Crews have pumped water from tunnels and stations sites and equipment was being salvaged and inspected, said the project chief executive Sean Sweeney. “At this stage there is no known structural ...
The government has announced another extension of its cost of living package – the fourth time it has pushed out the end date. The 25 cent cut to petrol excise duty, along with half price public transport fares, will be kept in place until June 30. These were initially set ...
It’s one of the most explosive moments in New Zealand’s political history. Now, director Tony Sutorius (Campaign) lifts the lid on the Jami-Lee Ross saga in Elements of Truth. After a fallout with National that threatens to bring the entire party down with it, Jami-Lee Ross seeks a return to ...
It was one of the most explosive moments in New Zealand’s political history. Now, a new documentary from director Tony Sutorius (Campaign) is lifting the lid on the Jami-Lee Ross saga.After a fallout with National that threatened to bring the entire party down with it, Jami-Lee Ross sought a ...
Transporting New Zealand has applauded the decision of the Government to reinstate the Transport Support Package, which includes the discount to road user charges (RUC). "On behalf of the transport industry and those who run diesel fuelled vehicles, ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins who is in Auckland today has confirmed the cut to the fuel excise tax and half-price public transport will be extended until June. ...
The Tree Council is experiencing first hand, along with everyone else, the worst ravages of the flooding, landslips, chaos and carnage currently engulfing Auckland. The record-breaking rainfall and its unprecedented intensity is a clear signal of ...
Low unemployment and strong wage growth in the December quarter 2022 Household Labour Force Survey are further evidence of New Zealand’s robust recovery from the pandemic, says the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff said ...
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Twyford is a dead man walking. The meta from today's stories in Stuff is he has zero political capital, his credibility is exhausted and the media smell blood.-
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117020181/the-true-cost-of-phil-tywfords-billion-dollar-memory-lapses and – https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117034013/for-the-second-day-in-a-row-phil-twyford-looks-like-hes-given-parliament-the-wrong-information
Perhaps Jacinda just got the reason to remove Twyford. He is now a political liability.
I’m no fan of Twyford, he’s certainly turning out to be a less than stella cabinet minister. And it’s intolerable that he appears to have totally fucked up the years of light rail planning in Auckland. But this campaign by Coughlan in cahoots with Chris Bishop and National’s old pals still in the the transport ministry is starting to look pretty nasty and personal.
would certainly help if he stopped handing them ammunition
Transport is serious. You can't lie, you can't get the wrong story from officials, you can't make mix things up, you can't not remember.
Now if he were, say a PM, and it was something unimportant, like say the GCSB, he could lie, would be allowed to not remember, be able to obfuscate…
Sure would!
Yes, it’s appalling when the opposition does its job and points out that Twyford couldn’t even plan the route for light rail, let alone product a plan to build it. Must be a media conspiracy that prevented Twyford from pulling out a map and finding a route, which is almost identical to a road, from the cbd to mount roskill.
certainly a personal attack.
Patrick Smellie balances the ledger somewhat: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12281214
Excellent hit job by Stuff. A new Minister with a big knife and plenty of gaffer tape should cure the problems with a department that sounds dysfunctional.
For no other reason than destroying the dreams of those who were sold the Kiwibuild dream, he needs to go. March 18 we had confirmed the promise of $600k cap from the election was still there, then less than 2 months later sorry it is now $650k.
Thanks to that inability of this government we have lost 3+ years into addressing the housing issue. His legacy will go well beyond this govts tenor.
we now face in the 2020 election a bad option or a slightly worse option. Meanwhile the rest of us face REAL day to day issues.
Kiwibuild itself was a poisoned chalice.
It was a badly conceived solution to the issue of affordable housing.
median 'household' income in Auckland would be around $120k . Any other system of direct government subsidy to reduce the price to say $450k would be a $$$ gift to those who can take advantage of it.
The building of state houses for rent as social housing is continuing, Kiwibuild isnt designed to replace that
I don't know how your response relates to my comment, I’m guessing it was for Herodotus.
But aside from that, I'd be interested in where are you finding the median Auckland household income? I can only find the average, which is not the same. Also, it might have some data on the distribution of income and number of household occupants.
No idea where Duke gets his figures from, but this seems more accurate to me…
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/09/aucklanders-need-three-times-median-income-to-afford-home-data.html
+ New Zealand's median income is $52,000
Hi Siobhan,
Another concern I have about using "household" income is that overcrowded or multiple family households, flatten out any financial stresses that would otherwise be apparent. A household with grown children earning money, but unable to afford their own housing on their individual income, will be contributing to the statistics of household income and improving it.
Also, given the information in your link. The article shows the disparity (or despair-ity) of median housing costs compared to median incomes. Although we know that indicates that at least half the households are in that position – or worse – we have no idea how the top 50% is distributed, and whether the housing stress affects 51% or 80%.
I never did understand why Kiwibuild was separated from the need for social housing – the two go together – it is all about making sure that as many as possible have somewhere to call home. As for why some initial targets have not been able to be met, there are two that I suspect do not get much attention. The first is that housing is just one of the neglected (or deliberately diminished) areas of government service – the previous government did its best to either privatise (largely to "Charities", but that produced a fragmented industry that cannot be measured, and importantly reduced expectations of government doing anything itself), or sell off state houses to private purchasers. The second is the comparative weakness of the building industry. The Government choices regarding Christchurch were to use Fletchers as much as possible – controlling supply, the pace of work, and subcontractors. Accompanying that were a deliberate mis-interpretation of insurance contracts (requiring fixed price sign offs from policyholders for example) and shoddy regulatory monitoring. We now know that many newer buildings collapse in an earthquake than those built 50 to 100 years ago; we know that concrete has not always had the correct amount of steel reinforcing, or properly connected steel. We know that New Zealand builders are bejind overseas companies with mechanisation and pre-built houses – our big companies do not want to knw, while small companies go bankrupt too easily . . .
We know the limitations of our clean water, waste water and sewage reticulation systems – new developments are harder than they used to be. Then we have stupid pandering to employers to bring in large numbers of people to keep wages low – remember when baristas was the biggest single occupation for immigrants? The separation of trade education from work meant that it was cheaper for companies to avoid having apprentices; that is only now being turned around by the current government, and unemployment is lower partly a a result. Some of the problems we now know exist are the fault of deferred maintenance and poor regulation in the last government, and some of them have also been surprises to all of New Zealand in the last 2 years. Deferred maintenance in Health has been well publicised, but it goes beyond just buildings to staff levels and (together with teachers) to pay levels. All that has required ambitions for the current government to not always be met. It is fair to say that some could have been anticipated, but not all of them.
National's preoccupation with selected bits of government is well known – and as we know from The Standard, most of their claims turn out to be severely distorted, if not plain wrong.
Kiwibuild was only meant to reduce prices in the part of the 'market' above social housing levels. To drag houses on an average section in an average suburb from $900k to 750k, say. Not remotely 'affordable' for most families.
State houses were always going to have a bigger impact at the bottom and this govt have done an appalling job of communicating what they have done in that space.
Irrespective of the merits of Kiwibuild, it created great hope out there, and this was initially promoted in 2014. So there has been plenty of time available to ensure that this at least was more successful that what is has been, and many of the issues should have been worked out, instead of fixing it as we go 4 years after its conception. The hubris that has surrounded this when valid short comings were pointed out.
What are the 20-30's who placed their hope into this scheme ? 3 years wasted, dreams destroyed.
And remember this govt. increased the scope from 50k to 100k over 10 years, without any prompting.
It was probably pretty well planned out – but when you hit reality, sometimes plans go awry.
For me, KB always gets points for actual effort and setting up a testable goal. Like a lot of this government's work.
That having been said, it's fallen well short. But Twyford never struck me as being a Clare Curran, so maybe replacing him won't magically improve things. Maybe the initial slog of KB is just a much worse job than expected.
I was never a fan of this approach. In effect, it actually reinforces buoyant market prices for housing.
I had posted this link previously, about Grand Design series "The Street" about an approach to housing development that provides benefits to both the purchaser and the authorities. Apparently the series is going to be on NZ television soon.
The original Netherlands development Almere is still going, and worthwhile researching for how successful it has been in providing lower-cost housing, while building community:
The first view of the government;s housing plan showed it as not only feeble but probably terminal. How come the voters were cast in the role of the simple, direct, clear-eyed viewers on the sideline looking at the Emperor with No Clothes, but a heck of a con story to sell us?
Where are the smarts in Cabinet? Did they get left on the Cabinet table after a meeting. And was it like that funny happening on the way to an Art Installation where the arrangement of an Aftermath of a 'do' with cigarette ends and other detritus', was mistaken as rubbish by the prosaic cleaner and swept away.
Not what I would call art; and the Cabinet decisions lacked veracity also.
And Newshub are going after David Clark (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/10/ryan-bridge-health-minister-david-clark-owes-new-zealand-an-explanation-over-measles-epidemic.html) and Ian Lees-Galloway (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/10/immigration-minister-iain-lees-galloway-didn-t-request-court-judgements-before-granting-drunk-driver-residency.html).
Time for the PM to take a punt and blood some new talent?
Ryan Bridge really? Who gives a toss what he thinks.
And Newshub knows like everybody else that Lees-Galloway had no choice but to allow the guy to stay if we were to comply with our international obligations.
Lets not forget Newshub as part of MediaWorks is going down the toilet and this bullshit is one of the reasons why.
Good points, but the media do influence perception, whether we like it or not. And politicians rise or fall on public perception.
It would help if people were less prepared to be spoon-fed bullshit. A lot of the time no one does any research for themselves, preferring to just meekly accept what they're being told, without knowing if it's a partisan hit-job, or just the 'feels' of some sour hack with an axe to grind. David Cunliffe was put through the wringer based on what turned out to be manufactured horseshit, and yet you had John Armstrong hysterically shrieking about his resignation. If 'The Hollow Men' and 'Dirty Politics' taught us anything, it's that none of this stuff is accidental. There's a cohesive strategy behind it.
That's a weak point Paddington, whatever is written about you will affect perceptions so you should drop off as soon as someone makes up a convincing lie? Where do standards sit in your part of the world – does anyone try to do anything good, and do most that you know sit on fences going hee-haw at the earnest tryers while they make up some juicy concoction about them for the gullible.
It's not a 'weak point', it is an observation of human frailty. The media's influence is, at least in part, determined by the willingness of the general public to accept 'news' at face value. When we challenge prevailing narrative, when we scratch below the surface, we expose the shallowness of media coverage. Too few do.
Its just a usual rants from a low rating breakfast show trying to make the news itself.
Jacinda needs to act on this IMO. The longer Twyford stays there the more crap he is putting on to Labour. Helen Clark would have sacked him by now.
Actually I think Clark, would, if she felt that her minister was being undermined by his ministry, have moved pretty smartly to curtail a few careers in that department. The minister would have been most likely given a minder and told not to move unless Heather Simpson said he could.
Spot on ScottGN.
I suspect part of Twyford's problem is that he has been too trusting of some in his ministry portfolios. Once upon a time these officials were strictly neutral but I fear that is no longer the case.
Twyford IS the problem IMO along with the other ABC national light ministers such as Nash, Robertson, Hipkins, Parker, O'Connor etc. WTF does Faafoi do !
Phildo has fallen into the trap of thinking his dept is behind him when any idiot can see the entire public service was turned over by National to suit it’s backers requirements.
Also there is the toxicity that is Shane Jones who thrives on undermining Labour with a proven history of laziness, arrogance and boorish behaviour.
But everyone knew that Shane Jones was like that tc, and he was chosen I think, despite those attributes because he was someone that the centre-Trump voters would feel akin to. Probably his rating is still positive with that group despite having his foot in his mouth, his automatic rifle in his meaty arm etc.
And generally being an up-himself Trumpian prick.
Being naïve is not an OK quality for a Minister.
Well said
No doubt there. Quite a few ministries are larded with so many Gnat spoilers they're a trap for ministers – Radio NZ for one. By all means give Twyford a holiday – but lose the fake public servants – there's no place for them under this government.
That attack is bollocks- Nat party stooge is helped by journo. Coughlin needs to be asked why he doesn't identify the clear party affiliation.
The bigger question is why were we f- around with PPPs. It's a marquee policy- Twyford isn't on his own here. Sure he hasn't done that well, but he's not working in a vacuum.
That's certainly compatible with Pattrick Smellie's interpretation, which seems to account for everything but the noise from the cheap seats.
Nope quite different. I'm asking if he was encouraged to seek a PPP when the project was quite a ways down the track and had already been campaigned on.
Snowden's twitter account is rich in news including Brazil, with the Bolsonaro family implicated in murder,Epstein's "suicide" (looking more like homicide according to Michael Baden who observed the autopsy)latest polling from New Hampshire..Sanders leading
Snowden's memoir Permanent Record should make interesting reading
https://twitter.com/Snowden?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
His Twitter feed is always interesting.
Has Assange got a twitter feed?
Assange is allowed very few visitors, has no access to books or computer let alone his own writings with which to defend himself.
Does anyone know the policy around police involvement in Auckland Transport fare dodging?
My son is a regular commuter on AT trains into Auckland. Leaves home between 5.30 and 6.30am so often wears a hoodie and sometimes a beanie for his early morning commute and just plays podcasts on his phone to pass the time.
He noticed several police officers board the train, and precede an AT staff member down the aisle. Surreptitious hand signals to the AT staff member resulted in various passengers being asked to confirm their fare payment. He was one of them.
Is this a judicious use of police time? Given that AT staff has a right to require proof of fare at any time, what would this operation been useful for? The only thing I can think of is immediate arrest of any farejumper.
Does anyone know the reasoning or legality behind this? Seems a lot like casual profiling.
Is this a judicious use of police time?
No, it is not imho.
Anyone who has approached the police about certain types of crimes – especially if it involves harassment, bullying and intimidatory criminal acts is likely to be – metaphorically speaking – turfed out on to the street and told to stop bothering the police. There have been instances in the past when women in particular have been physically attacked and even killed because police didn't take them seriously.
Yet they're happy to hop on a train and check law abiding passengers' tickets to see if they have diddled some corporate body of a dollar or two. Money talks.
And yes…casual profiling is on the cards.
diddled some corporate body
About half of each region's public transit operations funding has to come from fares under current regulations.
People who steal free rides are not reducing some company's profits but are disdvantaging everyone else who uses and benefits from PT – hence operators all over the world act against that theft. Many places have dedicated transit enforcement officers so they are not diverting attention from other policing. NZ could do that if our govt changes the law.
Except Sacha, they are not acting on evidence or suspicion of someone breaking the law.
This is purely going through the carriage and pointing out persons to the AT staff member – who already has the ability to ask for proof of fare, and can arrange for suitable backup at the next station if there is evidence of fare dodging. This is profiling.
Given climate change transition requirements, the regulations that should be changed is not to introduce more police to the transport system, but to subsidise public transport fully.
You are missing the point.
You have changed the point. Thats a different argument, even if fares were only expected to be 20% of cost, they still would have ticket checkers.
No one is going to subsidise public transport fully like you say
AT already have ticket checkers, who can randomly check for fare dodgers. That is still the point.
My last sentence added after initial posting, was for Sacha, who in his closing sentence suggested regulation change would make police on transport systems legal. I should have ensured the missing the point comment stayed in position. We subsidise a lot of things, limiting subsidies of public transport to only 50% of cost is limiting options in addressing climate change, and reducing the harm from air pollution. We should at least consider higher levels of subsidy. My preference would be fully subsidised public transport for NZ citizens.
But grammar aside, do you think this it a good use of police resources, and whether it is a form of profiling?
We rang cops a few weeks back as a friends phone went missing then she got a call she could get phone back for $100 (she got him down to $10), she asked for cops to witness but they said they didn't have the staff, just take some friends. I went with her, scary dudes, paid $10, got phone back.
Would be very tempted myself to just wave that phone goodbye, and replace it with a cheaper second-hand one.
Must admit, your friend has severely good negotiation skills, need her on our foreign trade talks.
How did the phone thieves ring the owner of the stolen phone?
AT staff have no power to detain anyone. Offenders scarper at will unless police are there. Having specific transit officers who do not need to be fully-trained police is one way other places manage that.
Profiling is another thing altogether and not specific to this situation.
Free PT is an ideal but meeting the daily peak demands for it may not be achievable without pricing or some other rationing system. I believe our current arrangements deliver neither fairness nor climate action.
Sacha – It appears that you think profiling is happening here, and it is one of Molly's points. Some of the comments that pass for answers that you and Duke put up are off the track but you imply you have definite knowledge, which can not be possible as you make replies to everything, and no-one knows everything.
I don't know about the transport policing, but our country's approach seems to let things happen that make life hard for folks, and intrusively check on the population for infringements, and when people can't or don't comply with rules, they get punished. It would be better if the country was run to make it easy for people to manage their lives, but that idea isn't on the table.
I compare police going on transport looking for unpaid money infringement, and at hospital in the A&E section, their own security staff have to handle assault and violence infringements. That is where police should be stationed, at least one all night, and that would be policing for the people's good.
Curious how you are confident something I have said is 'off the track'?
Nobody knows everything. Learning is a good thing. You seem to have enough time for that, which is a blessing.
AT staff have no power to detain anyone.
OK, I accept that. So what is the benefit of a police presence in this situation, given the level of the crime and the ability of AT to call ahead to have police present at the next station.
Profiling is another thing altogether and not specific to this situation.
In this case, the use of police – who are looked on to be experts in criminals – to identify possible farejumpers is the definition of profiling. Random checks are already possible.
Free PT is an ideal but meeting the daily peak demands for it may not be achievable without pricing or some other rationing system. I believe our current arrangements deliver neither fairness nor climate action.
I agree about the fairness and the climate action. I haven't witnessed any real discussions about higher subsidies for public transport either from this government or our local transport associations. I have seen dismissals that price was not considered to be a deterrent.
I have little faith that the pragmatists, who are usually not the most vulnerable or financially stressed, will even consider the impact of fairness in discussions about raising the 50% threshold that you stated was a regulatory limit. I would like to see that happen, and although I would like to see free public transport – understand the limitations of delivering that result.
I would love public transit to be free for our poorest and youngest – something like the Gold Gard. Also cheaper than increasing that 50% subsidy across the board. Nothing to stop govt doing it right away.
I would love public transit to be free for our poorest and youngest – something like the Gold Gard.
My partner's father, who died at the age of 93, utilised his Gold Card to catch the bus, train, ferry to Devonport and then return for a days outing. The benefit he had from this in terms of mental and physical health was considerable. As a community, we also benefit from having our older citizens visible, engaged and active. However, he was financially well off.
Any assessment on suitability for discounts etc is often crude and badly managed. We don't measure income vs fixed outgoings, we just measure taxed incomes. I know a few people who live very comfortable lives including private schools for their children and long annual overseas trips that are entitled to community services cards or similar benefits because of the way their personal incomes are calculated. Until these designs get better, I would rather have a way for citizens to access lower fares and leave the higher fares for tourists and non-citizens. We used to have a discount card provided for access to our local swimming pools that was delivered once a year to all households in our district. It allows those that regularly contribute taxes on top of fares, a reduction in fares and recognises their contribution.
Nothing to stop govt doing it right away.
That's the saddest part.
Here's another one for Greywarshark. The guy couldn't be bothered stopping for police. Wimpy judge gives an $850 fine and Community detention………should have got jail time of say, six months and a fine of at least $5k. Need a decent deterrent. I believe the fines for not stopping for police in Australia are a lot harsher which may be a real deterrent which may be why police do not chase as often.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/117037373/teen-couldnt-be-bothered-stopping-for-police-leads-them-on-chase
From page 63 of the IPCA report "Fleeing Drivers in New Zealand" earlier this year:
The whole report is worth a read. Probably several times to absorb it all, there's a lot there.
He's a white boy who considers himself to be above the law. Of course he got the wet bus ticket.
The judge couldn't be bothered..
Jimmy
This fellow is not going to be affected by bigger fines, whatever. He sounds like someone a bit lost, out of control, hophead or a druggie, definitely not going to be have second thoughts about behaving better as he doesn't even have first ones by the sounds.
Defence lawyer Michael Scott said Chasteauneuf was under significant stress at the time, resulting in him being admitted to Palmerston North Hospital's mental health ward.
Australia having heavy penalties and putting people in prison would not be a useful line for us to follow. We already imprison people, second to the USA, which is an indication that we too are a hollow country, looks good on the outside, but inside worm-eaten.
He looks as if he might come from a comfortably off family and perhaps there has not been enough time spent helping him through the difficult teen years, with affection and encouragement.
Something that those who know-all might be able to advise is about set tasks for people needing actual 'correction'. If he was told to go to driving instruction and perhaps counselling, and didn't go, would he be followed up and then given a short jail term? I have the idea that after conviction there isn't much available except that Maori are trying to work with their own people.
WTF ? This is the judge (who's on 350K a year) – …..the chase put numerous people at risk, including police officers, the judge said. "They don't get paid enough for that to occur." "They don't get paid enough……"???
I mean the comment, apparently made to a probation officer – "I couldn't be bothered stopping…." is obviously a load of weird crap yet it seems that at both ends we're happy to settle for that as definitional. The media at one end and the wiseacres on here at the other end who lustily fantasise that smashing up an attitudinally fucked young life is going to result in a young life that's not fucked up ???
It's almost like we don't actually want any advance.
Would this guy have stopped for police?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/117003370/alcohol-and-cannabis-in-fatal-crash-drivers-blood
Surprise surprise. When you give rich people money, they keep it.
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investment in structures — factories, offices, oil rigs, etc. — plunged 15.3% in Q3, after falling 11.1% in Q2
This was 2nd consecutive quarter in which overall business investment shrank.
2019 GDP growth also now on track to equal about what it averaged during Obama’s 2nd term.
The Trump economic agenda — tax cuts, trade wars, pro-pollution deregulation — ain’t so magical after all
Also worth pointing out that the mechanism by which we were supposed to get supercharged biz investment was through big capital inflows to the US. Capital inflows to US have instead been shrinking
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1189525328114393090.html
A great move. Someone makes a start at taming the digital wild west.
meh
putting an end to promoting RWNJ's will be a start.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1189523656008962049.html
previously on TS
aww
The most sophisticated online program ever known? Really? Spittle-flecked Twitter rants at two in the morning because Faux News doesn't lavish you with unearned praise any more? It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.
Trump's craft in using the Twitter contributed to him winning in 2016. It shouldn't be scoffed at.
Poor fucking Brad Parscale my heart weeps. One day maybe not too long off 'conservatives' will be declaring from under their straw coiffs that Trump was never a 'conservative' anyway. Which the decent people knew forever.
Just means Facebook has 2 sets of rules, one for every one else and another for the tiny number of US right wing 'fakebook sites'
Chile too Hot. COPS out.
The crisis in Chile is terrifying, protesters are "violent" because cops are beating people up, and reports of rape and brutality etc. Scary place right now.
I see the wild fires in California have threatened The Ronald Reagan Presidential library and museum
Hell, I hope it doesn't threaten the Donald Trump one, his comic might get burnt.
Someone held in jail in harsh conditions because he is an environmentalist who has criticised the USA government and was labelled as a possible terrorist! And Muslims who seem perfectly good people but paranopia finds them otherwise. I found this clip on line and interested people may have missed the link and my comment at –
https://thestandard.org.nz/small-start-to-inflated-bullshit/#comment-1663980 – which I thought was an important factor when we are talking about free speech and what a RW government might think too free.
What the heck? Our lives are to be continually disrupted by paranoid super liberal middle class apparatchiks who want to turn our lives upside down and spoil them to accommodate the new, demanding, restless culture who will never be happy and always mewling about something that they haven't got. It is an unimagined expansion of the Me Generation that wishes to insert themselves into every niche and space we have.
Now students have decided that they shouldn't clap with enthusiasm because..,.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/lately/audio/2018720013/the-jazz-hands-debate
Jazz hands is the British Sign Language expression of clapping, and the [Oxford] university union hopes that by doing away with clapping, whooping and cheering, events will be more accessible to people suffering from anxiety and those with hearing problems…
Frank Furedi is emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent. He is well known for his work on the sociology of fear, education, therapy culture, paranoid parenting and the sociology of knowledge.
He is the author of How Fear Works: Culture of Fear in the 21st Century…
Applause can unify, he says.
"One of the great things about applauding, or applauding people, is it brings people together it's a kind of solidarity and you see it in sporting events in concerts, in all kinds of public situations.
"And if now, what you do is you kind of marginalise that very human way of identifying with each other. I think that has a very negative effect on the spirits."
Ferudi is a long-time critic of a style of parenting and teaching that he believes medicalises ordinary life challenges.
If you get tired of the constant PCness arising each day like weeds, you might like Ruth Dudley Edwards’ (Irish/UK writer) book called Murdering Americans about how an educational business makes money from teaching this stuff, and doesn’t like it being exposed to public gaze.
Surely, the acceptable norm that includes both jazz hands and audible clapping with understanding of noise sensitivities is the desired outcome?
People aware of such sensitivities, such as my sister-in-law who had several operations on her head and scalp, will often remove themselves from situations where noise may be an issue. Or she – in rare instances – will use hearing protection to protect herself from the associated pain of loud noises.
It would be good to see a combination of both "jazz hands" and "palm-to-palm" clapping being so common, that it is accepted without need for discourse.
How do you mean? Having a mix won't solve the noise/anxiety issue.
I'm quite sensitive to noise for health reasons and I'm ok with avoiding places where people are clapping and cheering if it's too much for me. This is a key human experience, to express excitement and joy by making a noise, not a good thing to interfere with.
I can imagine some exceptions to this eg where people with anxiety or noise sensitivity are speaking or at an event that is specific to them. I can also see the value in an option of some events using jazz hands. I'm a big fan of quiet spaces too, and hope libraries sort out the conflict on this sooner rather than later. Rather than banning clapping/cheering, I'd rather see quiet spaces increased.
Hi weka, just realised that my comment is not attached to grey's above. Meant to be a reply to her links and reference to PCness.
Hi Molly, yes, I read it as a reply. I just wasn't clear what you meant by "It would be good to see a combination of both "jazz hands" and "palm-to-palm" clapping being so common, that it is accepted without need for discourse."
The comment " If you get tired of the constant PCness arising each day like weeds" just struck me as non-inclusive. I could be reading it wrong, but would like to live in a society where differences are just accepted, and not referred to as PC.
I know what you mean, and rising intolerance seems a thing. We don't seem that good at the moment as a society for resolving conflicting needs and it think this is made worse by the tension and fear people are feeling about the world.
I agree about library, not perfect quiet but controlled quiet. We have a man who clucks like a hen every few minutes, I don't know if I am unreasonable to dislike this. But if there were a few of them and perhaps a mentally different person whooping away then it is hardly a space for concentrated thinking.
Too much chatting and socialising of young people at the library general spaces some times. They need to be shushed off to their own space where they could enjoy talking at the tops of their voices.
I suppose headphones would help, and block out the distractions.
Noise-cancelling headphones are great. Don't even have to have anything playing.
Too much chatting and socialising of young people at the library general spaces some times.
Libraries are almost our last equal access community space, open to all demographics, ages and skill levels. If it is used as a free sociable space by any community members, I'm all for it. Too many are trying to diminish or remove libraries, and they need to adapt.
Some of the more recent library buildings have a purpose-built acoustically designed quiet reading space. I think this is a great solution for those who want to read in silence while in the library. Best thing is, they can also take out items on loan and read in the privacy of their own homes – with a cup of tea.
it's not hard to design spaces once the needs are understood. Because libraries have traditionally been quiet places, I favour keeping them that way and adding in other, more socially loud spaces (or times). Not everyone can take books home to read. I sometimes used to sit in the library just to rest.
Papakura library was renovated a few years ago, and I tried out their quiet reading room. It was great, there was a specific toddler reading and singing activity scheduled, but inside the room itself was all comfortable armchairs and quiet.
As someone who enjoys quiet spaces, I understand the preference for libraries to remain so. I am also painfully aware of reoccurring proposals that aim to reduce or diminish our library resources. For me, making them more valued and indispensable to a wide range of ages and people may include changing traditional rules about how they are used. It's a fine balance though, and must include provisions for those who have always valued the library for it's quiet public space.
There are places I don't go because the noise is too loud, and heavy metal bands I avoid. I put my habnds to my ears when standing on the tarmac waiting to board a plane and one is revving next door, you do have to be careful with your hearing.
… and heavy metal bands I avoid…
this made me smile, trying to think of heavy metal bands you accommodate.
After dismissing the rants from Anti-Twyfords today it was refreshing to read Patrick Smellie' column. Won't stop the odious from creating mischief but any reasonable person might wonder at the mountains out of little bumps.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12281214
Snap at 1.1.3 above
Oh heck. Sorry Sacha. Missed it.
Wondering about the concerted attack focussed on the same people from papers, blogs, radio online. Going to be hard going for the next 12 months. Did I read that Bridges has 7 staff working on media and only 2 on policies?
More like 20-something focusing on social media, apparently.
Aha… just as I thought. Petty-fogging officials are far more likely to be behind the screw-up – not Phil Twyford. To describe Twyford as incompetent and not up to ministerial level tasks is poppycock.
I know him well and have seen him in action on the campaign front. He's a superb organiser and knows exactly what he wants to do. I can imagine him getting up the noses of some in officialdom who like to think they are the real masters of policy formation and expect ministers to follow them – not the other way around.
Twyford is a glass half-full personality. Nothing is impossible to him but, maybe, when you're in government some things are impossible – at least in the short term. And that could be where he came a little unstuck.
Surely that is not a sacking matter.
"Twyford is a glass half-full personality. Nothing is impossible to him but, maybe, when you're in government some things are impossible – at least in the short term. And that could be where he came a little unstuck."
and that is possibly the most generous and polite description I have ever read
Well, I should take some at least of what you may have read with a grain of salt Pat.
I knew him. I suspect many of those who have joined the ‘let’s get Phil Twyford’ club never actually knew him.
Why did he get both Housing and Urban Development as well as Transport to start off with? That was a really bad decision on the part of the Labour medical team. He couldn't breathe life into both those portfolios, especially seeing housing had an overdose of happy potion.
Maybe this Government has been trying too hard? I can't really think of any Minister in the previous Government who pushed so hard on any program that the people pointed the finger at rate of progress. Hard to think of any real strides forward. Therefore if Phil had promised little and kept very quiet, no more chitter chat then the naysayers would be stumped.
The coalition Government has actually achieved a huge amount in 2 years haven't they?
Maybe this Government has been trying too hard.
Some truth in that. Especially where Phil is concerned. As I said… he's a glass half full type of person who puts his heart and soul into any venture he is involved in.
Well Labour over-promised and expected miracles in giving Twyford two demanding and key portfolios. I wonder again why did they make this error, it's lacking in reason. Housing has been top of the mind for yonks and people wanted action. Gaping holes could be seen. I don't understand how things work – voters elect a government and then government puts all responsibility for certain work on a particular MP who then seems to become king-pin though the government wear the results.