THE ENVIRONMENT….
“Fracking. I’ve read a few articles in the Economist on it, and I’m okay with it, as long as it’s done safely.”— Larry Williams, 29 August 2012
THE NEED FOR INTELLIGENT PUBLIC DEBATE….
“I’m here to make people think. That’s all I want.” — Mike Hosking, 30 August 2012
THE GAY MARRIAGE BILL….
“All this talk about rights. Do I have the right to walk into a women’s toilet?”—Leighton Smith, 30 August 2012
He wouldn’t be able to be such a shit stirrer if he hadn’t been treated so abysmally by the Auckland National Party elite, who have been shown to be a bunch of craven cads and dishonourable in their dealings. The whole shameful treatment of Mr. Dotcom by people he clearly considered were his friends but who were really only mongrels with cupboard love and nice suits to my my mind cracks the edge of the manhole cover and allows us a glimpse into the sewer that is the inner machinations of that class of rich, conservative Aucklanders who assume to rule the city.
I am sure there is something there. It is beyond comprehension that the Minister in charge of the SIS would only have been told about a pending raid on the day of the raid.
It is also unbelievable that a free spending multi millionaire who made a major donation to a right wing politician would not have wanted to meet the PM. I quite like Kim and mean this in the nicest way but he does appear to be the sort of person who wants to mix with the rich and powerful and why wouldn’t he have met Key?
Two questions that I would love to have the answers to:
1. Did he actually meet Key and when?
2. Has he donated money to the National Party?
Excellent, I have maintained for months that ShonKey lied on “Campbell Live” about being unaware of Mr Dotcom’s existence till the day of the raid because of his SIS link and the FBI involvement.
And he dropped himself in it with his earlier remarks that he definitely didn’t meet Dotcom and if he had, he definitely would have remembered such an unusual name.
Key said he had never heard of Dotcom till the day before the raids. So according to the hearing I went to, the FBI were here in New Zealand in September and October 2011, we have the copyright dude and lots of others travelling here, and not one person mentioned this to the Prime Minister?
Also just about everyone in Auckland knew Dotcom had paid for the New Years eve fireworks at SkyCity (you know, Sky City, good friends of the PM), yet John Key hadn’t heard that?
And that’s not even to mention the gymnastics that took place so John Key could avoid any constituency work relating to Dotcom.
Don’t get me wrong – I’d love to see dotcom expose Key – but he’s always known the score.
There is no love lost between rich and powerful men when one of them is scorned. Dotcom is that one. He’s as bad as the rest, it’s just his interests coincide with ours at the moment. It doesn’t make him some sort of Everyman hero.
Dotcom will be the gift that keeps on giving, he’s smart, well resourced and understands the necessity of backup and redundancy in times of disaster.
Santuary sums it up nicely and what an arrogant foolish lot if they thought they could treat him like this, guess that’s what happens when you didn’t go to the right schools and clubs and have that automatic ‘get off scot free’ card that Blinky carries.
Wonder if Kim has some evidence that proves beyond all doubt Key’s a lying SOB he’d like to share with us all, come on Kim they will never ever be trustworthy but you know that already.
Brilliant! Thanks for that. The comments section underneath it is interesting: that bloke calling himself UNI (“Another impressive interview in a row by John Key..”) seems so bewildered and doctrinaire that I suspect he is actually our friend “Gosman”.
This article takes up most of the front page of today’s hard copy of the west Auckland paper, Western Leader. It’s about the dire housing shortage, especially affordable and safe housing for families in west Auckland – and the inadequate government plans to deal with it.
A whopping $45 million being spent on state housing in Auckland within the next three years won’t lead to more homes.
Housing New Zealand is spending the funds on refurbishing and upgrading 80 existing houses, including 68 in West Auckland. It’ll then subdivide the land and sell to developers to build private rental properties and community housing.
Half of the homes will be refurbished and others will be demolished and rebuilt, meaning the number of state houses available remains the same.
…
Henderson Salvation Army operations manager Rhondda Middleton says Housing New Zealand’s latest project does not help what she describes as the worst housing crises she’s ever seen.
“We have four or five families come in here every week who are in desperate need of affordable housing and there just isn’t enough to go around,” she says.
“Some people are taking months to find houses and in the meantime they have to resort to caravan parks or living in incredibly cramped situations with extended family.”
Carol, yesterday I was wondering if MSM are very slowly waking up to the fact we have a crisis in NZ. In the space of a week the Dom Post had 2 stories about families in Porirua who are living in dire circumstances due to poverty wages and two weeks prior to that the Dom had Deborah Russell’s welcome and refreshing piece regarding our prejudiced attitudes around beneficiaries. In each three instances however, fairfax had the comments section turned on which unleashed the usual contempt and misunderstanding that is prevelant within a sector of the public. It’s so upsetting to read those vile comments. Its highlights the selfish nastiness within our society. With voters like no wonder we have a National govt.
Yes, it’s dispiriting to read some of those nasty comments, Rosie.
I think decades of neoliberal propaganda has fed such beliefs – not just through direct bennie-bashing by politicians and the MSM, but through the underlying myths about individualism, meritocracy etc.
It’ll take a long time to turn the general public away from such destructive ways of thinking.
Advancing on merit ended with Thatcher, when monetarism forced on us by gushing cheap middle eastern oil emerged to dominant the polis. Better government would have been the
answer, but instead we got thirty years of right and left wing government bad, profits good.
If we keep dumb-ing down government any parent can eventually sell their kid into slavery,
well we have, we just did not do it explicitly, we just borrowed and borrowed…
…neo-liberals didn’t just build endless inefficient sprawl but also elevated zombies into power.
The global market failure is due to the mismatch between the perceived needs and the
real current results of current socio-economics. The demand-supply mismatch. We
as a people do not want to gift our children a hell on earth.
New from International Labour Rights Forum: Freedom at work: Democracy and ecomony for all
This will be a good resource to read if you’re interested in global Labour Rights/Union news. This is fresh from the inbox this am, so have just had a skim read. Interesting stat on page 5 though. The chart shows that voter turnout is higher in areas that have greater union density. If this is a factor in voter turnout it could be part of the reason,of which there are several, that our voters strayed away from the polling booths last year.
Gina Rinehart represents the ALP’s best chance of retaining power in Australia. Because she is really, really scary. Her particular mix of belligerent stupidity and gross superiority is bad enough, but her desire to affect Australian politics makes Rupert Murdoch look like a weak wristed Social Democrat.
Her latest pronouncements include:
1. Those who are jealous of the wealthy should start working harder and cut down on drinking, smoking and socializing, and although not mentioned it helps if their father leaves them valuable mineral rights;
2. Billionaires like herself who were doing more than anyone to help the poor by investing their money and creating jobs;
3. The government should lower the minimum wage of $606.40 a week and cut taxes to stimulate employment.
I guess this sense of superiority is necessary because otherwise she would, or should, feel deeply ashamed for hoarding so much of the world’s wealth beyond any conceivable need.
Rinehart makes the common assumption of the disgustingly (fat) and rich, that we lowly people actually envy them. Probably a majority simply despise them. Not everybody, by any means, has a singular desire to be hugely wealthy. Most are content if they can support themselves and/or dependents without a struggle (which, of course, many NZ’ers have to do) and manage something by way of savings (or ability to meet mortgage payments).
I would want to be like Rinehart? My gosh, I would rather have never lived.
Scary physically, financially and emotionally. Born with the biggest silver spoon in Oz , sued her stepmother (Rose) , threatening her kids if they don’t come to heel so the Oz governments and the media don’t frighten her one little bit, she’s as hard as a coffin nail.
So far she’s looking like she’s destroyed Fairfax, whose management had done a fair job of ruining it under Kirk etc. 2 possibilities a) It’s likely to be split up which would make for bigger enemies with the separately rescued and owned Age (melbourne) and Sydney MH by locals keen to keep the heritage. b) she’ll sweep back in and buy the whole lot for a song.
You get a fair go in OZ, it’s part of the convict pysche that bred the ‘Aussie battler’ image or suffer the consequences and she’s pushed it out way to far.
Thanks, ’tis always good to be reminded that we do have some allies on the right, if even they can be rather fickle on expanding civil rights some times 😉
Fortunately for Australia she’s too damn thick to play teh politics properly and has a bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. So her rather vocal support will likely carry with it potentially negative effects 😉
This just reminds us that we “never have seen it all”. Does apartheid and its laws continue even under black African leadership? Some of us paid dearly to install this current government.
Of the 34 miners killed at Marikana, no more than a dozen of the dead were captured in news footage shot at the scene. The majority of those who died, according to surviving strikers and researchers, were killed beyond the view of cameras at a nondescript collection of boulders some 300 metres behind Wonderkop
[…]
…It is becoming clear to this reporter that heavily armed police hunted down and killed the miners in cold blood. A minority were killed in the filmed event where police claim they acted in self-defence. The rest was murder on a massive scale.
If the “World” demands Justice these charges cannot go ahead. Translate this into the NZ situation where strikes happen and could we accept it? Bizzare!
A friend has put together a site to discuss the claims the tobacco companies are making about the upcoming regulation of their packaging. For example, they think they are the thin end of the wedge: what other products might have mandated packaging requirements? Personally I’m thinking food for one, and medicine for another! (oh and booze, but that’s a whole other website 🙂
Now that we have controlled substances like laudanum, lead based makeup and sippin’ meths, cigarettes are the obvious next risky thing to control. Maybe growing for personal use will be the way to go, I don’t know. But once the pointless and dangerous addictive tobacco is controlled, food will be next on the agenda – and that’s a good thing.
I don’t care anymore about the Latte labour party. They’re f*#k’d! Having the marriage bill front & centre at a time when the country’s on it’s knees and bleeding money/debt, real unemployment at 9.1% economy is dead, asset sales & water ri
ghts are the real battle ground, the TPPA being put together in secret and has killed off any new trade deals since 2008. An incompetent government that spends money on go nowhere programmes and the Latte club can’t get a target in their sites! Roll on the Greens & Mana,NZ First coalition!
The simple reply is that, yes, there are a lot of problems, but to solve those problems we need everyone knowing they belong, before we begin to tackle the problems. We may even find some problems go away naturally once people aren’t fighting themsleves. It’s foundational work, for small cost. Smart stuff.
I don’t care anymore about the Latte labour party. They’re f*#k’d! Having the marriage bill front & centre at a time when the country’s on it’s knees and bleeding money/debt, real unemployment at 9.1% economy is dead, asset sales & water rights..
Pretty much, although I don’t blame the whole Labour party for that.. If I did, I don’t know what I’d do – the Greens are dishonest, so what would that leave? 🙁
Well V32 I think a party with a leader like George Galloway would be a great start. A principled working class party would be great as well. I think if you watch this clip by George you’d kinda see what I mean, principled & leadership & values. Isn’t that what the Labour party use to be instead of what it’s morphed into? A bunch of white lily-livered middle class tossers!
Talking about British politicians, I just hope that he is more competent than these principled people who demand values and leadership in british politics…
It has been amusing me ever since I saw it, and I really can’t tell one british politician from another….
You must be talking about tories & the British Labour party …. with those two NZ’s Nat’s & Labour party have a lot in common? Completely f*#k’n useless!
Via the “Keeping Stock” blog, via “Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow” blog which keeps updated headlines from a variety of blogs, here is what Josie Pagani said in this week’s Listener:
“Someone on the internet says I’m a “post-modernist twit”. How would you text that insult? “U po mo”? I’ve also become an “ism”; Pagani-ism. I’d rather be a “nomics”. Do I have to destroy an economy to be known for Pagani-nomics? Those insults appeared on left-wing blogs after I defended Labour leader David Shearer when he said, and I paraphrase: “Someone who shouldn’t be on the dole shouldn’t be on the dole.” The political left needs to argue a principled case for welfare reform. People have a right to be looked after when they can’t provide for themselves, yet today if you are on a benefit, you live in poverty. You get stuck.
I’ve lived in a family where joining a gang was a way to make something of yourself. But by equating any reform with beneficiary bashing, the left has allowed the expression “welfare reform” to be owned by people who neither believe in welfare nor want to see it last another century. Postmodern Pagani-nomics stresses respect for responsibilities as well as rights.”
I have two things to say:
1. You have to wonder about the difference, if any, between PR spin and outright lies. Is there any limit to what those in the business may invent to manipulate public discourse. Josie Pagani knows perfectly well that the “anecdote” she says she was defending was not about whether “someone who shouldn’t be on the dole, shouldn’t be on the dole”. It was about whether neighbours should surveil sickness beneficiaries and assume they are fraudsters until proven otherwise. (yes I also paraphrase, but within the actual facts).
2. Given that Ms Pagani objected to Standard commenters allegedly making assumptions about her political views based on her husband’s political views, does anyone else find it ironic that she has usurped the title ‘Paganiism’ earned by her husband by his public expressions of his political views, as being due to her own efforts? I hadn’t heard of Josie Pagani until some while after I started using the phrase.
There is was so much wrong with that “man on the roof” speech, and the associated defence of it, that it is a dimspiration to us all.
The most stultifying aspect is that the defenders (well, some of them) clearly have the basic tools to examine their own arguments and find the errors and contradictions, but instead they use those basic tools to defend the errors and contradictions.
Yes, that bothers me. Shearer made a complete hash of it yesterday, trying to defend the thing but doing so in a way that had no logic whatsoever. It’s quite a twist to compromise one’s own intellectual capacity that way. God knows what that does to a person’s core self.
js’s point 1 – I think it is both – lies and spin. This isn’t just a disagreement about policy direction (although it could have been just that). She can keep defending Shearer and the path they are taking with all the spinlies she likes but Ms Pagani has no integrity at all, and there is no coming back from that.
As for welfare reform, here’s top of my list: do a proper review of the benefit abatement rules, making sure to consult with experts and stakeholders from outside the department. The biggest disincentive for sickness and other beneficiaries is the fact that taking part time work will cost them money.
Beyond that, review what contributing to society means in real terms, not just how it looks in the stats of unemployment or welfare payments. Put value on all the things that people do, not just the one’s that have a formal pay check.
<blockquoteShearer made a complete hash of it yesterday, trying to defend the thing but doing so in a way that had no logic whatsoever. It’s quite a twist to compromise one’s own intellectual capacity that way. God knows what that does to a person’s core self.
Could someone please give Shearer a light tap with a brass striker and and see if he rings.
Mentioned this a few days previous….if Pagani(s)=Labour……show over, Shonkey wins by default, or National Lite beat Shonkeys mob. We have a problem Houston.
B. Don’t forget the wishy washy middle class are a bit flakey and are starting to fall out of luv with PinoKeyo …. and are more likely to jump onto the green waka.
David Shearer’s cute little ‘sickness beneficiary’ story showed him blindly agreeing with a prejudiced bigot without knowing any of the facts of the situation.
He had no idea of the situation of the man painting his roof and made no attempt to find out his side of the story and whether he should or should not have been on a benefit. And no, painting his roof does not automatically mean he shouldn’t have been, as Bill’s excellent post here on The Standard demonstrated.
That anecdote is what you expect from the leader of the National Party, the natural home of benny bashing voters. You don’t expect it from the leader of Labour.
But the reason you don’t get all this is because, unbeknownst to you, you are in the wrong party yourself. The party that traditionally runs lines about ‘responsibility as well as rights’ is the right wing party, not the left wing one.
It’s never too late to correct your error and join National. I’m sure they will be glad to listen to Pagani-nomics.
The ‘rights and responsibilities’ bullshit needs demolishing. Beneficiaries are generally well aware of their responsibilities, or they find out pretty bloody quick – they lose income if they’re don’t. They’re also usually very aware of how much and how often their rights are disregarded by WINZ (and the Minister), because likewise, it directly affects their income. Often their right to personhood and human decency is ignored or overridden too.
What Pagani and Bennett mean by ‘responsibility’ is that beneficiaries are now supposed to take on the burden of proving they’re not a bludger. Everyone on SB is a bludger until proven otherwise just like the man painting his roof. Everyone on the dole is a bludger until they get a job. Apparently beneficiaries are now also responsible for there not being enough jobs, because if they just took on their responsibilities then there would be enough and society wouldn’t have a problem with welfare.
To give Shearer the benefit of the doubt, he probably was largely unaware of the damage done by the bludger meme to people on sickness benefit in particular. But you’d have to be a heartless bastard to not understand now that the issue has been raised.
I very much doubt Shearer has been acquainted with arguments like ours about how and why his anecdote was harmful to almost all sickness beneficiaries, and also about how his following National’s agenda in the manner he has been practising is harmful to the health of the Labour Party.
The Labour leadership could not function as it does if it was not wilfully disconnected from all centre left and left criticisms of it, and also from the wider centre-left/leftwing discourse.
There is a reason that Shearer is happy to engage with right-wing talkback audiences yet refuses to engage here or with any other wider-left medium, and why the leadership team and it’s hangers-on like to demonise us all as nasty and irrational and beyond the pale.
Js, do you mean that Ms Pagani won’t have discussed with Shearer or caucus why she is defending him or disparaging the left blogosphere over the issue?
Giovanni Tiso’s post (just linked) suggests that Shearer knows there is an issue. He interrupts the interviewer and then goes on to defend his speech without having to have the issue explained to him. Sounds like he knows enough to know there is an issue, so if he doesn’t know the detail by now, then that is willful ignorance.
He’s knows there’s an issue from a PR point of view. That’s different to understanding what the issues are.
As for Ms Pagani, if she has discussed this with Shearer at all, it will have been to sympathise with him about the “overreaction” from the likes of you and I, and possibly the best angles to mitigate the damage, imho.
I think it is difficult, from the transcript of Shearers words, to get any clear idea about what he thinks or knows about anything at all.
I very much doubt Shearer has been acquainted with arguments like ours about how and why his anecdote was harmful to almost all sickness beneficiaries
Because as as UN functionary, he was safely protected in the role as savour to the benighted, savage masses. He’s finding it really hard to realise that he’s not the white knight descending from high to save the poor savages, but a servant, a representative, put forward to champion citizens, and as such, beholden to listen to them, and if not, to be sacked.
Sorry Dave, but mago rinds tossed over the side of your truck aren’t enough. Don’t worry however, I’m sure the ghost of Marie Antoinette will console you. I’m sure that she felt that the peasants treated her unfairly too when she said some really, really sincerely intended things about eating brioche if there wasn’t enough bread to go around.
Postmodern Pagani-nomics stresses respect for responsibilities as well as rights.”
Yes, Josie, and that’s what makes you a fucking beneficiary-basher.
If I constantly add “but remember some men are rapists” to the end of every sentence I utter about sexual violence, I’m pretty sure people would start saying (not that they don’t already) “hey QoT, that sounds pretty man-hating, like you want to constantly reinforce the men = rapists idea in our heads.”
Likewise, if you feel the need to add “but people have responsibilities not to be evil bludgers!” to the end of literally every speech you make about our social welfare system, people might just start suspecting that you’re a little bit hyper-focused on the bludgers. Who aren’t actually a big problem, and whose criminality (such as exists) should never be used by an allegedly leftwing person to frame discussions of social welfare.
Because, and you know, I shouldn’t have to explain this to a politician, much less one married to a key political strategist (you know, the way the Briscoes Lady’s partner probably knows a lot about flatware), but when you frame shit in a way that benefits your opponent’s arguments, you make it easier for them to win. Duh.
If I constantly add “but remember some men are rapists” to the end of every sentence I utter about sexual violence, I’m pretty sure people would start saying (not that they don’t already) “hey QoT, that sounds pretty man-hating, like you want to constantly reinforce the men = rapists idea in our heads.”
Such a lovely self-aware sense of self deprecation.
You got it your Highness. She’s either thick as pig shit or a closet tory.
Every amoeba with half a milli-ounce of grey matter knows that the terms “individual responsibility” “welfare dependency” and “welfare reform” are the carefully-constructed propaganda-bites of the divide-and-conquer Right, to be repeated ad nauseam at each an every opportunity.
Instead of railing at the inanity and deliberate manipulation from the outset – all are as valid as, say, “employer dependency” or “taxpayer dependency” for workers and politicians – wee Jose and her cobbers have sat on their fat, worker-funded arses and now peddle the same steaming pus with bells on.
If it’s now entrenched in the voting public that you purport to woo, Josie, it means you failed. Since 1998. Either apologise and change or piss off. You too Trev, real people are hurting out here.
These members of the Labour Party who don’t mind dishing it out to beneficiaries seem oddly sensitive to criticism of themselves. Surely you only go into politics if you think you are up for facing some criticism and strongly worded disagreement. And there is something vulgar about sulking in salaried comfort because some people didn’t like the mean things you said about people whose everyday misery dwarfs your own hurt feelings.
According to an annual survey of global arms sales conducted by the Congressional Research Service, US arms sales have tripled between 2010 to 2011 to record levels. The US now accounts for over 75% of global arms deals. One commentator remarks:
“The tripling of US arms sales abroad to a record $66.3 billion is an accurate barometer of the accelerating drive to war in the Persian Gulf and on a world scale. This one violently surging sector of American exports reflects a diseased capitalist economy and society, whose financial-corporate elite resorts to militarism as a means of offsetting the overall economic decline of the United States.
…
The arms industry is massively subsidized by the American taxpayer. While the political establishment and media insist “there is no money” when it comes to jobs, decent wages, education and vital public services, endless billions are lavished on America’s merchants of death.”
This article also notes that of the US$66.3 billion in arms trades, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates account for a combined total of US$38.2 billion.
“The purchases by the monarchical regimes in the Arab world stem, on the one hand, from their reaction to the popular upheavals that were dubbed the “Arab Spring” and, on the other, from the buildup by the US and its allies for another war, this time against Iran.”
closer to home I listened to Chrtis Trotter yesterday express grave doubts about the constitutional advisory panel.googled it this morning and it
looks like they are going to try and dream one up of their own and then foist it on us with a bit of consultation at the end of their deliberations just to make it look good.
corporatist authoritarian post modernism at its worst.
just about to listen to Mitt Romney address the RNC. After listening to that snake Ryan yesterday I am looking forward to hearing Romney lie to me also.
Oh. OK. Washington Post wouldn’t make it up.
The underlying message though is “Beware of those who make great promises. They all do that but only a few actually intend to action let alone actually achieve what they promised.”
Watching his gruesome performance, it is clear that the doddering Eastwood has pretty much lost his marbles. However, whoever wrote his lines for him did insert some provocations that need to be addressed. I’ll deal with just the most idiotic of them….
You know they are all left wingers out there, left of Lenin.
“Left of Lenin”? Clearly Eastwood’s script-writer knows nothing about Lenin’s politics. Lenin’s utter contempt for democracy has far more in common with the braindead flag-wavers in that convention hall than it does with any Hollywood “liberals”.
OK, I thought maybe it was just because somebody had the stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown New York City.
Eastwood clearly doesn’t have a clue, and could not care less, but surely his scriptwriter (David Frum? Donald Trump? Gerry Seinfeld?) knows that many, perhaps most, of the captives in Guantanamo Bay are not terrorists. They are captives, illegally held without charges in defiance of international law. Not that Clint Eastwood or the zombies in the audience would care, of course.
Of course we all now Biden is the intellect of the Democratic party.
(LAUGHTER)
Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
(LAUGHTER)
Whoever wrote those unfunny quips was pretty cheeky to write them for someone best summed up as a scowl with a body behind it.
Earlier on in the week yeshe posted a link to a herald article about a govt funded gene technology agri business meeting going on with all the big players from the various bio tech companies. We had a bit of a chat about it.
Gee. I wonder if they sat around the table and said “theres a bit of an image problem with introducing GE food crops to NZ, what shall we do?” “I know, we’ll get our buddies at Fearfux to write some pro GE PR material and label those who oppose it ‘luddites’ to make them look bad”
I think that article translates to: All these other countries are doing it and so we should to despite the fact that some of our largest markets (the EU) is predominantly against GMO and the fact that using natural plants doesn’t come with a patent cost. Also the fact that research is showing that GMO crops aren’t as good as advertised either.
Unfortunately this kind of corrupt judgement makes people lose all faith in the justice system as it clearly shows there’s one law for the rich and another for the rest of us…
Unfortunately this kind of corrupt judgement makes people lose all faith in the justice system as it clearly shows there’s one law for the rich and another for the rest of us…
Absolutely! I read the account in the Herald – what a disgusting man – did he have no idea how he sounded?
An eye witness has also come out and slammed the idiot judge. I really do hope Kim takes up Dr Michael Kidd’s offer to appeal Raoul Neave’s decision. What a travesty of justice.
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Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
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By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
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The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
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Workers at a major ASB contact centre in Auckland have voted to take strike action and withdraw their labour following disappointing pay negotiations with the employer and an "offer" to workers that would leave them worse off than the previous year. ...
As the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next.New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...
The Labour Party is demanding Peters be stood down, saying "he's embarrassed the country" with a "totally unacceptable" attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. ...
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, whose members were victims of a China-backed cyber attack, is discussing forming a standing committee to deal with foreign influence. ...
The PSA is concerned that the voluntary redundancies being offered to staff by Stats NZ will impact on the agency’s ability to deliver on its core functions. ...
Results ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of culinary creation, of sensory delights, of gastronomic poetry. I also can’t afford anything nice. Why does a pack of instant noodles and some milk cost ten bucks? I love you, Aotearoa, but I miss ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Police in Solomon Islands are on high alert ahead of the election of the prime minister today. The two candidates for the top job are former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele at the head of the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation, which is ...
He’s fine but it feels like I’m losing a friend and it’s making me bitter. How do I say ‘enough is enough’? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzHey Hera,I’ve recently moved in with a girlfriend, her partner Steve, and his friend. We all live in a lovely little house. ...
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The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
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The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Great Minds Grapple With The Great Issues
THE ENVIRONMENT….
“Fracking. I’ve read a few articles in the Economist on it, and I’m okay with it, as long as it’s done safely.”— Larry Williams, 29 August 2012
THE NEED FOR INTELLIGENT PUBLIC DEBATE….
“I’m here to make people think. That’s all I want.” — Mike Hosking, 30 August 2012
THE GAY MARRIAGE BILL….
“All this talk about rights. Do I have the right to walk into a women’s toilet?”—Leighton Smith, 30 August 2012
NewstalkZB. Tune Your Mind.
Three dimwitted, dismal and doleful dunces there, Morrissey.
Two questions: How on earth can you listen to such dopey fellows? And: Why do you listen to them?
That Mr DotCom appears to be somewhat of an epic shitstirrer au.
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/241239891843878912
He wouldn’t be able to be such a shit stirrer if he hadn’t been treated so abysmally by the Auckland National Party elite, who have been shown to be a bunch of craven cads and dishonourable in their dealings. The whole shameful treatment of Mr. Dotcom by people he clearly considered were his friends but who were really only mongrels with cupboard love and nice suits to my my mind cracks the edge of the manhole cover and allows us a glimpse into the sewer that is the inner machinations of that class of rich, conservative Aucklanders who assume to rule the city.
I am sure there is something there. It is beyond comprehension that the Minister in charge of the SIS would only have been told about a pending raid on the day of the raid.
It is also unbelievable that a free spending multi millionaire who made a major donation to a right wing politician would not have wanted to meet the PM. I quite like Kim and mean this in the nicest way but he does appear to be the sort of person who wants to mix with the rich and powerful and why wouldn’t he have met Key?
Two questions that I would love to have the answers to:
1. Did he actually meet Key and when?
2. Has he donated money to the National Party?
Sounds like we may know soon.
Excellent, I have maintained for months that ShonKey lied on “Campbell Live” about being unaware of Mr Dotcom’s existence till the day of the raid because of his SIS link and the FBI involvement.
He was mummbling so he was lying.
Just like when he lied about armoured vehicles he looked very old and shifty eyed when lied there.
Well if he didn’t know about it I’m Vladimir Putin !
So he’s a cheap little fibber and one day he gonna get caught out bad.
Sir Kiwi Kim Dotcom may well be the lie detector.
Definitely lying on Campbell Live.
And he dropped himself in it with his earlier remarks that he definitely didn’t meet Dotcom and if he had, he definitely would have remembered such an unusual name.
Key said he had never heard of Dotcom till the day before the raids. So according to the hearing I went to, the FBI were here in New Zealand in September and October 2011, we have the copyright dude and lots of others travelling here, and not one person mentioned this to the Prime Minister?
Also just about everyone in Auckland knew Dotcom had paid for the New Years eve fireworks at SkyCity (you know, Sky City, good friends of the PM), yet John Key hadn’t heard that?
And that’s not even to mention the gymnastics that took place so John Key could avoid any constituency work relating to Dotcom.
but he does appear to be the sort of person who wants to mix with the rich and powerful
Should read: was the sort of person who wants to mix with the rich and powerful.
Now he knows what s—ts the rich and powerful are, he might like to throw a few campaign dimes in the way of the opposition parties. 🙂
Don’t get me wrong – I’d love to see dotcom expose Key – but he’s always known the score.
There is no love lost between rich and powerful men when one of them is scorned. Dotcom is that one. He’s as bad as the rest, it’s just his interests coincide with ours at the moment. It doesn’t make him some sort of Everyman hero.
Dotcom will be the gift that keeps on giving, he’s smart, well resourced and understands the necessity of backup and redundancy in times of disaster.
Santuary sums it up nicely and what an arrogant foolish lot if they thought they could treat him like this, guess that’s what happens when you didn’t go to the right schools and clubs and have that automatic ‘get off scot free’ card that Blinky carries.
Wonder if Kim has some evidence that proves beyond all doubt Key’s a lying SOB he’d like to share with us all, come on Kim they will never ever be trustworthy but you know that already.
Brilliant! Thanks for that. The comments section underneath it is interesting: that bloke calling himself UNI (“Another impressive interview in a row by John Key..”) seems so bewildered and doctrinaire that I suspect he is actually our friend “Gosman”.
This article takes up most of the front page of today’s hard copy of the west Auckland paper, Western Leader. It’s about the dire housing shortage, especially affordable and safe housing for families in west Auckland – and the inadequate government plans to deal with it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/7578075/Desperate-for-a-home
Carol, yesterday I was wondering if MSM are very slowly waking up to the fact we have a crisis in NZ. In the space of a week the Dom Post had 2 stories about families in Porirua who are living in dire circumstances due to poverty wages and two weeks prior to that the Dom had Deborah Russell’s welcome and refreshing piece regarding our prejudiced attitudes around beneficiaries. In each three instances however, fairfax had the comments section turned on which unleashed the usual contempt and misunderstanding that is prevelant within a sector of the public. It’s so upsetting to read those vile comments. Its highlights the selfish nastiness within our society. With voters like no wonder we have a National govt.
Yes, it’s dispiriting to read some of those nasty comments, Rosie.
I think decades of neoliberal propaganda has fed such beliefs – not just through direct bennie-bashing by politicians and the MSM, but through the underlying myths about individualism, meritocracy etc.
It’ll take a long time to turn the general public away from such destructive ways of thinking.
Advancing on merit ended with Thatcher, when monetarism forced on us by gushing cheap middle eastern oil emerged to dominant the polis. Better government would have been the
answer, but instead we got thirty years of right and left wing government bad, profits good.
If we keep dumb-ing down government any parent can eventually sell their kid into slavery,
well we have, we just did not do it explicitly, we just borrowed and borrowed…
…neo-liberals didn’t just build endless inefficient sprawl but also elevated zombies into power.
The global market failure is due to the mismatch between the perceived needs and the
real current results of current socio-economics. The demand-supply mismatch. We
as a people do not want to gift our children a hell on earth.
Go read Debunking Economics. In it Keen points out that the supply curve of neo-liberalism doesn’t apply.
Has Collins at last been shown to be fluff?
Looks like a complete fail on her “get tough” on alcohol measures.
No change, by all accounts,
Didn’t she say once “You know me, I never back down” or was that someone else.
She will be crushing ice for her cock tails
Don’t be silly, the crushed ice will just magically appear in her cocktails when she speaks to the air.
New from International Labour Rights Forum: Freedom at work: Democracy and ecomony for all
This will be a good resource to read if you’re interested in global Labour Rights/Union news. This is fresh from the inbox this am, so have just had a skim read. Interesting stat on page 5 though. The chart shows that voter turnout is higher in areas that have greater union density. If this is a factor in voter turnout it could be part of the reason,of which there are several, that our voters strayed away from the polling booths last year.
http://laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/FAW2012.pdf
Gina Rinehart represents the ALP’s best chance of retaining power in Australia. Because she is really, really scary. Her particular mix of belligerent stupidity and gross superiority is bad enough, but her desire to affect Australian politics makes Rupert Murdoch look like a weak wristed Social Democrat.
Her latest pronouncements include:
1. Those who are jealous of the wealthy should start working harder and cut down on drinking, smoking and socializing, and although not mentioned it helps if their father leaves them valuable mineral rights;
2. Billionaires like herself who were doing more than anyone to help the poor by investing their money and creating jobs;
3. The government should lower the minimum wage of $606.40 a week and cut taxes to stimulate employment.
I guess this sense of superiority is necessary because otherwise she would, or should, feel deeply ashamed for hoarding so much of the world’s wealth beyond any conceivable need.
Gina Rinehart’s formula for success:
1. Work harder.
2. Drink less.
3. Inherit a billion dollars.
Rinehart makes the common assumption of the disgustingly (fat) and rich, that we lowly people actually envy them. Probably a majority simply despise them. Not everybody, by any means, has a singular desire to be hugely wealthy. Most are content if they can support themselves and/or dependents without a struggle (which, of course, many NZ’ers have to do) and manage something by way of savings (or ability to meet mortgage payments).
I would want to be like Rinehart? My gosh, I would rather have never lived.
Inherit billions that was a fluke of her farther landing his plane on the hammersley ranges in a violent rain storm an accidently finding iron ore.
Scary physically, financially and emotionally. Born with the biggest silver spoon in Oz , sued her stepmother (Rose) , threatening her kids if they don’t come to heel so the Oz governments and the media don’t frighten her one little bit, she’s as hard as a coffin nail.
So far she’s looking like she’s destroyed Fairfax, whose management had done a fair job of ruining it under Kirk etc. 2 possibilities a) It’s likely to be split up which would make for bigger enemies with the separately rescued and owned Age (melbourne) and Sydney MH by locals keen to keep the heritage. b) she’ll sweep back in and buy the whole lot for a song.
You get a fair go in OZ, it’s part of the convict pysche that bred the ‘Aussie battler’ image or suffer the consequences and she’s pushed it out way to far.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/revolt-of-the-rich/
Yep
Thanks, ’tis always good to be reminded that we do have some allies on the right, if even they can be rather fickle on expanding civil rights some times 😉
Look who she inherited the mines from:
Fortunately for Australia she’s too damn thick to play teh politics properly and has a bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. So her rather vocal support will likely carry with it potentially negative effects 😉
Crazy shit, several hundred SA miners get arrested and charged with murder re the striking miners the cops shot!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19424484
Yep and using the old apartheid law of “common purpose”. There is something deeply unsettling here.
This just reminds us that we “never have seen it all”. Does apartheid and its laws continue even under black African leadership? Some of us paid dearly to install this current government.
The elite will not have their rule challenged, no matter what colour they are.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss 🙁
The unacceptable face of capitalism never left.
http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-08-30-the-murder-fields-of-marikana-the-cold-murder-fields-of-marikana
Of the 34 miners killed at Marikana, no more than a dozen of the dead were captured in news footage shot at the scene. The majority of those who died, according to surviving strikers and researchers, were killed beyond the view of cameras at a nondescript collection of boulders some 300 metres behind Wonderkop
[…]
…It is becoming clear to this reporter that heavily armed police hunted down and killed the miners in cold blood. A minority were killed in the filmed event where police claim they acted in self-defence. The rest was murder on a massive scale.
edit: http://news.linktv.org/videos/police-open-fire-on-south-african-miners-dramatic-footage
If the “World” demands Justice these charges cannot go ahead. Translate this into the NZ situation where strikes happen and could we accept it? Bizzare!
A friend has put together a site to discuss the claims the tobacco companies are making about the upcoming regulation of their packaging. For example, they think they are the thin end of the wedge: what other products might have mandated packaging requirements? Personally I’m thinking food for one, and medicine for another! (oh and booze, but that’s a whole other website 🙂
its at http://www.agree2disagree.co.nz/ (witty, n’est pas?)
Cool – have posted some apt comments already! Great to see some web activism against big tobacco.
plain packaging on harmful foods and alcohol would be great
Now that we have controlled substances like laudanum, lead based makeup and sippin’ meths, cigarettes are the obvious next risky thing to control. Maybe growing for personal use will be the way to go, I don’t know. But once the pointless and dangerous addictive tobacco is controlled, food will be next on the agenda – and that’s a good thing.
There be dragons: been there this week. We’ve had a show trial: subject closed.
The simple reply is that, yes, there are a lot of problems, but to solve those problems we need everyone knowing they belong, before we begin to tackle the problems. We may even find some problems go away naturally once people aren’t fighting themsleves. It’s foundational work, for small cost. Smart stuff.
culture deceptive
nations instruments
(welcome the PRC; is on the Way round)
Ah, I see you don’t understand how Parliament works. Carry on then.
Pretty much, although I don’t blame the whole Labour party for that.. If I did, I don’t know what I’d do – the Greens are dishonest, so what would that leave? 🙁
Well V32 I think a party with a leader like George Galloway would be a great start. A principled working class party would be great as well. I think if you watch this clip by George you’d kinda see what I mean, principled & leadership & values. Isn’t that what the Labour party use to be instead of what it’s morphed into? A bunch of white lily-livered middle class tossers!
Talking about British politicians, I just hope that he is more competent than these principled people who demand values and leadership in british politics…
It has been amusing me ever since I saw it, and I really can’t tell one british politician from another….
You must be talking about tories & the British Labour party …. with those two NZ’s Nat’s & Labour party have a lot in common? Completely f*#k’n useless!
You must be talking about tories & the British Labour party
Not if the number plates and Brit nationalistic graphics are anything to go by.
Note also the short haircuts, T-shirts and bovver boots.
Yep, it’s the BNP. When you’re the master race you don’t need to read no stinking signs, eh!
Yes, indeed! I do favour Galloway… Thanks for the link.. 🙂
Via the “Keeping Stock” blog, via “Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow” blog which keeps updated headlines from a variety of blogs, here is what Josie Pagani said in this week’s Listener:
“Someone on the internet says I’m a “post-modernist twit”. How would you text that insult? “U po mo”? I’ve also become an “ism”; Pagani-ism. I’d rather be a “nomics”. Do I have to destroy an economy to be known for Pagani-nomics? Those insults appeared on left-wing blogs after I defended Labour leader David Shearer when he said, and I paraphrase: “Someone who shouldn’t be on the dole shouldn’t be on the dole.” The political left needs to argue a principled case for welfare reform. People have a right to be looked after when they can’t provide for themselves, yet today if you are on a benefit, you live in poverty. You get stuck.
I’ve lived in a family where joining a gang was a way to make something of yourself. But by equating any reform with beneficiary bashing, the left has allowed the expression “welfare reform” to be owned by people who neither believe in welfare nor want to see it last another century. Postmodern Pagani-nomics stresses respect for responsibilities as well as rights.”
I have two things to say:
1. You have to wonder about the difference, if any, between PR spin and outright lies. Is there any limit to what those in the business may invent to manipulate public discourse. Josie Pagani knows perfectly well that the “anecdote” she says she was defending was not about whether “someone who shouldn’t be on the dole, shouldn’t be on the dole”. It was about whether neighbours should surveil sickness beneficiaries and assume they are fraudsters until proven otherwise. (yes I also paraphrase, but within the actual facts).
2. Given that Ms Pagani objected to Standard commenters allegedly making assumptions about her political views based on her husband’s political views, does anyone else find it ironic that she has usurped the title ‘Paganiism’ earned by her husband by his public expressions of his political views, as being due to her own efforts? I hadn’t heard of Josie Pagani until some while after I started using the phrase.
There is was so much wrong with that “man on the roof” speech, and the associated defence of it, that it is a dimspiration to us all.
The most stultifying aspect is that the defenders (well, some of them) clearly have the basic tools to examine their own arguments and find the errors and contradictions, but instead they use those basic tools to defend the errors and contradictions.
Yes, that bothers me. Shearer made a complete hash of it yesterday, trying to defend the thing but doing so in a way that had no logic whatsoever. It’s quite a twist to compromise one’s own intellectual capacity that way. God knows what that does to a person’s core self.
js’s point 1 – I think it is both – lies and spin. This isn’t just a disagreement about policy direction (although it could have been just that). She can keep defending Shearer and the path they are taking with all the spinlies she likes but Ms Pagani has no integrity at all, and there is no coming back from that.
As for welfare reform, here’s top of my list: do a proper review of the benefit abatement rules, making sure to consult with experts and stakeholders from outside the department. The biggest disincentive for sickness and other beneficiaries is the fact that taking part time work will cost them money.
Beyond that, review what contributing to society means in real terms, not just how it looks in the stats of unemployment or welfare payments. Put value on all the things that people do, not just the one’s that have a formal pay check.
<blockquoteShearer made a complete hash of it yesterday, trying to defend the thing but doing so in a way that had no logic whatsoever. It’s quite a twist to compromise one’s own intellectual capacity that way. God knows what that does to a person’s core self.
Could someone please give Shearer a light tap with a brass striker and and see if he rings.
Mentioned this a few days previous….if Pagani(s)=Labour……show over, Shonkey wins by default, or National Lite beat Shonkeys mob. We have a problem Houston.
Membership revolt
B. Don’t forget the wishy washy middle class are a bit flakey and are starting to fall out of luv with PinoKeyo …. and are more likely to jump onto the green waka.
Dear Josie,
David Shearer’s cute little ‘sickness beneficiary’ story showed him blindly agreeing with a prejudiced bigot without knowing any of the facts of the situation.
He had no idea of the situation of the man painting his roof and made no attempt to find out his side of the story and whether he should or should not have been on a benefit. And no, painting his roof does not automatically mean he shouldn’t have been, as Bill’s excellent post here on The Standard demonstrated.
That anecdote is what you expect from the leader of the National Party, the natural home of benny bashing voters. You don’t expect it from the leader of Labour.
But the reason you don’t get all this is because, unbeknownst to you, you are in the wrong party yourself. The party that traditionally runs lines about ‘responsibility as well as rights’ is the right wing party, not the left wing one.
It’s never too late to correct your error and join National. I’m sure they will be glad to listen to Pagani-nomics.
We mustn’t criticise the Labour leader. He is doing a great job. because … well, because he’s the Labour leader. QED.
If you criticise, Captain Hook will call you an “agent provocateur”. Always remember – our leaders are wise, and we are the real problem.
The ‘rights and responsibilities’ bullshit needs demolishing. Beneficiaries are generally well aware of their responsibilities, or they find out pretty bloody quick – they lose income if they’re don’t. They’re also usually very aware of how much and how often their rights are disregarded by WINZ (and the Minister), because likewise, it directly affects their income. Often their right to personhood and human decency is ignored or overridden too.
What Pagani and Bennett mean by ‘responsibility’ is that beneficiaries are now supposed to take on the burden of proving they’re not a bludger. Everyone on SB is a bludger until proven otherwise just like the man painting his roof. Everyone on the dole is a bludger until they get a job. Apparently beneficiaries are now also responsible for there not being enough jobs, because if they just took on their responsibilities then there would be enough and society wouldn’t have a problem with welfare.
To give Shearer the benefit of the doubt, he probably was largely unaware of the damage done by the bludger meme to people on sickness benefit in particular. But you’d have to be a heartless bastard to not understand now that the issue has been raised.
I very much doubt Shearer has been acquainted with arguments like ours about how and why his anecdote was harmful to almost all sickness beneficiaries, and also about how his following National’s agenda in the manner he has been practising is harmful to the health of the Labour Party.
The Labour leadership could not function as it does if it was not wilfully disconnected from all centre left and left criticisms of it, and also from the wider centre-left/leftwing discourse.
There is a reason that Shearer is happy to engage with right-wing talkback audiences yet refuses to engage here or with any other wider-left medium, and why the leadership team and it’s hangers-on like to demonise us all as nasty and irrational and beyond the pale.
If anyone missed it, here’s the transcript of Shearer being interviewed about the “roof bludger” … scroll down:
http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/the-man-on-roof.html#addendum
Js, do you mean that Ms Pagani won’t have discussed with Shearer or caucus why she is defending him or disparaging the left blogosphere over the issue?
Giovanni Tiso’s post (just linked) suggests that Shearer knows there is an issue. He interrupts the interviewer and then goes on to defend his speech without having to have the issue explained to him. Sounds like he knows enough to know there is an issue, so if he doesn’t know the detail by now, then that is willful ignorance.
He’s knows there’s an issue from a PR point of view. That’s different to understanding what the issues are.
As for Ms Pagani, if she has discussed this with Shearer at all, it will have been to sympathise with him about the “overreaction” from the likes of you and I, and possibly the best angles to mitigate the damage, imho.
I think it is difficult, from the transcript of Shearers words, to get any clear idea about what he thinks or knows about anything at all.
I very much doubt Shearer has been acquainted with arguments like ours about how and why his anecdote was harmful to almost all sickness beneficiaries
Because as as UN functionary, he was safely protected in the role as savour to the benighted, savage masses. He’s finding it really hard to realise that he’s not the white knight descending from high to save the poor savages, but a servant, a representative, put forward to champion citizens, and as such, beholden to listen to them, and if not, to be sacked.
Sorry Dave, but mago rinds tossed over the side of your truck aren’t enough. Don’t worry however, I’m sure the ghost of Marie Antoinette will console you. I’m sure that she felt that the peasants treated her unfairly too when she said some really, really sincerely intended things about eating brioche if there wasn’t enough bread to go around.
Postmodern Pagani-nomics stresses respect for responsibilities as well as rights.”
Yes, Josie, and that’s what makes you a fucking beneficiary-basher.
If I constantly add “but remember some men are rapists” to the end of every sentence I utter about sexual violence, I’m pretty sure people would start saying (not that they don’t already) “hey QoT, that sounds pretty man-hating, like you want to constantly reinforce the men = rapists idea in our heads.”
Likewise, if you feel the need to add “but people have responsibilities not to be evil bludgers!” to the end of literally every speech you make about our social welfare system, people might just start suspecting that you’re a little bit hyper-focused on the bludgers. Who aren’t actually a big problem, and whose criminality (such as exists) should never be used by an allegedly leftwing person to frame discussions of social welfare.
Because, and you know, I shouldn’t have to explain this to a politician, much less one married to a key political strategist (you know, the way the Briscoes Lady’s partner probably knows a lot about flatware), but when you frame shit in a way that benefits your opponent’s arguments, you make it easier for them to win. Duh.
Such a lovely self-aware sense of self deprecation.
You got it your Highness. She’s either thick as pig shit or a closet tory.
Every amoeba with half a milli-ounce of grey matter knows that the terms “individual responsibility” “welfare dependency” and “welfare reform” are the carefully-constructed propaganda-bites of the divide-and-conquer Right, to be repeated ad nauseam at each an every opportunity.
Instead of railing at the inanity and deliberate manipulation from the outset – all are as valid as, say, “employer dependency” or “taxpayer dependency” for workers and politicians – wee Jose and her cobbers have sat on their fat, worker-funded arses and now peddle the same steaming pus with bells on.
If it’s now entrenched in the voting public that you purport to woo, Josie, it means you failed. Since 1998. Either apologise and change or piss off. You too Trev, real people are hurting out here.
Not mutually exclusive, mate.
These members of the Labour Party who don’t mind dishing it out to beneficiaries seem oddly sensitive to criticism of themselves. Surely you only go into politics if you think you are up for facing some criticism and strongly worded disagreement. And there is something vulgar about sulking in salaried comfort because some people didn’t like the mean things you said about people whose everyday misery dwarfs your own hurt feelings.
+1
I feel like getting out the violins for poor Ms P.
Pagani-ism is a wonderful neologism
NZ MSM-spectacle
TS-community
anyway,
Relativity-“exploded the myth of common-sense”-Polkinghorne
‘because we cannot perceive the structure of space-time with our senses, it encourages humility towards surprising events’-T.F Torrance
Today, gardening, washing, wood chopped, boil-up, and something else but oh, the stm aint what it used to be, aint what it used to be…
According to an annual survey of global arms sales conducted by the Congressional Research Service, US arms sales have tripled between 2010 to 2011 to record levels. The US now accounts for over 75% of global arms deals. One commentator remarks:
“The tripling of US arms sales abroad to a record $66.3 billion is an accurate barometer of the accelerating drive to war in the Persian Gulf and on a world scale. This one violently surging sector of American exports reflects a diseased capitalist economy and society, whose financial-corporate elite resorts to militarism as a means of offsetting the overall economic decline of the United States.
…
The arms industry is massively subsidized by the American taxpayer. While the political establishment and media insist “there is no money” when it comes to jobs, decent wages, education and vital public services, endless billions are lavished on America’s merchants of death.”
This article also notes that of the US$66.3 billion in arms trades, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates account for a combined total of US$38.2 billion.
“The purchases by the monarchical regimes in the Arab world stem, on the one hand, from their reaction to the popular upheavals that were dubbed the “Arab Spring” and, on the other, from the buildup by the US and its allies for another war, this time against Iran.”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/aug2012/pers-a30.shtml
closer to home I listened to Chrtis Trotter yesterday express grave doubts about the constitutional advisory panel.googled it this morning and it
looks like they are going to try and dream one up of their own and then foist it on us with a bit of consultation at the end of their deliberations just to make it look good.
corporatist authoritarian post modernism at its worst.
too much!
just about to listen to Mitt Romney address the RNC. After listening to that snake Ryan yesterday I am looking forward to hearing Romney lie to me also.
After that you will need a laugh. Get over to Pundit Kitchen for some low brow humour. It’s Mittens galore
http://roflrazzi.cheezburger.com/news
Here’s the transcript of Eastwood’s speech, WTF?.
Yeah, that was really bizarre. He interviewed an empty chair.
#Eastwooding.
edit: Obama Eastwooding.
http://www.salon.com/2012/08/31/clint_eastwood_tells_chair_to_get_out_of_afghanistan/
http://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/241392153148915712/photo/1
I am confused. Did Eastwood give the speech to the Republicans or was it a spoof? Either way it is fun and or serious.
Oh. OK. Washington Post wouldn’t make it up.
The underlying message though is “Beware of those who make great promises. They all do that but only a few actually intend to action let alone actually achieve what they promised.”
Here’s the transcript of Eastwood’s speech, WTF?.
Watching his gruesome performance, it is clear that the doddering Eastwood has pretty much lost his marbles. However, whoever wrote his lines for him did insert some provocations that need to be addressed. I’ll deal with just the most idiotic of them….
You know they are all left wingers out there, left of Lenin.
“Left of Lenin”? Clearly Eastwood’s script-writer knows nothing about Lenin’s politics. Lenin’s utter contempt for democracy has far more in common with the braindead flag-wavers in that convention hall than it does with any Hollywood “liberals”.
OK, I thought maybe it was just because somebody had the stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown New York City.
Eastwood clearly doesn’t have a clue, and could not care less, but surely his scriptwriter (David Frum? Donald Trump? Gerry Seinfeld?) knows that many, perhaps most, of the captives in Guantanamo Bay are not terrorists. They are captives, illegally held without charges in defiance of international law. Not that Clint Eastwood or the zombies in the audience would care, of course.
Of course we all now Biden is the intellect of the Democratic party.
(LAUGHTER)
Kind of a grin with a body behind it.
(LAUGHTER)
Whoever wrote those unfunny quips was pretty cheeky to write them for someone best summed up as a scowl with a body behind it.
Earlier on in the week yeshe posted a link to a herald article about a govt funded gene technology agri business meeting going on with all the big players from the various bio tech companies. We had a bit of a chat about it.
Check out this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/7583448/Luddite-approach-to-GE-hampering-NZ-Inc
Gee. I wonder if they sat around the table and said “theres a bit of an image problem with introducing GE food crops to NZ, what shall we do?” “I know, we’ll get our buddies at Fearfux to write some pro GE PR material and label those who oppose it ‘luddites’ to make them look bad”
I think that article translates to: All these other countries are doing it and so we should to despite the fact that some of our largest markets (the EU) is predominantly against GMO and the fact that using natural plants doesn’t come with a patent cost. Also the fact that research is showing that GMO crops aren’t as good as advertised either.
Raoul Neave – Asshole of the Week
Unfortunately this kind of corrupt judgement makes people lose all faith in the justice system as it clearly shows there’s one law for the rich and another for the rest of us…
Absolutely! I read the account in the Herald – what a disgusting man – did he have no idea how he sounded?
An eye witness has also come out and slammed the idiot judge. I really do hope Kim takes up Dr Michael Kidd’s offer to appeal Raoul Neave’s decision. What a travesty of justice.
AND Findlayson has been VERY critical of a QC who thought the sentence was rubbish too.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/outraged-finlayson-says-judge-critic-tony-molloy-should-quit-qc-rank
Am I to understand that Hallwright was the victim here ??????
The Sensible Sentencing Trust is strangely quiet…….lost your tongue McVicar ?
Hallright the victim? No, but the judge would like you to think so.
Wolfhart Pannenberg. now there is an interesting man
Upsetting .
http://alturl.com/wa59i
all ways
Jean Luc says…frak you , Apple
“Apple” not by chance
“What business are u in?…This is the apple-pickin business massah.”-Irving (paraphr.)