Open mike 31/01/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 31st, 2011 - 72 comments
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Open mike is your post.

It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

Comment on whatever takes your fancy.

The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

72 comments on “Open mike 31/01/2011 ”

  1. Pete 2

    A Bradford led party may fill the vacuum left by Bill and Ben, but would be very unlikely to threaten 5%. There seems to be a lot of wishful thinking floating around but no one seems prepared to actually get the ball rolling. One problem is there may be several who would like to lead it, and I don’t know if they would join if they couldn’t, and Bradford is in this category.

    They seem to be hoping Harawira will drop his MP ambitions and hand them an electorate seat on a plate, acknowledgement that that is probably the only chance a left of left party would have of getting into parliament. Trouble is, Hone would probably want to lead it too.

    Maybe they could have a party with three joint leaders and one up the Greens. And it could drag Greens below 5%.

    • ZeeBop 2.1

      Yes, it could very well cause voters who support the green to switch because they are given a real leftwing alternative. Green to lose parliamentary representation and a Hone led left wing party would get into power. Sux to be a green. So
      as green voter I’ll have to weight up the Green parties record, the degree it has assisted in keeping the Lab/Nat control of the executive and its ???real successes??? Also haven’t the Greens won the argument anyway, with even National trying vainly to put a green foot forward. Maybe the Greens have lost their chance, they have served a useful kicking ball for the media to distract us from progress.

      • Oscar 2.1.1

        Correct me if I’m wrong, but even if Hone stands as an independent in TTT, it doesn’t mean that a new left party will have additional MPs in Parliament. Indeed, Hone will be the sole member.
        My understanding as to why, is that Maori seats don’t get the same advantage as general seats e.g. Epsom/Act.
        Even if Hone won 75% of the electorate vote in TTT, he won’t be able to take in any other MPs for a new party. He’ll have to run on a general seat for that to happen, and it’d be a cold day in hell before those latte sipping ex Aucklanders in Kerikeri allow Hone to be their electorate MP.

        • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1

          Eh? You seem all muddled here. First you say that if Hone runs as an independent, he won’t be able to get any other members into parliament – well duh, that’s what being “independent” means.

          If Hone joined/created a left-wing party and ran as a member of that party in TTT and won the electorate seat, he’d bring in other MPs up to the proportion provided them by the party vote without having to reach the 5% threshold. The maori electorates aren’t any different from any other electorates in this regard (that would make them 2nd-class electorates after all, which would defeat the entire purpose of their existence).

          • Oscar 2.1.1.1.1

            Sorry, I meant independent from Maori Party.

            If Hone joined a new left party, and ran as a member for the new party in TTT, and assuming the left party ran in both Maori and General seats, your assumption is wrong. If Hone won the Maori seat, it doesn’t entitle him to bring in ANY additional MPs at all, regardless of how high the party vote is in Maori Seats.

            If the Party vote was <1% in general seats, it still wouldn't apply as there's no cross over between general and maori party votes.

            Even if Maori votes in Maori Seats for a new party were say 4% in total, Hone wouldn't bring any additional MPs as Maori Seats are only for electorate MPs.

            So really, Maori seats are second class, especially when different rules apply to them.

    • Carol 2.2

      Given the timing of this statement by Bradford, and the vagueness of her comments about a new party, I’d say it is a statement designed to show the Harawira disciplinary panel that he has other options: ie it’s a kind of threat to the Maori Party as to what might happen if they expel Harawira. He has options that could cause problems for the Maori Party.

    • millsy 2.3

      To be quite honest, does a Left Party really want to be relying on Hawawira’s ego?

      • KJT 2.3.1

        I am not sure that Hariwera’s racism and Sue Bradford’s contempt for the wishes of most people if they dare to disagree with her are good ingredients for a left wing party. They may back fire and send more people to voting NACT.

        • KJT 2.3.1.1

          Matt McCarten would have the support of a lot of people though.

        • Lanthanide 2.3.1.2

          I don’t think people who would otherwise vote Labour or Green would suddenly vote NACT to prevent a new left-wing party from forming a coalition in which the new party had 4 seats at best. That makes no sense.

          They might vote NZ First instead, though.

          • KJT 2.3.1.2.1

            One of the reasons Labour lost the last election is the nasty dictatorial streak that became apparent in politicians in the Left on the third term. National ones have it as well, of course, but they have public relations consultants advising them to keep it firmly hidden.

        • Draco T Bastard 2.3.1.3

          Was that the wishes as defined by a leading question designed to get the wrong answer?

          • KJT 2.3.1.3.1

            I think most people were intelligent enough to know what they were voting for.

            It shows the strength of peoples commitment to democracy when they say on their blog that the “public were just too thick to get it”. “How dare they disagree with me, they must all be child beaters”.

            Along with many people who found the new law ambiguous and leaving too much to Police discretion, which on other things the left find problematic.

            And for the record I do not beat my children and I consider McCloskey just as obherent as the other extreme.

            • Draco T Bastard 2.3.1.3.1.1

              Then why was it that ~50% of the populace supported the law change and yet 85% still voted “no” on the referendum. Hell, I almost ticked “no” and I knew going in that I was going to vote “yes” because the question was twisted.

              The question was designed to get you to vote “no” as an emotive response rather than a rational one and that’s what most people did.

              • KJT

                Most people are not that dumb.

                You are showing the same contempt for normal people that Bradford and Key do.

                Where did you get 50% of anything from. The only relevant poll was the referendum?

                • KJT

                  Besides it does not invalidate the argument for real democracy because we agree or do not agree with one particular referendum.

                • prism

                  Hey I think I’m a normal person but I felt that the referendum was worded strangely. Perhaps I’m not normal, now there is a blow to my psyche.

                • Draco T Bastard

                  The 50% came from a newspaper poll on the issue and the referendum wasn’t a valid poll due to the question being a biased and leading question.

                  • KJT

                    Which the public was to thick to understand. Yeah right!

                    Polling about the same time as the referendum was not far off the referendum results.

                    I was very surprised at the time that so many of the chattering left supported a law change that gave police more power to hassle poor and/or working class, brown people without any real likely effect on child abuse. That was already illegal. Anyone serious about child abuse knows that more support for families and a higher income would do much more, but that would cost money. Unlike empty political gestures.
                    Why do you support the Tory style of passing laws against something without addressing the real causes.

  2. The Voice of Reason 3

    Labour hits the sweet spot with the call to mondayise the two remaining holidays:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10703110

    • Herodotus 3.1

      Another case of Lab being closed minded, and unwilling to work outside the box.
      We already have potentially 6 days (55%)that can be/are converted to a Monday, and only 1 that is Friday. So why are those who work on a Monday being gifted more days off and those who work Fri still left in the dark. The traditional Mon-Fri scenario has gone, many work split weeks. So by adding another 2 days to this ther can be the case of Monday workers having 8 days off in a year and those who work Fri and not Mondays 1, fair do you think?
      Some would say that it is Pollys looking after No1, as Parliamanet does not sit on a Friday 😉

      • Oscar 3.1.1

        And Parliament doesn’t sit on Monday either. So what’s your point?

        • Herodotus 3.1.1.1

          But there are caucaus meetings held, and most MP’s (if not all do parliamentary work on Mondays), so that those who work Fridays are out of their consciousness regarding decisions that pollys make. My point was that why should a weekend holiday be observed on Monday, why not have a few on Friday?
          The trad Mon-Fri working week has long gone, yet some of the outcomes that we get out of Wellington think that (as there are still many govt dept, banks and lawyers) that this is still applicable to the rest of us. Perhaps yet another case of being out of touch with those outside the beltway?

      • Lanthanide 3.1.2

        I’ve said this repeatedly, as well. These two holidays should be Friday-ised, both to give people who work standard Tuesday-Saturday weeks holidays they’d miss out on, as well as to signify that these two holidays have special significance compared to the other holidays that are Monday-ised.

        I’d like to see any valid arguments against this, apart from “Moday-ising is easier from a law point of view because we already do it” but IMO that really is a minor point in it’s favour.

        • Carol 3.1.2.1

          I like the idea of Friday-ising the holidays. It makes some recognition of weekend workers, and acknowledges that most of the fulltime ones are on a Tuesday to Saturday schedule.

      • The Voice of Reason 3.1.3

        Hasn’t Parliament sat in urgency on some Fridays (and weekends) this term?

        I’m with lanthanide on this one. Having a couple of Friday hols would be a good thing and it might be more palatable for the RSA if the Anzac ‘holiday ‘ flowed straight into the actual day of rememberance when it falls on a Saturday on the seven year cycle. Not that I think the RSA’s position carries much weight anyway.

    • big bruv 3.2

      Voice,

      What you really mean is Labour have stumbled onto something that finally resonates with the public.

      It is good policy, pity they do not really believe it or they would have introduced it during their nine years in power.

      • The Voice of Reason 3.2.1

        Tsmithfield used that line today and the talking haircut John Campbell used it on his show tonight. I think you first used it a couple of days ago, Bruv. Why don’t you sue their arses for the theft of intellectual property and use the damages to pay your debt?

        Oh, and of course I use ‘intellectual’ in the legal sense. Lets not reach for the stars just yet, eh.

  3. ZeeBop 4

    How a country taxes its citizens gives you its future. ACT wants a Haiti tax system. National/Labour wants (and gets) pre-US-new-deal tax system (long unemployment queue would be in evidence now had not they flown to the new california – OZ).

    But it goes deeper than that, it does not only change our future but who we are. We are cheapskates when we reward manipulation of finance at the expense of nation building, people. When we lock down profits to secure foreign investments we kill local capitalism in NZ, the bigger our small companies grow the more they hit a wall and cannot grow bigger here because the market signals have been taken down – its how all financial trickery, the only way to grow is overseas, and that brings a competitive disadvantage that only relocating to the new market can solve.

    When retailers see consumers money as opportunity to play markets rather than be better retailers of better products to better consumers its easy to argue for less money in consumers wallets cutting our consumers and lowering the tax cuts on the manager class and businesses!

    Most starkly it shows up in our human rights protections when (like our retailers) we ask ourselves which box do they fall into, what can I gain from them bugger how it effects them, what is their role for me, to me, rather than walking in the shoes of customers, walking in the shoes of victims of human rights abuses, just like the new TV show where CEOs walk in the shoes of their own empoyees to discover what its like.

    When we motivate the end result to be financial we don’t have to walk in the shoes of anyone, just money footprints, when we create this schism between organic and speculation that is our lack of a capital gains tax, then our whole society readjusts to the meme and applies it throughout. You don’t need to have really made a profit, you don’t really have be an expert, you don’t really need to protect human rights, you just need to assume you are because you have already have money, or are being asked an expert question, are in a position of protecting human rights, and then you are never going to be wrong, that the fear of being wrong doesn’t matter, because what matters is financial not people.

    And well in the last thirty years whose really made a loss? The old mistake of resting on ones laurals, because the world was so easy to make profits, to make wealth, thanks to cheap high dense energy and loose finance. Those days are going, and the culture of indifference to the plight of others are over. Because we need others now, we need them not only to grow enough food with dwindling oil supplies, but we need then to do it well and not cause downstrean environmental problems, we knew government could throw money at the problem in the past to buy more oil and to cover the clean up but that is no longer the case.

    So we need to dismantle the old financial tool, the capital gains farming (the pre-new deal taxation system of Lab and Nats) that provide NZ with the means to turn cheap oil into cheap easy profits for the few and send armies of young kiwis exporting themselves, and holding back our businesses from organic growing themselves in a real competitive market in NZ, and actual life a human rights culture rather than the tick off the box human rights we have now.
    Under-employment, mismatch employment, poverty capitalism, ineffective human rights protection (you don’t need to protect those who are hurting when the hurting are on the next flight to OZ). Yeah, they should do a study of why kiwis left NZ to fly in real economies, was it economic, lack of growth, lack of accountability in the governing regime?
    Or bots of all them.

  4. banter 5

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/67362/green-groups-criticise-environmental-announcements

    Nick Smith on Radio NZ this morning says homes are the biggest contributors to pollution, not industry. Interesting.

    • Janice 5.1

      Simon Mercep sat back and allowed Nick Smith to make a party political broadcast on this “interview”. Will someone please tell him his job is to ask questions not to let the pollies go off at the mouth. He did the same with Blinglish the other morning.

      • jcuknz 5.1.1

        Obviously Nick Smith is correct because what industry do we have left in New Zealand? The major problem is that the replacement of our housing stock is a mind boggling exercise, particularly because of the shortage of industry in the country to help with the replacement and finance through wages for people to pay for better housing..

    • Lanthanide 5.2

      No, homes are not the “biggest contributors to pollution”.

      They are the biggest contributors to smog on cold days during winter, which is the problem that they’re trying to tackle. And that is obviously true – the smog is coming from open fires and old wood burners and also from general traffic, more so than anything industry is doing (because face it, we don’t have much industry in NZ).

      • jcuknz 5.2.1

        The way it goes, briefly, is that with an energy efficient home one doesn’t need the infrastructure to keep it habitable and the pollution that providing that infrastructure causes. But then think of the pollution replacing our housing stock would cause. Smog is a very minor part of the situation,

    • KJT 5.3

      I doubt that is true having seen some of the figures for air pollution from Marsden Point alone. Vehicles are also a big contributor.
      Huntly power station is the largest point source of air pollution in Hamilton.

      It is also very easy to spot the correlation between water pollution and industry such as Dairying and paper production.

      • Lanthanide 5.3.1

        “It is also very easy to spot the correlation between water pollution and industry such as Dairying and paper production.”
        Of course, but they’re not talking about general pollution, they’re talking about air pollution, and reducing the number of high pollution days to a maximum of 1 per year, whereas some areas currently have 40-50 days per year, most of which are occurring on cold winters days.

        I don’t deny that general pollution is caused more by industry, but that’s not what they’re talking about.

  5. randal 6

    has national looted the entire state treasury yet or has has johnkey told his bloodsucking mates they have to wait a bit.

  6. ianmac 7

    I wonder if the strategic plan is for Key to release plans for partial privatisation and let the outrage boil away for a while.
    But after a few months the population gets used to the idea. “After all they are doing something to deal with our huge debt left by Labour aren’t they.”
    Then after a few months the people start saying it will be OK.
    And vote accordingly?
    Another cunning plan Baldrick?

    • Lanthanide 7.1

      That seems to be what they’re hoping for. But I think the initial public reaction has probably taken them a bit by surprise.

      If it can be made more generally known that the plan is a sure-fire money loser, due to the interest rates at play (5.5% to borrow vs 7.6% dividend return on assets) and the fact this is only a ‘problem’ because of National’s massive tax cuts for the rich, I think this issue will end up being a big drag on National. Unfortunately Labour aren’t providing a very compelling platform at the moment either, so we may end up with a low voter turnout and National squeaking through anyway.

      • KJT 7.1.1

        Why is Labour so quiet. Have they got corporate doners advocating privatisation also?

        • Jum 7.1.1.1

          Yes, it’s time Labour made a stand on:

          No to any TPPA deal.
          No to any fancy float/partial privatisation/ppp crap. There are far better alternatives. David Cunliffe is capable of finding them.

  7. Pascal's bookie 8

    Egypt updates;

    “10.04pm Associated Press reports that as many as 19 private jets carrying the families of wealthy Egyptian and Arab businessmen have flown out of Cairo airport. Dozens of Egypt’s business elite are said to have mainly headed for Dubai.

    8.31pm: Shots sound like they are coming from the east of the city, Peter Beaumont says. Tracer rounds from heavy calibre weapons suggest they are military. Bursts from the direction of the airport and Heliopolis – where the presidential palace is located. Tanks seen moving fast eastwards.

    8.17pm: Peter Beaumont in Cairo reports hearing bursts of gunfire from several directions, sounds coming from somewhere far beyond Tahrir Square.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/jan/30/egypt-protests-live-updates

    • Lanthanide 8.1

      Interesting, the 10.04pm entry has now changed to this:

      10.04pm Amr Shalakany, a law professor at the American University in Cairo, has written a piece for Comment is Free:

      This is a sweet, sweet revolution; it is peaceful. Tell everyone we are peaceful.

      • Pascal's bookie 8.1.1

        That is weird. I guess it’s due to the nature of highly politicised breaking stories, there will be plenty of rumour mongering and propaganda flying around so news agencies will forego verification for speed ( for the page hits) and edit later as needed…

        It’s always worth bearing in mind that with big events like this, and say terrorist attacks or what have you, the initial news reports tend to be the least accurate. Which can feed confusion later as people search for ‘what they were saying at the time’ quotes to verify whatever their preffered narrative might be.

      • Carol 8.1.2

        Well Frank Bunce has recently flown out of Cairo. He reports it’s a pretty chaotic “shoving match”. Maybe someone saw some planes flying out with a rich Egyptian or two included, and made some over-extravagant assumptions, which have now been corrected.

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/4597812/Frank-Bunce-Egypt-was-madness

    • Vicky32 8.2

      Yet another disaster area in the Middle East! How awful…
      Deb

      • Carol 8.2.1

        Yes, and at least partly the result of the pressure to change the socialist policies to neoliberal ones that caused vast income inequalities – largely the doing of the US government & corporates, supported by the IMF, UK government etc.

  8. Anthony C 9

    Waiting to see if there is an anti-Len Brown NZ Herald article tomorrow, there has pretty much been one each day for the last couple of weeks.

    The Herald could make it a little less obvious….

  9. KJT 10

    Yet again the Herald has cut the guts out of one of my Emails to make it less scathing on the Government. They should be taken to task about the constant censorship.

    • Jum 10.1

      Start your own paper, KJT.

      • KJT 10.1.1

        I wish.

        2 Days. 4 not published. 2 Heavily edited even though they were very short.
        One lot of letters wrapped up in a journalists summary. I wonder why? Many were very critical of NACT. That has been almost totally lost in the summary.

        Not unexpected though as Journalists now feel their job is to interpret not report.

  10. ianmac 11

    I wrote a letter to our paper quoting Key on Breakfast (See Trevor) who said NZ has a Govt Debt about 20% of GST compared with Japan 200%. I wrote about being puzzled that if our Govt Debt is so low, how come that Key said that it is one of the reasons for privatising?
    So far the Editorial PA has written back saying they will find out. Be interesting to see what gets published KJT.

  11. big bruv 12

    Any comment from the left about this disgusting poster being seen around parts of Auckland?

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/01/politics_of_hate.html#comment-791868

    • The Voice of Reason 12.1

      Yep. They’re teenagers. They’ll grow up eventually and probably get jobs and learn to pay their way in the world. Dya reckon you ever will?

    • Rosy 12.2

      That’s pretty bad. What the U.S. does, NZ follows.

      • The Voice of Reason 12.2.1

        Which bit is bad, Rosy? The arming of the police or the poster?

        They are teenagers, by the way. There’s a photo of them at a Unite protest on one of the righty sites. They clearly didn’t think it through, but that’s about as far as it goes on the menace to society front. Young people, huh?! Put ’em in the army. That’d sort ’em out.

        • Rosy 12.2.1.1

          Both. I’m not a fan of arming the police, or of Judith Collins. But just because they are teens doesn’t make this poster all right, and yes, they are teens and will probably grow out of it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like a poster of a bullet hole in someones head. Now if they had’ve used actual examples of how arming the police has resulted in unnecessary deaths I’d have no problem with there protest. E.g. A picture of a bullet in the Scottish man in London, shot because he was carrying a table leg and had an ‘Irish’ accent, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3974461.stm
          or the Brazilian shot on the tube because police thought he was a terrorist
          http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4713753.stm would make the point.
          They’re teens, they’d have no problem googling something up.

          There was a huge discussion on how mock targets did/didn’t influence the Tuscon shooting. I’m of the opinion that they did.

          • The Voice of Reason 12.2.1.1.1

            No question that the environment has an influence. I think the difference, for what it’s worth, is that in the States gun culture and gun availability make the threat very real. These guys are not in that league. They’re dumb, not dangerous.

            • rosy 12.2.1.1.1.1

              Agree it was a pretty dumb thing to do. However a learnning experience for good activists to take the heat for the furore this might create.

              A photo of them at a unite protest? not with that poster, I hope. The righties will be gleeful of getting a narrative that [wrongly] associates the left with ‘hatred’. I can hear them now…

    • millsy 12.3

      Quite frankly, I think Judith Collins, is for lack of a better term, a really nasty bitch herself, and sometime you gotta fight fire with fire.

      • big bruv 12.3.1

        “Quite frankly, I think Judith Collins, is for lack of a better term, a really nasty bitch herself, and sometime you gotta fight fire with fire.”

        You let this sort of comment slide here Iprent?

        I can just imagine the outrage if that comment was made about a Labour MP.

        [lprent: Yes – it is the nature of political debate. I only tend to moderate them when they diverge from opinion into statements of fact (for obvious reasons) or they descend into pointless namecalling or trolling. But that kind of comment is made here all of the time about Labour MP’s, Green MP’s, NZ First ex-MP’s, Act MP’s as well as National MP’s.
        For instance – just taking a quick sample on a couple of names (and without bothering to hunt for the egarious examples):
        You on Goff and Peters.
        You on Cullen
        You on Keith Locke
        However, I’m perfectly happy to set up a policy to apply to you to prevent you from taking this distressing political tack if you wish. ]

        • big bruv 12.3.1.1

          Iprent

          That is an outstanding example of the shocking double standards you let slide here at the sewer.

          The comment about Collins is calling for her to be shot, however you are happy to allow it and even go as far as bending over backwards in a pathetic attempt to justify the comment.

          Nowhere did I call for Clark, Cullen or Locke to be shot.

          I am amazed that you think calling for the death of an opponent is part of political debate, I repeat, had I made the comment about Clark or Goff you would have banned me in a heartbeat.

          You people really are the lowest form of life.

          [r0b: Just in case anyone is thinking of taking bruv’s vomit seriously, two minutes on Google turns up his attitude to shooting:

          “Actually when you come to think about it, it may just be cheaper to shoot socialists on sight.”

          “This piece of shit should be shot.”

          “That is fine with me MT just as long as I can shoot the little pricks when they decide to toss bricks through my front window.”

          “…the only thing they should be sending is guns and tanks to take out the likes of Mugabe and Saddam.”

          “The cops shot a gang member dead…..does anybody really care about that?”

          And so on. Bruv is only here because he needs the attention.]

          [lprent: 🙂 big bruv has some appalling double standards… ]

          • Colonial Viper 12.3.1.1.1

            You people really are the lowest form of life.

            But you love hanging out and frolicking with us? Are you saying that we are the muck and you are the pig? Oink.

          • Rosy 12.3.1.1.2

            Don’t get carried away… nowhere did anyone call for Collins to be shot. The poster said ‘go shoot yourself’ I imagine in reference to the police being armed shooting other people. Stupid, not evil.

        • Inventory2 12.3.1.2

          So lprent – the intro to this thread says

          The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

          Are you saying that

          Quite frankly, I think Judith Collins, is for lack of a better term, a really nasty bitch herself, and sometime you gotta fight fire with fire.

          fits your “usual good behaviour rules”? If you are (and you seem to be condoning the comment in your response to big bruv), might I respectfully suggest that you are out of step with what most reasonable people from all points of the political compass might regard as “good behaviour”.

          [lprent: Did you read my answer to big bruv? Did you read the few examples I pointed out to him of what we do tolerate in his behavior here? Those were merely the first ones I spotted in a similar vein of offense (in my opinion*). It’d be easy to find more.

          I’m aware that you personally try not to stoop to that level, but many from the various sides of the debate do. But we had to draw the line somewhere about what we would moderate. Where that is drawn is a balance between freedom of speech, having readable discussion on the site, and having to do too much work to moderate the comments onsite. Readers are free to comment about the statement you’re offended by – just as they do for other foolish statements. But it doesn’t fall into my guidelines about what I’ll moderate out.

          I’m uninterested in pursuing conversation on the topic because in effect you’re wanting to set the moderating guidelines. I will ban people for doing that – that is in the about and policy.

          * which counts for far more than yours…]

          • r0b 12.3.1.2.1

            That’s the best you can do? Someone says “fight fire with fire” – which means what exactly, fight bad propaganda with bad propaganda? – and this is your killer quote for how evil the left are?

            Meanwhile bruv and his ilk are openly calling for people to be shot every other day over at Kiwiblog.

            Please, do yourself a favour and get a life.

            • higherstandard 12.3.1.2.1.1

              Get a life ?

              r0b a post about a couple of comments by Key on radiosport runs to almost 300 hundred comments while a good post by you on Tim Flannery’s book gets 15 – face it people are drawn to the banal and irrelevant.

              Unfortunately during the run up to the election I expect the posters and commenters will continue to concentrate more on the irrelevant, partisan and pure stupid.

    • Jum 12.4

      bb, I watched how you righties treated Helen Clark and every other woman in New Zealand who wasn’t in the twinset and pearls brigade.

      You want a fascist state which Collins, JKeyll, your mate from insensible sentencing have been pushing; this is what you can expect in your new prison state.

      Don’t get all uppity just because a rightie gets a poster aimed at her. You can thank people like Ian Wishart and his vicious attacks on Helen Clark and Margaret Wilson and the rightwing media, hate-filled radio talkback and Garner-pusfilled hate-speak against Goff and anyone who wants a NZ for the people, not for the profiteers, for what’s happening now.

      Still it always fascinates me that it’s the women that everyone goes for. I loathe Judith Collins. She’s dug her own poster picture because of the way she behaves towards anyone who does not like her fascist neo-conservative policies, encouraged of course by JKeyll and Hide/Douglas. I’ve seen her in Parliament; I’ve dealt with her at election meetings. She’s a nasty piece of work, but no, a shot between the eyes doesn’t do it for me. She’ll self destruct before too long anyway. Once JKeyll’s finished using her against the vulnerable.

  12. big bruv 13

    “You can thank people like Ian Wishart and his vicious attacks on Helen Clark and Margaret Wilson and the rightwing media”

    Wishart is a religious nutter so anything he says is always going to be treated with caution by me, however, what he had to say about Clark and Wilson was not vicious, it was the truth.

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  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 hours ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    6 hours ago
  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    6 hours ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    8 hours ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    9 hours ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    10 hours ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    11 hours ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    14 hours ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    15 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    15 hours ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    16 hours ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    17 hours ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    17 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    18 hours ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    20 hours ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    21 hours ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    23 hours ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    1 day ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    1 day ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    1 day ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    1 day ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    1 day ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    4 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    5 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
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    14 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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