Open mike 31/12/2020
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6:00 am, December 31st, 2020 - 38 comments
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
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The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
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The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
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All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
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The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
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The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...7 days ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
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Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
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The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
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Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
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- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
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Mōrena everyone. Love today's Open Mike image on the front page.
What are you all doing with the last day of the year?
I'm not going to be staying up to see the New Year in. I'm staying up to make sure the past year leaves.
Relaxing, resting, recuperating, rejoicing, recovering (tomorrow), i.e. a typical holiday’s day.
Washing and ironing so I can start the new year with a clean slate. Its the only day of the year when I have a clean slate. 😉
No years and no last days only an eternal moment ungrasped and mourned. I was making money I don't need "today" and on the way I met a beekeeper who said "all bees are wild" and "bees are not aggressive". They range five km (not a mm more or less – just kidding) and where would sex among flowering plants be without them ? A honeyed 2021 to all and bless your cotton socks.
G'day weka, I am off to work till 2 then back home and load up the smoker, pop some home bruise in the chilly bin and entertaining a few friends.
Thanks for yr mahi at TS this year, here's to a less fraught 2021.
cheers gsays. May you see the new year in in style.
Arise Sir Dave, what a great songwriter.
Oh great. Our soon-to-be new overlords are already practicing the victory dance they'll do when they achieve total domination.
Every time I see one of those dog like robots I think of this Black Mirror episode …
https://youtu.be/GM3GM299orc
Truly well deserved recognition for going above and beyond.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/former-speaker-david-carter-awarded-knighthood-in-new-years-honours-list
Who here remembers his Finest Hour?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/73925970/parliament-in-fresh-uproar-over-prime-ministers-rapist-remark
(Saddening that these MPs appeared to perform better in opposition.)
Just continuing the pathetic tradition of rewarding past speakers of the house for (not) doing their job for which they were handsomely rewarded at the time.
Agreed – our political classes should be excluded from honours – they should be reserved for those who make a genuine contribution above and beyond what they are paid for. The folk who built the Otira viaduct for example.
Thanks for the reminder Rosemary. Did John Key ever apologise? I doubt it.
Well at least John Key didn't actually wrongly accuse a person and destroy their career. David Carter was a far better speaking than our current one. Although as tradition goes, I wonder if Mallard will receive a knighthood too?
[Since you’ve been back from your long pre-Election ban, you have contributed very little here and you’re still acting like a garden gnome.
This comment of yours amounts to nothing more than ‘they-did-it-too-and-worse’ and is not even about David Carter, which Rosemary’s was and which was not about Sir John Key per se.
If you keep on acting like a garden gnome, I will put you out in the garden with the others so that you can watch the worms farming; at least they are doing something useful.
This is your only warning – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 12:17 PM.
I have been comparing the leadership of Trump (US) and Johnson (UK). Johnson got a Brexit deal over the line and he has not been weak in enforcing lockdowns. Trump is anti lockdown and has not signed a major new trade deal.
For 2022 I want the world to have control over Covid – 19 and for there to be success with vaccines to combat the virus and/or a treatment for those who do not vaccinate.
The statement Boris Johnson, "… has not been weak in enforcing lockdowns." is oversell. His numerous pronouncements have been so confusing, they have been largely ignored or disregarded. They have been so bad that at times it has seemed he didn't have a clue as to what they were himself. At the outset he even let his Svengali advisor off the hook, even though Cummings sat on the committee that made up the Rules Mk I.
Johnson has stepped up and is not currently mucking about. The variant B.1.1.7 is being taken seriously. I just hope that the new variants are not going to affect children as in other age groups.
Trump cannot even get his stimulus package through the senate even though it has gone through the house. Johnson also got re elected.
If Johnson did not enforce a lockdown the situation would be much worse. The prediction for infections in the US is not good for January and the death toll is not good for February according to Aljazeera TV.
I am not celebrating the New Year. I do like Queen and there is a 2 hour special on channel 10 (Prime) at 7.30 pm with Adam Lambert.
So Treetop, you have changed from "… has not been weak in enforcing lockdowns." to "Johnson has stepped up and is not currently mucking about." There is bit of a difference in meaning, starting from a questionable proposition to an unresolved assertion. Besides, doesn't Johnson only have responsibility for the lockdown in England – Scotland at least seems to have its lockdowns controlled and policed through it own parliament. On the per capita statistics comparing the UK with the US, you are contrasting a lame duck with the worst case scenario then looking into a crystal ball in order to assert that Johnson is doing a good job. Have you even bothered to assess the UK situation with other countries – even in Europe, or is questioning the abilities of a dilettante whose only areas of expertise are the classics and the promotion of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson being impudent.
Initially I was comparing Johnson to Trump with lockdowns.
Johnson is doing all he can do with the current lockdown in England. Some countries are in a third wave and a leader needs to act accordingly.
Johnson has looked at the impact which Covid is having on the NHS. I know the situation is dire in the UK, without a lockdown it would be worse.
Well isn't the self-promotional noise-maker is doing a great job!
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/31/doctors-despair-over-britons-breaking-coronavirus-rules
With an actual lockdown, even including eye tests, the situation would be much less worse.
2021 not 2022. 2020 has been a l o n g year.
It's not a very good deal but.
A deal is a deal, now to see how it pans out in a Covid world.
file this under for fuck sake and who could have forseen this.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/roast-busters-two-accused-in-court-seven-years-after-case-names-kept-secret-for-now/WRUFGU2R4DXMHH6DBGNJPYX5BI/
Heavens, I can't imagine why the police would seek name suppression.
Were it not for a new police complaint the police would have done nothing.
A few months ago I read a comment on TS that the police need to be modernised. For sure when it comes to sexual crime and hate crime. The 1961 Crimes Act for sexual crimes needs immediate attention and so does the ACC Act for mental injury.
The one thing I want to see legislation for when it comes to a mental injury is when an agency fails to do a proper job when it comes to a complaint and for there to be no time limit for a person to make a complaint about an agencies failure.
Happy new year to all the Standardistas, I hope you all get to drink a bottle of something sparkling and conk out under a Pohutukawa tree to a background sound of a lazy lapping surf and children playing.
Cos there sure as hell ain't no cricket on the radio anymore.
The current Blackcaps are dynamite. I can see them getting better and better in all forms of cricket.
Now that is something good to look forward to in 2021.
Only took the Black Caps/Young Guns/Kiwi cricketer 30-odd years to get some consistency together after Hadlee's retirement and that shambles on the 94/95 South Africa farce (made worse because of Danny Morrison's puritan stance on drugs led him to run crying to the NZC management, even though the incident had been sorted on tour. Of course, he was perfectly happy to take that sponsorship $$$ from Dominion Breweries.).
Cricket live and not too many ads om Magic Talk
Where cricket challenges socialism?
Bracewell is the pits!!!
Sanctuary…if a technophobe Luddite such as myself can install the rova app on my smartphone and Bluetooth Magic Talk cricket to my partner's heavy duty radio (so he can listen to the ball by bleeding ball commentary of The Test)…I have no doubt yourself could do likewise.
My man reckons the commentary was as good as Radio Sport. I reckon I'd rather listen to grass grow.
The grass is not growing so well up North, is it?
Stay safe and well!
Cricket commentary on Magic Talk. Personally I would just ditch the cricket and listen to Magic Music instead.
I wish all the good folk who contribute here the very best of health and happiness for 2021. Stay safe and keep well.