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.
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff@DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...
Now the Zero Carbon Bill is law, what's next? Obviously, the ETS changes currently before select committee are going to be the next battleground. But we're also going to get a good idea of where we're going, and if the progress the Zero Carbon Act promises is good enough, during ...
Grant PearceThe effects of the current Australian bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland (and also again in California) are devastating and far-reaching. To date, the fires have resulted in several lives being lost and many homes and properties destroyed. Here in New Zealand, the impacts have been only ...
A passing comment in a post the other day about the labour force participation rates of older people prompted me to pull down the fuller data and see what we could see about various participation rates over the decades since the HLFS began in 1986. As it happens, the ...
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...
"I saw a newspaper picture,From the political campaignA woman was kissing a child,Who was obviously in pain.She spills with compassion,As that young child'sFace in her hands she gripsCan you imagine all that greed and avariceComing down on that child's lips?" ...
Dr Matt Boyd, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick WilsonThe Global Health Security Index which considers pandemic threats has just been published. Unfortunately, NZ scores approximately half marks (54/100), coming in 35th in the world rankings – far behind Australia. This poor result suggests that the NZ Government needs to ...
The Zero Carbon Act is inadequate, with a weak methane target designed to give farmers a free ride. But it turns out it could have been worse: Climate Change Minister James Shaw was so desperate to get National on board, he wanted to gut that target, and leave it in ...
The Herald reprints an Australian story on a couple of tragic deaths in Bali from drinking cocktails that had methanol in them. The story argues that methanol is likely the result of home distillation. But what the young tourists were experiencing was far from a hangover. They’d consumed a toxic cocktail ...
Last month, the police announced a trial of specialist roaming armed units, which would drive round (poor, brown) areas in armoured SUVs, armed to the teeth. When they announced the trial, they told us it was about having armed police "ready to attend major incidents at any time if needed". ...
Spain went to the polls today in the second elections this year, after the Socialists (who had come to power in a confidence vote, then gone to the polls in April) rejected the offer of a coalition with the left-wing PoDemos, and instead decided to gamble n a better outcome ...
A couple of days ago I attended (and spoke at) the University of Waikato’s “LearnFest” event. There were lots of talks and sessions on very diverse aspects of teaching, mostly at tertiary level. One was by Myra Williamson from Te Piringa Faculty of Law here at Waikato, on Contract Cheating ...
There will be a transit of Mercury – the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the Sun – taking place at sunrise in New Zealand on Tuesday, 12th November. It was by observing such an event 250 years ago that James Cook and his scientist colleagues were able ...
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ...
National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
In the spirit of Remember, remember the fifth of November, let's keep this in mind FOREVER.
Oh dear. Extraordinary interview on PM with Andrew Bridgen and @EvanHD just now. Bridgen was defending Jacob Rees Mogg’s Grenfell comments. Evan asked him if JRM had meant to say he would have left ...
Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Last year, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security reported on significant problems with the intelligence warrant system. While they were unwilling to declare any warrant "irregular" (meaning unlawful) due to the recent law change, they were also not willing to give the system a clean bill of health. Now, they've ...
The National Party has come out in support of encouraging greater vaccination uptake. But it sure isn’t the way I’d do it. National’s suggested docking the benefits of those on benefit whose kids aren’t keeping up with their vaccinations. Some in National have suggested extending that to payments under Working ...
Feeding The Flames: It is simply not enough to demand an end to “corruption”, or “inequality”, or the overbearing influence of the authorities in Beijing. These are just “lowest common denominator” demands: the sort of slogans that pull people onto the streets. They are not a plan.WHERE’S THE PLAN? Across ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and unemployment has risen to 4.2%. There are 115,000 unemployed - 11,000 fewer than when Labour took office. In that time the minimum wage has gone up by $2 an hour, which shows that the right's fears about increases causing unemployment are simply ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has called for submissions on Andrew Little's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Normally I encourage participation in the democratic process. I am not doing so in this case. Instead, I encourage all of you to boycott this submissions process, and to post ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf tiny concentrations of carbon dioxide can hold enough heat ...
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and within it, one of the fastest sources is elite travel: billionaires flitting around the world in their private jets, spewing excessive pollution into the atmosphere just so they can avoid mixing with us dirty peasants. But in ...
That's what we face if we don't stop climate change, according to a warning from 11,000 scientists:The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists. “We declare clearly and unequivocally ...
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...
This is the third of the synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Unlike the humble cup of coffee and t-shirt that we looked at in ...
Tom MooreTraditionally a food source and cutting tool, freshwater mussels/kākahi are now widely valued as water filters that help clean our waterbodies and maintain ecosystem health throughout Aotearoa. The improvement they provide in water quality can make it easier for other animals to live in streams and rivers, as ...
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…Installation complete: this was nothing ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is back in the House today for its second reading. While this isn't the final stage, its still effectively D-Day for the bill. Because today, at around 5pm, is when we're going to find out if it has a majority, whether National will support it or ...
Winston Peters is in court today, suing a bunch of former Minister and civil servants over their pre-election leak of his superannuation repayment. He's characterised the leak as malicious, and said that it is repugnant that his information was passed on to Ministers to use for political advantage. And he's ...
Murray CoxDo I have to finish my favourite genome? That’s an often-asked question. Geneticists generally strive to produce high-quality genomes that sequence every last gene, making full use of the state-of-the-art technologies coming on stream. Sequencing DNA means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called ...
Transformative Politics: The idea is to turn each recipient into an unwitting accomplice in their own transformation. From interested observer to hyped-up activist, sharing our messages promiscuously with ‘friends’. You’ll be part of an ever-expanding circulatory system, Jennifer, for the ideas that will win us the election.”JENNIFER SKITTERED her chair ...
The boycott is a fundamental tool of protest. By choosing who we buy from, we can send a message, and hopefully change corporate behaviour. Historically, boycotts have been effective, for example over apartheid in South Africa and Israel, in forcing divestment from Myanmar, and in ending bus segregation in the ...
Jan Rivers spoke at the Abortion Legislation Select Committee in favour of the bill, but in opposition to calls from other submitters to exchange the word ‘woman’ for ‘person’ throughout the bill. Jan is a supporter of the feminist group Speak Up For Women and has recently written an excellent ...
I checked my traffic stats:I was intrigued by 'monica29' - who was this very dedicated individual? I clicked on the link, to be greeted with ...Ho, hum.Spreadin' the word, spreadin' the word. Doesn't matter who hears it, as long as it gets out there. ...
There have been three polls since the election was announced, and I will shamelessly steal YouGov / UK Polling Report's Anthony Wells' summary of them:Survation – CON 34%, LAB 26%, LDEM 19%, BREX 12%, GRN 1% Ipsos MORI – CON 41%, LAB 24%, LDEM 20%, BREX 7%, GRN 3% YouGov ...
The following article is translated from Lutte Ouvrière, the weekly newspaper of the organisation usually known by the same name in France. When, for the second time this year, Chilean President Piñera announced an increase in the price of Metro tickets from 800 to 830 pesos, students in the high ...
Today, a worker contacted me asking if she could go to the police over her employer stealing thousands of dollars from her in unpaid wages. The employer also did not pay this worker’s taxes or student loan which amounts to tax fraud. As a workers rights activist, who founded the ...
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, They're Yours: Is there any person more vulnerable than a jilted lover on the rebound? Or, anything more certain than that the charmer, the predator, the glib spinner of lies and promises will seek such broken people out? Yes, of course, he will love every one of ...
Though Jonathan Romain is a fairly high profile Rabbi, writing in several papers and popping up on TV and the radio, this story doesn't seem to have made it to the Guardian yet, so I'll take the unusual step of linking the Stephen Pollard edited Jewish Chronicle:Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain ...
There's an election afoot, and that is when noted opinion formers such as myself get to make wild fools of ourselves by pretending we have the faintest idea what will happen.So, here is my absurdly optimistic prediction:Labour - 285Conservative - 262SNP - 53Lib Dems - 20PC - 5Ireland - 18 ...
Image Credit:Increase Social Media Traffic & Website Traffic I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your ...
Belinda CridgeI was reading my son a story last night. A great tale of derring-do of five mountaineers scaling the Matterhorn for the first time. One in the party had tried six times previously and failed, this was the last attempt before winter closed another season. They tried a ...
As introduced, the Zero Carbon Bill included an expansive secrecy clause, which would have covered virtually all decisions by the Climate Change Commission over our most important policy area. The Ministry for the Environment admitted this was a mistake (or as they put it, an "oversight"), and the select committee ...
Rachael Shaw, Victoria University of WellingtonWhen we think about animals storing food, the image that usually comes to mind is a squirrel busily hiding nuts for the winter. We don’t usually think of a small songbird taking down an enormous invertebrate, tearing it into pieces and hiding these titbits ...
. . NZ First’s success in putting the euthenasia bill to a public referenda may not be the victory they believe it to be. They may even have sounded the death-knell for a second Labour-NZ First-Green coalition. On 23 July this year, NZ First MP, Jenny Marcroft, submitted a Supplementary ...
Interesting contrasting pictures in the Guardian:Corbyn gets the classic positive shot - low angle and a clear background, making him look authoritative (of course, being Corbyn, he doesn't do authoritative very well).Where as Johnson gets pictured with children at some sort of mad-hatters' tea party:Begging the question, who is the ...
Paternalism is contentious. Arguments for state action to protect us from ourselves are fraught. I come down pretty heavily on the anti-paternalism side of the argument, but I’ve heard respectable defences of paternalism. But policy around vaccination is hardly paternalistic. There’s a clear market failure that could be pointed to ...
I’ve been reading Jules Verne’s novel Twenty thousand leagues under the sea, considered as one of the very earliest science fiction stories. In brief, Monsieur Aronnax and a couple of sidekicks are taken prisoner by Captain Nemo and his mysterious crew and treated to an underwater voyage around the world ...
The climate crisis is going to mean some pretty big changes in our country, both from its impacts and the policies required to address them. Most obviously, whole suburbs are going to be underwater by 2100, meaning people and businesses are going to have to relocate to higher ground. But ...
Yesterday a dairy company was fined $483,000 for repeatedly failing to report listeria in its facility. Its a serious fine for a serious crime: listeria is a serious disease, and they were effectively trying to kill people with it. But there's another story hidden in there, and its not a ...
Gay men see the excesses of trans activism and are increasingly speaking out. A new Facebook group addressing ‘gender identity’ and contemporary trans activism has been set up for gay men, by gay men. The following is the group’s Statement of Intent, Group Rules, and link to the group for ...
Criminal Enterprises: Gangs are not welfare institutions. Nor are they a substitute for the family their members never had. They are ruthless, violent, criminal money-making machines. That is all.OKAY, first-things-first. Gangs exist for one purpose – and only one. They are a sure-fired, time-tested institution for making crime pay – ...
Prof Nick Wilson, A/Prof George Thomson, A/Prof Simon Hales, Prof Michael BakerThe NZ Ministry for the Environment has produced a valuable discussion document with many good ideas for improving the health of waterways in New Zealand. But there are important gaps. In this blog we consider three big-ticket items ...
Finding reality needs more than wishful thinking. The problem is that statistical arguments often provide a jargon to confirm biases. Image credit:Accurate Thinking Versus Wishful Thinking in Gambling I worry at the way some ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters met with Korea Racing Authority Chairperson Nak Soon Kim in Seoul today to discuss closer cooperation between the New Zealand and Korean horse racing industries. As part of the visit to the Seoul Racecourse, Mr Peters witnessed ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10 million to establish Otago as the centre of New Zealand’s creative digital industry over the next ten years, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “The initiative will bring us closer to the vision of ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)’s skills and employment programme will help young Otago people into long-term forestry careers, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Te Ara Mahi will invest $63,000 in the 2020 school year to support eight 17 and 18 ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will support local plans to revitalise and stimulate economic development opportunities in Otago, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The four Regional Economic Development Ministers have approved an in-principle investment of $19.9 million towards the region’s ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is pleased to have received the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) report on the Coalition Government’s Mycoplasma bovis eradication efforts, which shows significant progress in the fight against the disease. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, says the report’s findings ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon David Parker, Minister for Trade and Export Growth The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing to support economic growth opportunities for Otago’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Export Minister David Parker announced today. Almost $20 million ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, discussed in Seoul today opportunities to work more closely in the Pacific and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr Peters and Minister Kang confirmed New Zealand and the ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Māori Development The three marae in the historic Parihaka Pa complex in Taranaki have been upgraded to high speed broadband with the support of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Connecting the ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Minister of Defence Ron Mark will today launch the Advancing Pacific Partnerships 2019 Defence Assessment during a speech at Te Papa. The Assessment outlines how Defence will partner with our Pacific Island neighbours and invest in Pacific regional security architecture. The Plan aligns with the Coalition ...
A new Provincial Growth Fund investment could create about 80 new jobs in Gisborne over the next two years, turning a local small business into a “beacon of employment” in the process. Regional Economic Development Parliamentary Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau said the PGF’s Te Ara Mahi funding stream would provide $1.6m ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters will travel to the Republic of Korea and Japan next week. “The Republic of Korea and Japan are two of New Zealand’s closest partners in the region with whom we share common values and ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced today that New Zealand is leading a police support mission in Bougainville as the region prepares to vote in a non-binding referendum on its political future. “New Zealand has accepted an invitation ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is defending Immigration New Zealand (INZ) after it instructed officials to stop granting visas as an exception to instructions. He has also lashed out at immigrant leaders upset with the tightening of the rules, saying they had an “elevated sense of entitlement”. Members of ...
A change to the End of Life Choice Bill was passed in Parliament, meaning if politicians decide to vote for the law it must be approved by the public first. A binding referendum was a condition insisted on by New Zealand First, and Jenny Marcroft’s supplementary order paper (SOP) successfully ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), through its skills and employment programme,Te Ara Mahi, is investing a further $1.6m into Tairāwhiti’s workforce development, said Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. “This PGF funding follows on from significant PGF investment earlier this ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says the Government’s steps to reduce farm livestock emissions are necessary and timely. Today the Government and farming leaders announced a plan to measure and price emissions at the farm level by 2025. “Many farmers ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...
The New Zealand Government is today sending 21 firefighters to help fight the ongoing catastrophic Australian bushfires. “The fires in Australia are in some of the toughest, most challenging conditions ever,” says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “As of yesterday morning, there were 100 active bushfire-related incidents across Queensland and ...
More frontline support for schools through a new education agency, as part of a redesigned Ministry of Education More support for principals and school boards including through a new centre of leadership and local leadership advisor roles New independent disputes panels for parents and students Management of school property ...
The Government’s reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system is a watershed moment in education and an opportunity to create meaningful change for ākonga Māori and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said today. “Last year through Kōrero Mātauranga | Education Conversation, Māori teachers, parents, ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi ...
Infrastructure Minister is welcoming the first of many updated project pipelines from the newly established New Zealand Infrastructure Commission today. The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, has released an expanded pipeline of major capital projects – another crucial step towards delivering better infrastructure outcomes. “The first iteration of the ...
Tougher gun laws designed to improve public safety through firearms prohibition orders are proposed in a new document released for public input. Police Minister Stuart Nash says firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) would give new powers to Police to ensure high-risk individuals come nowhere near firearms. “We have already prohibited the ...
Andy Coupe has been confirmed as TVNZ’s new Board Chair. “Mr Coupe has strong commercial and capital markets experience and TVNZ has benefited from his technical knowledge of business and finance, as well as his extensive governance experience,” the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Kris Faafoi said. Andy ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today officially opened a separated pathway, following the completion of the Kaiwharawhara Stream bridge, which will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians along Hutt Road. The $6.8m Hutt Road project provides a separated path for cycling and pedestrians, the replacement of informal parking ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of career diplomat Si’alei van Toor as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Russia. “I’m pleased to appoint Ms van Toor to this position. She brings a wealth of experience to the role having previously served as Senior Trade Adviser to the ...
The Treasury’s 2019 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released on Wednesday December 11, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Coalition Government will publish the 2020 Budget Policy Statement at the same time, outlining the priorities for Budget 2020. Further details on arrangements for the release will ...
A new initiative to better support small businesses through hands-on mentoring and advice has been launched by the Minister for Small Business. The first event in the Kiwi Business Boost series of regional workshops and online tools has been launched in Wairoa by Stuart Nash. “The Business Boost initiative combines ...
The latest Quarterly Connectivity Report shows that more and more New Zealanders are moving to Ultra-fast Broadband (UFB), with Rolleston having the highest uptake at 74 per cent, as at the end of September. “This means that nearly three quarters of Rolleston’s households and businesses have moved to ultra-fast services. ...
The passing of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill will help ensure a safe planet for our kids and grandkids, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw said today. The landmark legislation which provides a framework to support New Zealanders to prepare for, and adapt to, the effects ...
The review of Oranga Tamariki practice around the planned uplift of a Hastings baby in May shows significant failings by the Ministry and that the planned and funded changes to shift from a child crisis service to a proper care and protection service need to be accelerated, Children’s Minister Tracey ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has wished students the best of luck for this year’s NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which start tomorrow. Around 140,000 students will have participated in 119 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams by the end of the exam period on 3 December. “I want to ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of Bede Corry as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “The appointment of a senior diplomat to this important role underlines the significance New Zealand places on our relationship with the United Kingdom,” said Mr Peters. “The United ...
An innovative approach to boosting the number of frontline Police has seen 20 new officers graduate from one of the uncommon training wings in Auckland. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of 20 constables today means that 1,765 new Police officers have been deployed since the coalition government took ...
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the 1.2 million hours of community work completed by offenders in the last financial year has helped local communities right across the country. “Community work sentences are a great way for people to pay something positive back to society. There is a massive benefit to ...
"A pathway for Police in leadership with Iwi Māori, to achieve the aspirations of Māori whānau." Police launch of Te Huringa o Te Tai, Pipitea Marae, Thorndon Quay, Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Hello everyone, warm greetings to you all. ...
Working New Zealanders are getting more in their back pockets under the Coalition Government’s economic plan. Stats NZ data today shows average weekly ordinary time earnings are up by $83 since the Government took office. This shows that working New Zealanders are getting higher take-home pay, and that employers are ...
The Government is supporting schools to cut down their energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts, with a quarter of all schools having their lights replaced with LEDs, a sustainability contestable fund and a plan to improve the environmental sustainability of all schools in the future. Education Minister Chris Hipkins and ...
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis heads to China on Friday to lead the New Zealand Government presence at the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism closing ceremony. The ceremony will take place at Canton Tower in Guangzhou on Sunday 10 November. “The Year of Tourism has been mutually beneficial for both New ...
Should we plan for drought or deluge and how is CO2 released from the ocean’s floor? Several climate change projects were given a boost in the latest Marsden Fund investment of $83.6 million, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods said today. “Climate change is long-term challenge that requires out-of-the-box ...
Leaders of 16 countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have announced the completion of negotiation on the text as well as agreement on virtually all market access issues between 15 countries. The leaders said they will work with India to resolve its outstanding concerns in a way that ...
Civil Defence Minister Hon Peeni Henare says World Tsunami Awareness Day today (5 November) is a chance for all New Zealanders to learn more about the tsunami risk in our regions and the right actions to take to stay safe. “All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami. ...
New Zealand’s more than 1000 paramedics are to have their role as key frontline health professionals formally recognised and regulated in the same way as doctors and nurses, Health Minister David Clark says. The Government has agreed to regulate paramedics under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. “Paramedic leaders ...
Changes to insolvency law announced by the Government today will include requirements to honour up to 50 per cent of the value of gift cards or vouchers held by consumers, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi says. “When a business is insolvent, these consumers are often left out of ...
Six New Zealanders tonight received medals for their meritorious work in the frontline public service. The Public Service Medal, established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is awarded annually. “For the second year this Government has recognised public servants who have made a real difference to the lives of New ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker heads to Shanghai today for the China International Import Expo and meetings focused on reforming the WTO. Over 90 New Zealand companies will be exhibiting at the second China International Import Expo (CIIE), which runs from 5-10 November. “China is one of New Zealand’s ...
Drivers holding a current five-year learner or restricted car or motorbike licence, expiring between 1 December 2019 and 1 December 2021, will receive an automatic two-year extension, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced today. Over 144,000 drivers’ time-limited licences are due to expire in the next two years; 67,000 ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker have announced the conclusion of negotiations to upgrade New Zealand’s existing free trade agreement with China. “This ensures our upgraded free trade agreement will remain the best that China has with any country,” Jacinda Ardern said. She ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau congratulates the Ten Kiwi organisations who have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the wellbeing and the prosperity of their communities. Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ), announced the awards at its annual conference in Blenheim last weekend. “A special congratulations to ...
Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa has welcomed the record high of 13,000 building and construction apprentices in active training with main provider the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO). “We are committed to reversing the long-term decline in trades training and it’s excellent to see more people ...
PHARMAC’s decision to fund a new leukaemia treatment means three new cancer medicines have now been funded so far this year, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December venetoclax (Venclexta) will be funded for people living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Just last month funding was also confirmed for alectinib ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today formally gifted a white horse to Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan in front of thousands of attendees at a ceremony conducted by Chief Priest Inaba. The horse named Kōmaru, which means ‘sheltered’ in Maori and ‘shining’ in Japanese, is a white 12-year-old purebred Andalusian ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has named diplomat Martin Harvey as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Canada. “Canada is one of New Zealand’s closest and longstanding international partners,” said Mr Peters. “Our close friendship is underpinned by our shared democratic values, history and our parliamentary traditions. As Commonwealth countries and ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi has today announced the appointment of Jane Wrightson as Retirement Commissioner. “Jane has strong leadership, management and governance skills which will help champion improved financial capability for all New Zealanders and provide advice on retirement income policy issues,” Kris Faafoi said. Jane Wrightson ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi announced a plan last night to cooperate more closely in the Pacific, as part of the strong and ambitious relationship between the two countries. “Japan is one of New Zealand’s most important partners and closest friends. My discussions with Minister ...
The Government’s plan to help older New Zealanders live well, Better Later Life – He Oranga Kaumātua 2019 to 2034, was launched by Seniors Minister Tracey Martin today. “Better Later Life takes a fresh look at what is required to ensure everyone gets the chance to live well as they ...
Trees can play a lead role in New Zealand’s transition to a low emissions economy, and this is reflected in a new request for research into innovative ways to use wood fibre, announced by Forestry Minister Shane Jones at the blessing of the new government forestry hub site in Rotorua ...
In the second part of a new event series looking at the future of Auckland, The Spinoff and Auckland Council host In My Backyard: Glen Innes, to ask what the suburb can teach the rest of the city about housing. Throughout its history, Glen Innes has had the highest density of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Badlan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Atmospheric Dynamics, UNSW As the east coast bushfire crisis unfolds, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Rural Fire Service operational officer Brett Taylor have each warned residents bushfires can create their own weather systems. This is not ...
Iran has announced the discovery of a new oilfield containing 53 billion barrels of crude. So what does that say about the NZ government’s move to be a world leader in shutting down the issue of new permits for oil and gas exploration – a move which Jacinda Ardern characterised ...
A wild, hilly spear, studded with brilliant beaches and thrilling bush, the Coromandel Peninsula is a magic geographical cul-de-sac. Here’s how to explore this stunning part of our backyard.If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel ...
12 November 2019 Water and infrastructure professionals from across the public and private sectors attended a panel discussion on 4 November, focused on the Government’s proposed water reforms and most particularly the potential impacts on our urban environments. ...
Fifteen years on, Sam Brooks looks at Gwen Stefani’s wet, weird, wild and wonderful debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.The first thing we hear on Love. Angel. Music. Baby. – No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani’s first album – is applause and cheering.Then a piano. Then Stefani warbling, sweetly, mournfully, almost ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Coral Gartner, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland More than 2,000 people in the United States have developed serious lung damage in a poisoning outbreak associated with the use of vaping devices this year. At least 39 people ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maggie Ivanova, Senior Lecturer, Drama, Creative and Performing Arts, Flinders University Review: The Dark Master and Totes Adorbs Hurricane, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, 22 October – 8 November In theatre, the play text tends to drive the storytelling. The interpretation of this ...
Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee has made key amendments to the Credit Contracts Legislation Amendment Bill, giving borrowers more protection from harmful high cost consumer credit contracts. The changes indicate that the Select Committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Stanley, Associate professor/Principal Research Fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne Fires of unprecedented number and ferocity are today raging in New South Wales and Queensland. Residents in some regions woke to news that the fire danger was “catastrophic”. Rural ...
The government’s reform of 1989’s Tomorrow’s Schools legislation has been announced today, and it’s promising changes for students, teachers, principals and boards.What is “Tomorrow’s Schools”?In 1989, the government introduced the Tomorrow’s Schools reforms, which meant all schools became much more independent, giving Boards power over almost all school ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is urging politicians to heed evidence from respected international experts on why a proposed firearms registry in New Zealand is doomed to fail. ...
Go Bus drivers in Auckland will be taking full strike action from tomorrow as relations reach a new low with their employer following a week where the company has cancelled regular wage bargaining, arbitrarily suspended union-affiliated drivers, rejected ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Peterson, Associate Professor, Flinders University Review: OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, 22 October – 8 November The most exciting work at OzAsia cuts across genres, styles, and cultures to create something distinctive and new: a work of art that could not exist without ...
Large and small scale and Māori foresters say the 50 Shades of Green march on parliament on Thursday (eds 14 November) highlights deliberately created confusion about the true nature and recent scope of forestry expansion. ...
Where do we watch content, what do we want from it, and how do we view New Zealand news? Here’s what we learned from NZ On Air’s latest survey on identity, culture and the media. We still like to watch free-to-view TVDespite the lingering doom and gloom around linear television, almost ...
The candidates to tackle Donald Trump are very keen on the New Zealand prime minister.It could be because Vogue called her “the anti-Trump”. It could be the desperate shortage of tolerable left-leaning leaders in the Anglosphere. Or it could be because everyone knows it’s illegal to be mean about people ...
Responding to the launch of Massey University's new policy and code regarding free speech and external speaker, Free Speech Coalition spokesman Dr David Cumin says: ...
The Government is creating a new division of the Education Ministry in an overhaul that will strip schools of the right to manage their enrolment zones and their property. ...
Making Northport Auckland’s main port will require massive investment in rail and road and will increase carbon emissions and the cost of goods says National Road Carriers Association CEO David Aitken. ...
Tuesday, November 12: After months of mounting pressure, the Environmental Protection Authority has now publicly released oil giant OMV’s application to drill a high risk oil well off the Otago Coast. ...
Simon Day eats a burger and considers becoming a vegetarian (again). For two years in my 20s, I was vegetarian. It was a choice based on the idea that it’s a much more efficient and much less environmentally invasive way to feed the world. I used to habitually roll out a ...
Ahead of TVNZ1’s new wildlife documentary Serengeti, Tara Ward presents the best animals that make up the juiciest drama on the plains.If you love nature docos filled with argy-bargy and love triangles, jealous siblings and power struggles, then TVNZ’s new wildlife documentary series Serengeti is a dream come true. The ...
The Panama Papers exposed a world in which the uber-rich and powerful were able to hide unimaginable wealth. The reporters who broke the story describe how they did it.“When it takes a whistleblower to sound the alarm… it signals that democracy’s checks and balances have all failed.”The final words in ...
Family First New Zealand has proposed a number of bills to the government regarding the access to pornography in both public places, including schools and the work place. “There has been an important national conversation around consent and ‘rape culture’. ...
Vernon Tava, the leader of the Sustainable NZ party, used to be part of the Greens. So how did he fit in there? Former MP Catherine Delahunty shares her impressions of him from then, and analyses where his new party will fit in.I first met Vernon Tava when he joined ...
A Parliamentary Petition has been issued, calling for the regulation of sunscreens in New Zealand as well as funding of effective sunscreens for low income and high risk populations. ...
It’s been a rough year for unit-holders in Fonterra Shareholders Fund, with the unit price slumping from $5.12 to its lowest point ever at $3.15. Chairman John Shewan didn’t mince words when he told the Fund’s annual meeting this week Fonterra’s financial performance had been “very poor” in 2019. Not ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Zero Carbon Bill, climate change Henry Cooke (Stuff): NZ First kept methane target from exiting ...
At 5:00pm on 22 November 2019, the period closes for public submissions regarding the changes BSA is proposing to the Election Programmes Code of Broadcasting Practice (Election Programmes Code). ...
Rachel Boyack was confirmed as the Labour Party candidate for Nelson for the 2020 General Election at a meeting of Party members held in Nelson tonight ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is bland and ineffective. Don’t fall for the spin, argues Steve Abel of Greenpeace. It was hard to not be buoyed by our House of Representatives, seemingly aligned in their commitment to climate action, at last week’s passing of the Zero Carbon Act. Bold expositions of pride ...
A new nationwide Curia Market Research poll shows the vast majority of New Zealanders are confused about what the End of Life Choice Bill aims to legalise. ...
The Prime Minster is defending her proposed firearms protection orders which has received mixed reactions in parliament; and attempted suicide in police custody has risen by almost 400 percent in four years. ...
A Helen Clark Foundation project to reduce online harm will be presented today in competition at the Paris Peace Forum. 'The Christchurch Principles' full report is available for download here . The Forum is a prestigious international event, initiated ...
Construction of more than 500 houses for New Zealand’s most needy families has been put on hold during a housing crisis because of a controversial policy change. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Sinclair, Research Fellow, NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside of the womb. It affects around one in ten women of reproductive age, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Fisher, Professor of Cattle & Sheep Production Medicine, University of Melbourne The plight of Australia’s dairy farmers is on the political agenda this week, after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson narrowly failed in her Senate bid for a minimum milk price. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katina Zammit, Deputy Dean, School of Education, Western Sydney University When I was younger I decided to learn Greek. I learnt the letter-sound correspondences and could say the words – the sounds, that is. But although I could and still can decode ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pamela Snow, Professor and Head, Rural Health School, La Trobe University Being able to read means being able to make meaning from printed words. At a functional level, we read to get the message – such as how many times per day ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thijs Dhollander, Post-doctoral neuroscientist, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health While looking at the MRI brain scan of a 29-year-old woman that had been taken for a different study, researchers in Israel recently stumbled upon a scientific mystery. The woman appears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Holland, Senior Lecturer in Australian History, Macquarie University When the minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, recently announced a co-design process for creating an Indigenous “voice to government”, it was characterised as a shift in rhetoric. Yet, on closer inspection, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Zadro, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney Patients might not be getting the best advice about which treatments do or don’t work, according to our study published today. We found professional societies are more likely to call out other health professionals ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Abou-Nemeh, Lecturer in Early Modern History, Victoria University of Wellington This week New Zealand’s parliamentarians will vote on the third reading of the End of Life Choice Bill. Much public discussion on the merits of euthanasia has centred around the role ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cris Brack, Associate Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Trees die. You don’t have to like it, but they do. And this comes as a surprise to some. A senior public servant once told one of us (Brack): ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elaine Stratford, Professor, University of Tasmania In this series, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages. We are all touched by relationships with animals — as domestic and working companions, wild inspirations, threats, or pests. Some of us may know about ...
The government's firearms prohibition order proposal - to keep high-risk individuals away from firearms - is being met with both approval and alarm bells. ...
The government's firearms prohibition order proposal - to keep high-risk individuals away from firearms - is being met with both approval and alarm bells. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Armed police arrest raises alarm, report makes strong call for Auckland port to go north, and a battle is going on among Fonterra shareholders.Serious concerns have been raised about the trial of armed police officers, after a team arrested an ...
Some observers have been thinking that the forthcoming British election on 12 December would be about a lot more than just Brexit. Some of the issues polling supports this view. And the party leaders have certainly been leading off with their plans for the radiant future. And yet – new ...
Dr Samantha Marsh explains why we need to be wary of drawing definitive conclusions from single studies on social media that appear to ‘let us off the hook’. ...
A little-known hormone-related condition affecting up to 8 percent of people with periods is sometimes mistaken for bipolar disorder and incorrectly treated. ...
The unusual case of Winston Peters vs the Crown took a new twist yesterday with revelations the deputy PM and head of the civil service have not talked since the Government was formed. ...
Tech sector giants have a vested interest in prioritising freedom of expression, often at the expense of other rights. A new project to reduce harmful online content, presented yesterday to the Paris Peace Forum, aims to change that. One of the architects of the Christchurch Principles, Dr David Hall, explains. What ...
As parliament voted all but unanimously to pass the Zero Carbon Bill into law last week, climate change minister James Shaw credited Generation Zero for its very existence. Here, Jenny Coatham explains how the youth-led climate action group pulled off such a monumental task. Our generation has been described as having ...
Open mike 31/10/2019 
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...4 hours ago
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff @DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...4 hours ago
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...10 hours ago
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Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...2 days ago
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by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...6 days ago
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…
Installation complete: this was nothing ... 1 week ago
Today, a worker contacted me asking if she could go to the police over her employer stealing thousands of dollars from her in unpaid wages. The employer also did not pay this worker’s taxes or student loan which amounts to tax fraud. As a workers rights activist, who founded the ...1 week ago
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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.
/
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 –
/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.