Vernon Small on what little the National Party and their private state service lapdogs have learned in the past 3 years. He quotes himself from 2014 and 2015:
“The ‘no surprises’ rule … is being stretched, distorted and subverted into something much worse that ought to worry the public and (then-State Services Commissioner Iain) Rennie.
No surprises has morphed into ‘no embarrassment’ and has reached the next stage of evolution – ‘how can we help you avoid embarrassment?’.
The next tentative steps on the journey are already being taken: ‘how we can help you overcome the Opposition?’ ”
A year later, in 2015, after some questionable use of the Official Information Act:
“This latest cluster-failure feeds the suspicion officials are less interested in merely adhering to the principle of ‘no surprises’ … but are distorting it into ‘no embarrassments’ and now into a proactive policy of political assistance by hiding information that could be damaging to the Government.
Given how close Farrar and Williams are to Seymour and how much they knew early, is it too far to suggest Seymour is the leaker? Under Small’s criteria for the leaker Seymour certainly qualifies as ‘no genius’.
Yeah, the smear spinners seem quite desperate in their search for any other source apart from some the likely National people being criminal arseholes playing dirty politics. It might highlight themselves too much eh?
Most implausible if you listen to the interview on RNZ. Unless, of course, Peters is a brilliant actor. If Peters had engineered the situation he would have gone in guns blazing, in high dudgeon, whereas the Peters in the interview was using weak humour to deflect his discomfort. Sorry, Incognito, not a runner. Especially after the reaction to Turei’s gambit.
The disclosure emphasises how old Peters is; that forms are complicated to him or he was setup, you choose which is worse, weak or senile; but I think worst of all it says something about lolly grabs. He took a pension he did not need, now sure he has every right, but it says he wants cash over the political ?casha? of not taking it.
I just think pensioners would want their vote to goto someone who was better.
Who has history for this behaviour? It is just a spalusible, using your low threshold, that having seen the polls, someone in National is ensuring that party will need a new leader soon… https://thestandard.org.nz/all-i-can-do-is-tell-the-truth/
I wish the media would stop repeating like a Buddhist mantra Labour is “weak on the economy” and “vulnerable on taxes” and tonight Jacinda has to compete with “experience and competence”.
These are basically National party talking points. Hosking will of course hammer on about them, in the fairest possible way if you ignore the completely tilted playing field he wants to start the game on.
In a sense, our medias obsession with the talking points of the cosy National, ACT, Banks and big business club and their collusion with the establishment is a perfect illustration of why they failed to detect (until it happened) the mood for change and why the don’t understand that for most Kiwis this election isn’t about tax cuts and “economic competence” (whatever that means) but about hosuing, health and growing inequality. This election isn’t about National party talking points, it is about other things completely.
Personally, if I were Jacinda every time Hosking says the “economy is going gangbusters” I’d ask if it was working for the homeless, people who can’t afford a first home, and those on low wages.
Personally paying down debt before you hand cash back to the family… ..the whole notion that our income reflects our exact value in a rational market is flaky cuckoo musings of fraudster bankers… …govt must target the general malaise growing for 30 years of inaction. National had 9 years… ..Nothing. even their ad has no houses in.
+1 and let her remind Bill Engli$h that he disinvested in Housing NZ, through taking dividends, at a time when unprecedented numbers are homeless and cannot access accommodation.
How long did it take him to reach that surplus, and at what price for Government debt?
“We live in a society which holds fast the belief that being a man makes you more rational, and being white makes you more intelligent, and being old entitles you to a public platform, and being rich proves you’re right about everything. We have a frankly religious attachment to Enlightenment thinking, raising “evidence” on a pedestal which cannot be challenged. It’s a virtue to not have ideology. “We’ll just do what works,” they nod seriously, from seats across the whole political spectrum.
Ardern has been seriously under estimated by, both National and the critics, she is way more than just a “pretty face”, she has provided hope and aspiration to those who wish for a “Brighter Future” for NZ, pardon the pun.
I expect that Ardern will put the likes of Hosking in his place, and we all know where that is.
Total Movements
Overall, a total of 15,382 cyclist movements4 were recorded across the 85 sites monitored in 2015. This figure represents a 19 per cent increase when compared with 2014 (12,877 movements).
Across the 60 sites monitored since the manual cycle monitor began in 2007, in 2015 cyclist movements have increased by 38 per cent.
Of the sites monitored in both 2014 and 2015, the average number of cycle movements in the region across the morning and evening periods has increased (181 per site in 2015, compared with 151 per site in 2014 – an increase of 20 per cent).
Its good to see to see that the rest of the world is getting some coverage on there NATURAL DISASTERS .
And the Muppet’s are leavening my elderly and vulnerable clients alone thanks to
THESTANDARD.
We need to help all the 3 world nations mitigate againts climate change the WEST OWE THIS TO THOSE NATION we no what has gone on for the last 200 years and what is still going on now see what Noam Chomsky has to say on this subject .
Lets talk about tax these businesses so they can claim asset deprecate and all the other expenses small businesses claim 20% of rent power rates or 20% of mortgage
repayments.
And Duncan is pissing in the wind moaning about business having to pay capital gains
tax now capital gains is a profit that no one is working hard for as one sleeps there assets gain capital when one is on holiday there assets gain capital .
So why are the Neo-liberal on news hub bashing this tax we no why because they don’t want
to shear there LOLLIES . They should shear there capital gains profit to help make New Zealand a = and fairer Society.
I do not mind paying more tax so labour can get all these vulnerable people off our streets and into warm healthy houses .
I see these people are gaining every week in my travels .We need more tax to pay to fix all the damage that NATIONAL have done to OUR SOCIETY.
One knows that it all ways cost more to fix something that is broken it is far cheaper to keep something MAINTAINED ESPECIALLY A SOCIETY .
Now come on Us kiwis dont mind paying more tax. Our Scandinavian cousins pay way more tax than we do and they have a much fairer Society
Yo, Emo. How old to your have to be to join the Masons?
Serious thoughts. Milking cows is great, but if I could develop my image, perhaps I could someday be a farm adviser.
…Such opinions are especially prevalent among NZ First supporters.
Thirty-six percent of them ticked Trump, while 29 per cent said the system of government is “completely broken”. And two thirds of NZ First supporters said that the government’s policies towards minorities are “too politically correct”, compared with 39 per cent of the survey sample as a whole.
(My bold)
So next time you hear some minority group member whinging about “political correctness” (which they probably are incapable of defining), ask them if they think minority groups get too much attention. 😈
Must agree, I don’t think it comes from govt policy. But on the other side of the coin, I can think of a few minority groups that get too much attention. There is limit to the benefits of political correctness. I can certainly understand Mohammed Ali explaining some race politics.
Eg. There is a point when the positive politics of feminism tips and becomes the negative politics of neo-feminism. Happens when one starts to generalise a negative aspect of masculinity across men as a group. Like the sun and the moon, male and female will always be. Or religion, there’s a labyrinth.
NZF isn’t my first choose, but they do have plenty of value for the next govt. Hope Labour/Green invite them to join from the start, to make a strong majority. Interesting how differently they can be interpreted, by different folk and different perspectives.
“There is a point when the positive politics of feminism tips and becomes the negative politics of neo-feminism. Happens when one starts to generalise a negative aspect of masculinity across men as a group. ” CoroDale 2017
“Femininity is depicted as weakness, the sapping of strength, yet masculinity is so fragile that apparently even the slightest brush with the feminine destroys it.”
― Gwen Sharp
“what saying “not all men” actually does –
refuses to acknowledge that gender violence happens too often
takes the focus off the men who are violent and/or misogynistic
refuses to acknowledge that even “good guys” can enable the problem
makes the conversation about men and semantics instead of the epidemic of levels of violence against women
what saying “not all men” does not do –
reveal a fascinating new insight we did not already know”
+1 Carolyn
Particularly this:
“refuses to acknowledge that even “good guys” can enable the problem”
I wish all those men who spend time berating women calling out sexism claiming “not all men” instead called out the men who engage in sexist and misogynist behaviour. In addition, they should maybe start listening to women for a change.
+1000 tracey We live in 2017 Women are our = not taken for granted or to be oppress by some dick head males . Most Women are more cautious they don’t do stupid shit like some men do they are more compassionate cares .
In a good family you need a good mother and father that treat each other as equals in my view to raze the children successfully.
And this is why I say that all our successful sports women should be payed and promoted by the media as role models for our girls to aspire to and have there confident s razed so we get more women in the top roles in our society so laws are made to benefit females as well as males laws made to benefit all people
not just the 1 %
I won’t respond to that dick head
+3 Some men take it personally and think that critiquing men as a class with privilege means all men are something. It misses the point and as pointed out, misdirects from the issues being raised.
The debate last night was rather robust. Not sure what Seymour was even doing there. Winston is pissed off as about the leak, and made that very clear. Joyce did the usual spin, Grant called him out on his crap, loved that.
James was a stand out again, Grant was fantastic, especially how he handled questions from the blue electorate. Good work.
Gower was pretty good as moderator, but he did let Seymour take plenty of wise cracks at winston about his age, which in my opinion was not warranted.
Tonight 7pm on tvnz the Red Princess will go up against Boring Bill, my eldest is thrilled about the air time, she will be able to watch it. She doesn’t know about Hosking and his bias and attitude, I’ll keep quiet about it as I’m interested in her reaction and assessment.
Cinny
Thanks for linking these reminders about debate times, it is easy for people who don’t watch television to forget about them. I found the camera movement hard to take and only saw part of it, so can’t give a real overview – Bradbury has his assessment over on TDB:
Maybe it was just the portions I watched, but I thought Gower had little control over the barracking (particulary from Joyce) while others were talking which is more a feature of parliamentary than televised debates. Others seem to think he did a good job though, and I assume they watchedthe whole thing.
One thing I’d observe is that the speeches can’t really be compared directly to one another, as it wasn’t really about winning the room over. Each participant was effectively addressing a different portion of the electorate and their success has to be assessed at how well they did in the task they set out to do. I thought Peters did better than Bradbury suggests, and Seymour worse. Joyce he seems spot on about; “smooth as silk and as confident as a porn star at a pissing contest… if you had only been listening for him you would believe all is well in NZ and that we don’t realise how lucky we are”. I’d been thinking of how he reminded me of one of the late great John Clarke’s parodies myself while watching it.
Hosking already showing his ghastly sexist approach by asking Jacinta what she’ll be wearing tonight.
Jacinda asked whether he’ll ask English the same question.
Hosking is a Neanderthal unfit to moderate a 21st century political debate.
Yep Cinny, ably assisted by TVNZ’s celebrity willy sucking management , Newsdorks ZB and those wankers at the Herald who are so thick they thought Jacinda was joking when she said she wanted English treated in the same demeaning manner as she was.
the sicko has probably been having a party in his pants thinking about it. it’s like, if she had answered by describing her choice of garment would it go on to, yeah you would look good in that.. dirty old boys network.
would be interesting to find out how frequent that kind of question has been in the past.
You got that right Cinny Mike is so thick he has not worked out that everything he does can be read like the chauvinistic dick head he is.
He is not the sort of male role model that TV NZ should be displaying to our boys.
Not worried about presenting herself in the best possible light, make up, photo shoots etc etc
Theres nothing wrong with that but it does open the doors to questions about fashion although the questioning did seem light hearted
Ardern said she’d started considering colour schemes yesterday, before questioning the broadcaster whether he’d be asking English the same question.
“Are you asking Bill that question too?
“I want it framed in exactly the same way,” she joked.
Hosking assured Ardern he would be, saying there would be “balance up the wazoo”.
After the interview English was asked by reporters what he would wear for tonight’s debate and said: “I’m going to wear a suit and tie. It might be a new tie, yes it will be a new tie, not a new suit.”
Well he was the one who compared the Green Party shambles to the Jacobins wasn’t he? http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/have-greens-entered-their-jacobin-phase.html
That seems to have turned out to be a rather accurate prediction so perhaps so will the one you are putting forward.
Somehow I doubt it though. Chris is getting a bit hyperbolic as he sees his dream of the red dawn fading away into a blue sky.
Pat: Last night in Queenstown Winston accused Joyce of promoting the Super story to those National Party people on the Saturday night and/or at the NP launch.
Hence on Daily Blog:
“@KD Try Joyce , he was shopping the story all over the place on Saturday , plenty of witnesses .”
Interesting read, I saw that indicator too Ian, but then I scrolled back up and re read Trotters post and this bit here stands out for me.
“The most damning of these involved the deliberate leaking of confidential information about a senior politician’s financial affairs as part of a broader “strategy of distraction”. Equally shocking was the discovery that an alarming number of public servants had aided and abetted the Government’s strategy.”
Just wanted to stress that the Barclay scandal is dirty as. But maybe that isn’t it either..
Well styles makes fights as they say so can Jacinda prove shes more that just a collection of one liners, can Bill get whats in his brain out of his mouth in a way that doesn’t bore people to death
Not too sure about winning/losing debates millsy. Demonstrate confidence and willingness to find out along with clarity and conciseness.
Just hope Jacinda does well. No doubt there will be some tricky economic/monetary questions well suited to Bill but of course he tends to go on and on and on and on (like Joyce) so may loose his audience.
Who would write this?
“The expectations of a knock-out performance by her will be low, given she has been leader for just over four weeks. She will be considered a success if she comes away looking half-way competent and able to foot it with English. She has an advantage over him in that the camera loves her and she is instantly likeable.”
by Audrey National Young. Almost fair? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11914406
Mean while, it would appear that the USA state roles on. Who cares how many priests get murdered, who cares how many women, how many innocence, as long as the all mighty dollar is in play.
The Canary has a interesting and horrifying article about Australia’s concentration camps, the damage they are doing and how some Australians are making a stand.
400 men, women and children were flown to Australia from the offshore refugee camps on Nauru and Manus Island (Papua New Guinea). Some due to serious illness; others who were victims of rape or serious assault. All needed medical attention.
Daniel Webb of the Human Rights Law Centre explained:
We’re talking about women who were sexually assaulted on Nauru. Men who were violently attacked on Manus. Children who were so traumatised by offshore detention that they needed urgent psychiatric care in Australia.
But now, the Australian government has announced that all 400 are to be returned to Nauru or Manus. And the first stage of this process will see 100 men and women issued with a final departure bridging visa. In the meantime, they are to be deprived of all resources – housing, financial, and other support.
Peter Dutton should have New Zealand Citizenship Instantaneously and irrevocably conferred upon him.
He is an evil man – but this would remove him from office and hopefully a more humane human being would take over as Minister for Aussie Immigration.
This sort of stuff has been happening in Australia for more than a century. So much so that it seems to be a part of their country’s culture. So, changing from one Australian to another doesn’t really seem to be an answer.
Making him a NZ citizen is waayyyyyyyy to good for him, interestingly, he will replace Turnbull if the polls continue negatively for him, so far 18 consecutive negative polls for Turnbull, and sliding, the man is NO leader.
Boosting private charity to provide core services. This poor law mentality is disgusting. Even the language is foul. Providing “beds”. They think “beds” is the answer. They are greedy evil fucks who deserve the fucking worst.
I wondered how they can proudly promote rapid and last minute expansion of emergency social services five minutes before and election as an example of a government ‘delivering for New Zealanders’.
‘Homelessness will not be solved by building private homes for sale or for rent. Good quality, supported accommodation needs to be delivered as part of new developments. It needs to be a fundamental part of the planning process and not an afterthought when all the main planning decisions have been made.
When considering development councils must consider the role of temporary and supported housing. We need decent temporary accommodation for single homeless people.’
If Twyford said they were both good ideas then heaven fucking help us. The belief that private charity is a legitimate means for providing for the poor is a most despicable concept imaginable. I remember National in the 1990s together with the BRT brought a right-wing English academic out to NZ to talk about reintroducing poor law based welfare in this country. If Labour doesn’t understand how fundamentally wrong this is then not only is it completely ignorant of its own history as a party but it’s clear that they haven’t got a fucking clue. This is so fucking angering.
From the article you yourself gave us, Chris
“”It’s been our policy for ages to support Housing First as a very successful strategy to deal with chronic homelessness and rough sleepers. But it’s not a good solution to the explosion of people who cannot find affordable rental housing.”
He supported the Auckland City Mission funding too but noted that it wouldn’t deliver any new beds until at least 2020, when they were needed immediately.
Twyford.
Who should provide this support is less important than that it should be provided-and now. State, local authorities, City Mission, whoever.
Chris, would you curse Mother Theresa for being a private charity.
The real evil is that not enough is being provided, surely?
Charity has been around for centuries. There’s always going to be people who need it. Jesus giving the cup of water etc. It’s when it’s regarded as the main way for certain groups to have basic needs met. That’s not participation. Why do you think England and New Zealand replaced the Poor Laws with rights-based access to social security? And no, I’m not necessarily cursing the charities, but it’s certainly naive to think that setting up places with access to “beds” is going to be a temporary thing while things are being done to “fix the housing crisis”. This government is quite happy to see charity-based responses to social problems become the norm and firmly entrenched into mainstream institutions.
Chris + 100 we no that most of the Private Charity funds are used up by there management I.E CEO wages $100.000 ect the government is the organisation
that has to provide for the needs for the vulnerable and not some Charity that is only going to spend half the funds on the vulnerable and the rest on paper pushers .
It is well documented that world aid ect that only 40% of the funds got to the people that need it WTF Gemmon
They probably think Workhouses are enlightenment. Plenty of work the homeless could do, generating electricity on a tredmill, picking tow from old ropes, collecting wool from barbed wire fences, the possibilities for turning a profit from hopelessness are endless.
“Housing First is a wrap-around service that focuses on individual need rather than a one-size-fits all approach. Independent research shows 80 per cent of people who receive the service retain their housing.”
Is nobody but me bothered that this means 1 in 5 DON’T retain their housing? Seems shocking.
A proportion of those living on the streets are very badly damaged and dysfunctional.
If the number of those living on the street can be reduced by 80% I’ll happily take that as a bloody good start.
“We are a socially liberal and economically rational political party focused on securing a better deal for future generations. Give your list vote to UnitedFuture in 2017 and help us become an even more influential support partner to the next government.”
I’m assuming he is still being paid up until such point as he is no longer an MP.
What a self serving shit head. Worm chaser. In his own words…
“strutting earnest ways and the egregious ever-so-keen-to-please and not offend tones….. the absolute worst of politicians focused on nothing more than their own promotion”
He is paid until election day. he took a few weeks off (although he and some of his rabid supporters claimed he was around – even though the media couldn’t find him) . I think they appointed a clone in his place. There is no shortage of young white men to enter parliament for the nats.
Yet these days business has grown complex, super-fast, and hyper-connected. And in this world, top performers may actually be doing more to hurt innovation than helping it.
Unfortunately, many leaders, still employing an industrial-era mindset, aren’t able to recognize this. They can’t see that innovation no longer comes from innovative individuals. As the best companies are now showing us, it comes from innovative cultures.
Thus, innovation–once the exclusive domain of elite problem-solvers–is now a collaborative process involving many.
For many organizations the impact of this shift has been monumental. For instance, David Weinberger has pointed out that “as knowledge becomes networked, the smartest person in the room…is the room itself.”
That can be applied to a nation as well. If we want an innovative nation then we need to build a culture of innovation. And because the the information is diverse and spread across many fields we need to build that up as a culture of cooperation and sharing.
In other words, we need to be doing the exact opposite of what our governments have been doing as they built up privatisation and increased restrictions on ‘intellectual property’.
I’m still wondering how competition (Unless it racing of some form or Medical Research) helps research when most research conducted is a long term not some quick fix solution as its all trail and error. As we say at work “you’re got crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.”
When one looks on DSIR it was surly amazing organisation that only talk and work with the private sector, but also other Government Depts as well such as the former MoW, the former Forestry Dept, MoD including the other Services, All the universities and the Technical collages etc.
Then have you the Female and Blokes working in their shed out of the house or in the case of my great grandfather at the family run co-op coal mine and the list of notable’s is very long and famous.
Another right wing grumpy old man (Neville Gibson?) blathering on ignorantly about the issues. Climate change and homelessness only an issue because the media mention them, according to him and governments cannot do little about them.
Honestly.
Why are fools like him on the show?
Things that come to bite you on the bum…..
Two weeks ago Trump Scraped the Obama-Era Rule To Protect Infrastructure From Climate-Change Flooding. This required federal, state, and local agencies to take steps to protect infrastructure from flooding caused by climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-executive-order-flooding_us_599323d4e4b04b193360926b
Meanwhile…
House Republicans want to cut almost $1 billion from FEMA’s disaster relief fund, which only has $2.3 billion remaining in its budget. Trump, meanwhile, is promising billions to help Texas rebuild from Harvey-caused flooding. The $876 million cut pays for roughly half the cost of Trump’s down payment on the border wall
And…
Trump tweeted that he intentionally understaffed FEMA in order to shrink the federal government. His tweet came in response to a critical Fox and Friends segment where Laura Ingraham said the damage and flooding in Texas from Hurricane Harvey is proof that the Trump administration needs to be fully staffed. Of the 591 key positions that require Senate confirmation, just 117 have been filled. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/29/trump-shrink-government-laura-ingraham-242128
But no worries…
It’s all due to a Hoax perpetuated by China.
Why are the crucial questions about Hurricane Harvey not being asked?
George Monbiot
“It is not only Donald Trump’s government that censors the discussion of climate change; it is the entire body of polite opinion. This is why, though the links are clear and obvious, most reports on Hurricane Harvey have made no mention of the human contribution to it.
In 2016 the US elected a president who believes that human-driven global warming is a hoax. It was the hottest year on record, in which the US was hammered by a series of climate-related disasters. Yet the total combined coverage for the entire year on the evening and Sunday news programmes on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News amounted to 50 minutes. Our greatest predicament, the issue that will define our lives, has been blotted from the public’s mind…..’
The whole article is worth a thread.
I have included excerpts.
‘Bill English fiddles whilst the world burns: our Prime Climate Change Denier
There will be one moment of mismanagement by Bill English this election that will be studied and debated in the future. That moment is neither Todd Barclay’s alleged workplace bullying nor the leaks of Winston Peters’ superannuation over-payment. That moment was captured in his Radio New Zealand interview on 28 August 2017; when he was challenged on his past dismissal of climate change as policy for the ‘elite,’ he doubled down, asserting that:
“well, as a day to day concern, I don’t think people are getting out of bed in the morning saying, look, the most important thing that happens today is that the climate changes…”
This moment will be studied as a recorded example of Bill English misunderstanding climate change; he sees it as a political issue, rather than a survival issue.
I wonder what Bill does think about when he wakes up? What radio station plays to start his day? I didn’t pick him for the Rock. I’d be surprised if its not Radio New Zealand, the AM Show and/or Breakfast before he goes for his walk run. If it’s any of those three, I wonder how he cannot think of climate change.
On the very day that Bill English was interviewed, even our mainstream media was covering the unfolding humanitarian and environmental disaster in Texas and America’s fourth largest city, Houston from Hurricane Harvey. As of today, that state has had 15 trillion litres of rain; you can fill all of the NFL and college stadiums in Texas to the brim one hundred times over. The numbers of dead are climbing, and the displaced from Houston are now displacing the displaced from Corpus Christi who are looking for refuge centres further afield………
On the very day that Bill English was interviewed, one third of the entire country of Bangladesh is underwater. At least 1,200 have died from flooding in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. Seventeen million people have been affected by the flooding in India, with thousands of villages cut off from food and clean water. Ninety thousand homes have been washed away in Nepal……
..Bill English may not wake up thinking about climate change. But that is not a virtue nor indicative of a sober, realistic mindset. It is the statement of a deluded, self-serving man who is no leader for New Zealand. All he has confirmed is that he and his colleagues are a danger to the future of our country. Never trust the ones who say “peace, peace,” when all about us is evidence of war and danger. Change is upon us.’
ED I was going to say he would be thinking about how much he was going to get from the next clip but that is a insult to our farmers . So I say hes thinking I AM PRIME MINISTER and any other topic just goes way over his head.LOL
And after tonight’s polls he probably still thinks National can hold on to that slippery pole of power
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1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
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Vernon Small on what little the National Party and their private state service lapdogs have learned in the past 3 years. He quotes himself from 2014 and 2015:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/96306749/peters-pension-saga-delivers-embarrassed-government-no-surprises-there
Given how close Farrar and Williams are to Seymour and how much they knew early, is it too far to suggest Seymour is the leaker? Under Small’s criteria for the leaker Seymour certainly qualifies as ‘no genius’.
I think it is possible and even plausible that Peters is the ‘leaker’, as I have explained before.
It has given him a huge platform (and moral high ground) to run the election campaign of his life.
We’ll see who is coming out smelling of roses but so far Peters is doing extremely well out of it …
That does not sound credible to me Incognito. Sounds like a deflection. Wonder why you would?
Only a few days ago farrar and Hooton were gossiping about a green party sympathising data operator… now it is Peters himself!
Yeah, the smear spinners seem quite desperate in their search for any other source apart from some the likely National people being criminal arseholes playing dirty politics. It might highlight themselves too much eh?
Most implausible if you listen to the interview on RNZ. Unless, of course, Peters is a brilliant actor. If Peters had engineered the situation he would have gone in guns blazing, in high dudgeon, whereas the Peters in the interview was using weak humour to deflect his discomfort. Sorry, Incognito, not a runner. Especially after the reaction to Turei’s gambit.
The disclosure emphasises how old Peters is; that forms are complicated to him or he was setup, you choose which is worse, weak or senile; but I think worst of all it says something about lolly grabs. He took a pension he did not need, now sure he has every right, but it says he wants cash over the political ?casha? of not taking it.
I just think pensioners would want their vote to goto someone who was better.
Who has history for this behaviour? It is just a spalusible, using your low threshold, that having seen the polls, someone in National is ensuring that party will need a new leader soon…
https://thestandard.org.nz/all-i-can-do-is-tell-the-truth/
I wish the media would stop repeating like a Buddhist mantra Labour is “weak on the economy” and “vulnerable on taxes” and tonight Jacinda has to compete with “experience and competence”.
These are basically National party talking points. Hosking will of course hammer on about them, in the fairest possible way if you ignore the completely tilted playing field he wants to start the game on.
In a sense, our medias obsession with the talking points of the cosy National, ACT, Banks and big business club and their collusion with the establishment is a perfect illustration of why they failed to detect (until it happened) the mood for change and why the don’t understand that for most Kiwis this election isn’t about tax cuts and “economic competence” (whatever that means) but about hosuing, health and growing inequality. This election isn’t about National party talking points, it is about other things completely.
Personally, if I were Jacinda every time Hosking says the “economy is going gangbusters” I’d ask if it was working for the homeless, people who can’t afford a first home, and those on low wages.
Just quote the debt nationals been racking up to defeat the competent BS and the slashing in health etc they’ve done alongside that.
Personally paying down debt before you hand cash back to the family… ..the whole notion that our income reflects our exact value in a rational market is flaky cuckoo musings of fraudster bankers… …govt must target the general malaise growing for 30 years of inaction. National had 9 years… ..Nothing. even their ad has no houses in.
+1 and let her remind Bill Engli$h that he disinvested in Housing NZ, through taking dividends, at a time when unprecedented numbers are homeless and cannot access accommodation.
How long did it take him to reach that surplus, and at what price for Government debt?
“We live in a society which holds fast the belief that being a man makes you more rational, and being white makes you more intelligent, and being old entitles you to a public platform, and being rich proves you’re right about everything. We have a frankly religious attachment to Enlightenment thinking, raising “evidence” on a pedestal which cannot be challenged. It’s a virtue to not have ideology. “We’ll just do what works,” they nod seriously, from seats across the whole political spectrum.
Yet that is not how the world is.”
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/the-evidence-gareth-morgan-doesnt-want-to-see/
Ardern has been seriously under estimated by, both National and the critics, she is way more than just a “pretty face”, she has provided hope and aspiration to those who wish for a “Brighter Future” for NZ, pardon the pun.
I expect that Ardern will put the likes of Hosking in his place, and we all know where that is.
Build it and they will come. Guess what, people actually like trains, especially electric ones!
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/08/aucklanders-taking-20-million-train-trips-a-year.html
They like bicycles as well:
Its good to see to see that the rest of the world is getting some coverage on there NATURAL DISASTERS .
And the Muppet’s are leavening my elderly and vulnerable clients alone thanks to
THESTANDARD.
We need to help all the 3 world nations mitigate againts climate change the WEST OWE THIS TO THOSE NATION we no what has gone on for the last 200 years and what is still going on now see what Noam Chomsky has to say on this subject .
Lets talk about tax these businesses so they can claim asset deprecate and all the other expenses small businesses claim 20% of rent power rates or 20% of mortgage
repayments.
And Duncan is pissing in the wind moaning about business having to pay capital gains
tax now capital gains is a profit that no one is working hard for as one sleeps there assets gain capital when one is on holiday there assets gain capital .
So why are the Neo-liberal on news hub bashing this tax we no why because they don’t want
to shear there LOLLIES . They should shear there capital gains profit to help make New Zealand a = and fairer Society.
I do not mind paying more tax so labour can get all these vulnerable people off our streets and into warm healthy houses .
I see these people are gaining every week in my travels .We need more tax to pay to fix all the damage that NATIONAL have done to OUR SOCIETY.
One knows that it all ways cost more to fix something that is broken it is far cheaper to keep something MAINTAINED ESPECIALLY A SOCIETY .
Now come on Us kiwis dont mind paying more tax. Our Scandinavian cousins pay way more tax than we do and they have a much fairer Society
Man Duncan is kissing his own ASS he must be questing his IMAGE he will be able to change that when National slip out of power
Yo, Emo. How old to your have to be to join the Masons?
Serious thoughts. Milking cows is great, but if I could develop my image, perhaps I could someday be a farm adviser.
Some encouraging snippets in one of Stuff’s surveys…
(My bold)
So next time you hear some minority group member whinging about “political correctness” (which they probably are incapable of defining), ask them if they think minority groups get too much attention. 😈
Must agree, I don’t think it comes from govt policy. But on the other side of the coin, I can think of a few minority groups that get too much attention. There is limit to the benefits of political correctness. I can certainly understand Mohammed Ali explaining some race politics.
Eg. There is a point when the positive politics of feminism tips and becomes the negative politics of neo-feminism. Happens when one starts to generalise a negative aspect of masculinity across men as a group. Like the sun and the moon, male and female will always be. Or religion, there’s a labyrinth.
NZF isn’t my first choose, but they do have plenty of value for the next govt. Hope Labour/Green invite them to join from the start, to make a strong majority. Interesting how differently they can be interpreted, by different folk and different perspectives.
Mohammed Ali/Μοχάμεντ Ali, “I love my racial identity, I want my children to look like me.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcWzwwnHAMI
“There is a point when the positive politics of feminism tips and becomes the negative politics of neo-feminism. Happens when one starts to generalise a negative aspect of masculinity across men as a group. ” CoroDale 2017
“Femininity is depicted as weakness, the sapping of strength, yet masculinity is so fragile that apparently even the slightest brush with the feminine destroys it.”
― Gwen Sharp
“what saying “not all men” actually does –
refuses to acknowledge that gender violence happens too often
takes the focus off the men who are violent and/or misogynistic
refuses to acknowledge that even “good guys” can enable the problem
makes the conversation about men and semantics instead of the epidemic of levels of violence against women
what saying “not all men” does not do –
reveal a fascinating new insight we did not already know”
laci green
+1 Carolyn
Particularly this:
“refuses to acknowledge that even “good guys” can enable the problem”
I wish all those men who spend time berating women calling out sexism claiming “not all men” instead called out the men who engage in sexist and misogynist behaviour. In addition, they should maybe start listening to women for a change.
+1000 tracey We live in 2017 Women are our = not taken for granted or to be oppress by some dick head males . Most Women are more cautious they don’t do stupid shit like some men do they are more compassionate cares .
In a good family you need a good mother and father that treat each other as equals in my view to raze the children successfully.
And this is why I say that all our successful sports women should be payed and promoted by the media as role models for our girls to aspire to and have there confident s razed so we get more women in the top roles in our society so laws are made to benefit females as well as males laws made to benefit all people
not just the 1 %
I won’t respond to that dick head
+3 Some men take it personally and think that critiquing men as a class with privilege means all men are something. It misses the point and as pointed out, misdirects from the issues being raised.
The debate last night was rather robust. Not sure what Seymour was even doing there. Winston is pissed off as about the leak, and made that very clear. Joyce did the usual spin, Grant called him out on his crap, loved that.
James was a stand out again, Grant was fantastic, especially how he handled questions from the blue electorate. Good work.
Gower was pretty good as moderator, but he did let Seymour take plenty of wise cracks at winston about his age, which in my opinion was not warranted.
Tonight 7pm on tvnz the Red Princess will go up against Boring Bill, my eldest is thrilled about the air time, she will be able to watch it. She doesn’t know about Hosking and his bias and attitude, I’ll keep quiet about it as I’m interested in her reaction and assessment.
And another poll will be released later today.
If you missed last nights debate here is a link to watch it
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/decision-17-livestream-the-asb-great-finance-debate.html
It’s all on like donkey kong. This is the most exciting election I’ve ever seen.
0.4% of the electorate vote and invited.
Another spokesperson for the 0.4% party gets a platform.
Amazing what happens when you are prepared to shill for the uber elite.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11914232
Red Princess…I like it!
Winston won’t deliver, he’s got one term to build a rail line to Northport. Ain’t happening.
Cinny
Thanks for linking these reminders about debate times, it is easy for people who don’t watch television to forget about them. I found the camera movement hard to take and only saw part of it, so can’t give a real overview – Bradbury has his assessment over on TDB:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/08/31/the-finance-leaders-political-debate-james-shaw-clear-winner/
Maybe it was just the portions I watched, but I thought Gower had little control over the barracking (particulary from Joyce) while others were talking which is more a feature of parliamentary than televised debates. Others seem to think he did a good job though, and I assume they watchedthe whole thing.
One thing I’d observe is that the speeches can’t really be compared directly to one another, as it wasn’t really about winning the room over. Each participant was effectively addressing a different portion of the electorate and their success has to be assessed at how well they did in the task they set out to do. I thought Peters did better than Bradbury suggests, and Seymour worse. Joyce he seems spot on about; “smooth as silk and as confident as a porn star at a pissing contest… if you had only been listening for him you would believe all is well in NZ and that we don’t realise how lucky we are”. I’d been thinking of how he reminded me of one of the late great John Clarke’s parodies myself while watching it.
Where was the Maori Party?
Have to say it again, the more I see Shaw the more impressed I am. I reckon he could eat the lot of them for lunch.
Yes Shaw got a good IQ weka
Hosking already showing his ghastly sexist approach by asking Jacinta what she’ll be wearing tonight.
Jacinda asked whether he’ll ask English the same question.
Hosking is a Neanderthal unfit to moderate a 21st century political debate.
Fire the TVNZ board.
Boycott their advertisers.
Ewwwwwwwwww what a creepy pervert
Yep Cinny, ably assisted by TVNZ’s celebrity willy sucking management , Newsdorks ZB and those wankers at the Herald who are so thick they thought Jacinda was joking when she said she wanted English treated in the same demeaning manner as she was.
Yes his behaviour is endorsed and encouraged by those boards.
the sicko has probably been having a party in his pants thinking about it. it’s like, if she had answered by describing her choice of garment would it go on to, yeah you would look good in that.. dirty old boys network.
would be interesting to find out how frequent that kind of question has been in the past.
You got that right Cinny Mike is so thick he has not worked out that everything he does can be read like the chauvinistic dick head he is.
He is not the sort of male role model that TV NZ should be displaying to our boys.
Why not, shes shown in the past shes not worried about that kind of thing
https://static2.stuff.co.nz/1267862442/078/3414078.jpg
http://d3lp4xedbqa8a5.cloudfront.net/s3/digital-cougar-assets/nzww/2015/07/24/post-97942/P_Jacinda4.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7DqbpZ3ISKU/VahFi1wcVCI/AAAAAAAAKYo/Y-vvQMUOis0/s1600/Jacinda1509187_867606473275719_3213297850476094987_n.jpg
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/jacindaarden_152c5456_mx.300jpg_187urki-187urqn.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7DqbpZ3ISKU/VahFi1wcVCI/AAAAAAAAKYo/Y-vvQMUOis0/s1600/Jacinda1509187_867606473275719_3213297850476094987_n.jpg
I agree some questions shouldn’t be asked of politicians unless the politician brings it up themselves
Also ignore the double up of pics
Not worried about what kind of thing Dirk? Wearing clothes?
Not worried about presenting herself in the best possible light, make up, photo shoots etc etc
Theres nothing wrong with that but it does open the doors to questions about fashion although the questioning did seem light hearted
Ardern said she’d started considering colour schemes yesterday, before questioning the broadcaster whether he’d be asking English the same question.
“Are you asking Bill that question too?
“I want it framed in exactly the same way,” she joked.
Hosking assured Ardern he would be, saying there would be “balance up the wazoo”.
After the interview English was asked by reporters what he would wear for tonight’s debate and said: “I’m going to wear a suit and tie. It might be a new tie, yes it will be a new tie, not a new suit.”
The tie that looks like a pizza slice?
Or perhaps he’ll wear an albatross around his neck – his “Toddy” tie.
[lprent: How about logging in and reducing the moderators workload. We have to release your comments from automoderation. ]
I’d suggest no tie and his shirt open to the waist, get some sex appeal going
Why not – he certainly has nothing else to offer.
My apologies! Done. And thank you for going to the trouble.
You don’t want to see Blinglish’s chest. One of my brothers was at St Pats with him and says he had a very hollow chest.
Not just his chest….
What’s your bro got against hollow chests? He hasn’t bought into some outmoded stereotype of masculinity has he?
Going for the ladies vote:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-10-at-7.26.59-PM-600×565.png
“presenting herself in the best possible light, make up, photo shoots ”
…opens herself up?
And if she wore nothing?
Would probably get Waitakere Man back on board I’d say
Do you ever read your posts before you hit submit?
Depends on how busy I am at work 🙂
She’s a stylist and fashion designers dream to dress up.
Normal transmission resumed!
Hosking is so vain he’s probably worried Ardern might outshine him.
Hosking is unfit to be on national television.
Considering that he is we therefore have to assume that those who are running it are unfit to do so.
+1
I get the impression the public broadcaster will see some significant changes after the election, maybe return it to a public broadcaster.
I see their profit just plummetted by 85%
Not even Hosking can save them from being run down by the government.
Cover up.
Second Climate Change Report Withheld By Government
Paula Bennett failing to do her job again.
Not delivering for New Zealanders.
https://teggtalk.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/second-climate-change-report-withheld-by-government/amp/
Not releasing a report until post election, reeks of a coverup. Our species depends on the climate
Thanks for the link
Ardern will be on this pronto. Afterall it is the Nuclear issue of our times.
Not to worry ED Bennett will be warming the opposition seats very soon
When they decide to give Wayne Eagleson a knighthood, will the information be leaked before the embargoed date?
He certainly crops up a lot in the incidents which are driving the increase in government and public sector corruption in NZ.
Yup
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/08/30/tales-from-a-possible-future-the-mother-of-all-scandals-breaks/
Fiction?….or prophetic?
Well he was the one who compared the Green Party shambles to the Jacobins wasn’t he?
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/have-greens-entered-their-jacobin-phase.html
That seems to have turned out to be a rather accurate prediction so perhaps so will the one you are putting forward.
Somehow I doubt it though. Chris is getting a bit hyperbolic as he sees his dream of the red dawn fading away into a blue sky.
Pat: Last night in Queenstown Winston accused Joyce of promoting the Super story to those National Party people on the Saturday night and/or at the NP launch.
Hence on Daily Blog:
“@KD Try Joyce , he was shopping the story all over the place on Saturday , plenty of witnesses .”
promoting which angle of the super story?…the Trotter version or the Hooten (original) version?…or something else?
Interesting read, I saw that indicator too Ian, but then I scrolled back up and re read Trotters post and this bit here stands out for me.
“The most damning of these involved the deliberate leaking of confidential information about a senior politician’s financial affairs as part of a broader “strategy of distraction”. Equally shocking was the discovery that an alarming number of public servants had aided and abetted the Government’s strategy.”
Just wanted to stress that the Barclay scandal is dirty as. But maybe that isn’t it either..
Certainly prophetic, but accurately predictive? weshallsee.
Jacinda needs to win these debates. No ifs, buts or maybes. Starting with the first tonight,
If Jacinda wins the debate (as agreed by most), this debate, Labour will take the election
All the pressure is on the 2-time anti-Midas, taking an enormous dump on Key’s entire 9 years of electoral capital, and setting it on fire.
How to make a small political party: give a big political party to Bill English and wait a week.
Well styles makes fights as they say so can Jacinda prove shes more that just a collection of one liners, can Bill get whats in his brain out of his mouth in a way that doesn’t bore people to death
Lets get it on!
John Key dumped on his own political capital. Eight years of arguably unprecedented popularity… and did sweet fuck all with it.
But yeah… all the pressure is on English.
Not too sure about winning/losing debates millsy. Demonstrate confidence and willingness to find out along with clarity and conciseness.
Just hope Jacinda does well. No doubt there will be some tricky economic/monetary questions well suited to Bill but of course he tends to go on and on and on and on (like Joyce) so may loose his audience.
Who would write this?
“The expectations of a knock-out performance by her will be low, given she has been leader for just over four weeks. She will be considered a success if she comes away looking half-way competent and able to foot it with English. She has an advantage over him in that the camera loves her and she is instantly likeable.”
by Audrey National Young. Almost fair?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11914406
Jacinda will win the debates 🙂 Unless James is there, he is kicking arse on the debating front have been super impressed with him.
Mean while, it would appear that the USA state roles on. Who cares how many priests get murdered, who cares how many women, how many innocence, as long as the all mighty dollar is in play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oowY_2SVk-Y&ab_channel=TeleSUREnglish
The Canary has a interesting and horrifying article about Australia’s concentration camps, the damage they are doing and how some Australians are making a stand.
400 men, women and children were flown to Australia from the offshore refugee camps on Nauru and Manus Island (Papua New Guinea). Some due to serious illness; others who were victims of rape or serious assault. All needed medical attention.
Daniel Webb of the Human Rights Law Centre explained:
We’re talking about women who were sexually assaulted on Nauru. Men who were violently attacked on Manus. Children who were so traumatised by offshore detention that they needed urgent psychiatric care in Australia.
But now, the Australian government has announced that all 400 are to be returned to Nauru or Manus. And the first stage of this process will see 100 men and women issued with a final departure bridging visa. In the meantime, they are to be deprived of all resources – housing, financial, and other support.
https://www.thecanary.co/2017/08/29/army-citizens-takes-stand-modern-day-concentration-camps-tweets/
Good. God!!
Peter Dutton should have New Zealand Citizenship Instantaneously and irrevocably conferred upon him.
He is an evil man – but this would remove him from office and hopefully a more humane human being would take over as Minister for Aussie Immigration.
This sort of stuff has been happening in Australia for more than a century. So much so that it seems to be a part of their country’s culture. So, changing from one Australian to another doesn’t really seem to be an answer.
You’re absolutely right Draco, but IMO Dutton is the most sadistic bastard in a long line. He has taken the abuse of others to extreme.
Making him a NZ citizen is waayyyyyyyy to good for him, interestingly, he will replace Turnbull if the polls continue negatively for him, so far 18 consecutive negative polls for Turnbull, and sliding, the man is NO leader.
This is sickening:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96344311/government-pledges-two-funding-boosts-to-combat-homelessness
Boosting private charity to provide core services. This poor law mentality is disgusting. Even the language is foul. Providing “beds”. They think “beds” is the answer. They are greedy evil fucks who deserve the fucking worst.
I wondered how they can proudly promote rapid and last minute expansion of emergency social services five minutes before and election as an example of a government ‘delivering for New Zealanders’.
Methinks they have to nights poll result fed to them already.
If that’s the case then they truely are desperate.
Charities can’t be expected to solve homeless crisis
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/charities-cant-be-expected-to-solve-homeless-crisis-higgins-31598077.html
‘Homelessness will not be solved by building private homes for sale or for rent. Good quality, supported accommodation needs to be delivered as part of new developments. It needs to be a fundamental part of the planning process and not an afterthought when all the main planning decisions have been made.
When considering development councils must consider the role of temporary and supported housing. We need decent temporary accommodation for single homeless people.’
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/07/homelessness-will-not-be-solved-building-private-homes-we-need-radical-solution
Labour’s Phil Twyford said both initiatives were good ideas but their announcement this close to the election was “cynical politicking”.
Isn’t it extraordinary how compassionate this National government gets close to an election?
Yet extraordinarily close-fisted with public information as with the climate change report.
Yet extraordinarily loose with their security about the superannuation details of private citizens.
Extraordinary. Don’t get it at all………..
If Twyford said they were both good ideas then heaven fucking help us. The belief that private charity is a legitimate means for providing for the poor is a most despicable concept imaginable. I remember National in the 1990s together with the BRT brought a right-wing English academic out to NZ to talk about reintroducing poor law based welfare in this country. If Labour doesn’t understand how fundamentally wrong this is then not only is it completely ignorant of its own history as a party but it’s clear that they haven’t got a fucking clue. This is so fucking angering.
From the article you yourself gave us, Chris
“”It’s been our policy for ages to support Housing First as a very successful strategy to deal with chronic homelessness and rough sleepers. But it’s not a good solution to the explosion of people who cannot find affordable rental housing.”
He supported the Auckland City Mission funding too but noted that it wouldn’t deliver any new beds until at least 2020, when they were needed immediately.
Twyford.
Who should provide this support is less important than that it should be provided-and now. State, local authorities, City Mission, whoever.
Chris, would you curse Mother Theresa for being a private charity.
The real evil is that not enough is being provided, surely?
As Twyford says.
Charity has been around for centuries. There’s always going to be people who need it. Jesus giving the cup of water etc. It’s when it’s regarded as the main way for certain groups to have basic needs met. That’s not participation. Why do you think England and New Zealand replaced the Poor Laws with rights-based access to social security? And no, I’m not necessarily cursing the charities, but it’s certainly naive to think that setting up places with access to “beds” is going to be a temporary thing while things are being done to “fix the housing crisis”. This government is quite happy to see charity-based responses to social problems become the norm and firmly entrenched into mainstream institutions.
Chris + 100 we no that most of the Private Charity funds are used up by there management I.E CEO wages $100.000 ect the government is the organisation
that has to provide for the needs for the vulnerable and not some Charity that is only going to spend half the funds on the vulnerable and the rest on paper pushers .
It is well documented that world aid ect that only 40% of the funds got to the people that need it WTF Gemmon
They probably think Workhouses are enlightenment. Plenty of work the homeless could do, generating electricity on a tredmill, picking tow from old ropes, collecting wool from barbed wire fences, the possibilities for turning a profit from hopelessness are endless.
The comments under that article!
Oh dear, National!
“I actually don’t believe a word National says right now”
(One of the mildest).
From the article
“Housing First is a wrap-around service that focuses on individual need rather than a one-size-fits all approach. Independent research shows 80 per cent of people who receive the service retain their housing.”
Is nobody but me bothered that this means 1 in 5 DON’T retain their housing? Seems shocking.
A proportion of those living on the streets are very badly damaged and dysfunctional.
If the number of those living on the street can be reduced by 80% I’ll happily take that as a bloody good start.
How odd, what with there being no crisis and all
Panic has set in well and truly.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96347978/longtime-mp-peter-dunne-calls-political-landscape-superficial
This is rich, coming from him, of all people!
He is now an irrelevance
“We are a socially liberal and economically rational political party focused on securing a better deal for future generations. Give your list vote to UnitedFuture in 2017 and help us become an even more influential support partner to the next government.”
http://unitedfuture.org.nz/
Did he do a plug for the new leader of UnitedFuture?
“UnitedFuture has appointed Damian Light as the new Party Leader, Deputy Leader Judy Turner announced today.
Mr Light will takes over from Hon. Peter Dunne, who will remain as Parliamentary Leader.”
Has National pulled the plug on their candidate in Mr Light’s seat?
I’m assuming he is still being paid up until such point as he is no longer an MP.
What a self serving shit head. Worm chaser. In his own words…
“strutting earnest ways and the egregious ever-so-keen-to-please and not offend tones….. the absolute worst of politicians focused on nothing more than their own promotion”
As I presume Todd Barclay is still getting paid? Did he abandon his duties as an MP? Are there parliamentary rules about dereliction of duties?
Probably, but Gnats would think it only applies to other people
He is paid until election day. he took a few weeks off (although he and some of his rabid supporters claimed he was around – even though the media couldn’t find him) . I think they appointed a clone in his place. There is no shortage of young white men to enter parliament for the nats.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=8NpirIDH&id=B6170E56484CDF34B6CF521DE36FCC57E69F6B5C&thid=OIP.8NpirIDHuypJLOEmrb9aAAEsCm&q=hamish+walker+nz&simid=608043946341894058&selectedIndex=1&ajaxhist=0
I think an outgoung MP is paid for 3 months after leaving. That would be Xmas for Barclay I think.
Innovation Is Essential. But Are Your Best and Brightest Killing It?
That can be applied to a nation as well. If we want an innovative nation then we need to build a culture of innovation. And because the the information is diverse and spread across many fields we need to build that up as a culture of cooperation and sharing.
In other words, we need to be doing the exact opposite of what our governments have been doing as they built up privatisation and increased restrictions on ‘intellectual property’.
+1
Innovation is one of the keys to a successful nation, there was a time when NZ was considered an innovative nation and then there was National
+100 Draco
The Culture of innovation died when DSIR was killed off by the last National government under old Ruthie and her Muppet colleagues of the 90’s.
Yup – our aquaculture came out of there – not MAF, much less the fatuous MPI.
That was certainly a part of it. The other part was the emphasis on ‘competition’ while making a few people rich and then expecting them to do it.
I’m still wondering how competition (Unless it racing of some form or Medical Research) helps research when most research conducted is a long term not some quick fix solution as its all trail and error. As we say at work “you’re got crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.”
When one looks on DSIR it was surly amazing organisation that only talk and work with the private sector, but also other Government Depts as well such as the former MoW, the former Forestry Dept, MoD including the other Services, All the universities and the Technical collages etc.
Then have you the Female and Blokes working in their shed out of the house or in the case of my great grandfather at the family run co-op coal mine and the list of notable’s is very long and famous.
Another right wing grumpy old man (Neville Gibson?) blathering on ignorantly about the issues. Climate change and homelessness only an issue because the media mention them, according to him and governments cannot do little about them.
Honestly.
Why are fools like him on the show?
Things that come to bite you on the bum…..
Two weeks ago Trump Scraped the Obama-Era Rule To Protect Infrastructure From Climate-Change Flooding. This required federal, state, and local agencies to take steps to protect infrastructure from flooding caused by climate change.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-executive-order-flooding_us_599323d4e4b04b193360926b
Meanwhile…
House Republicans want to cut almost $1 billion from FEMA’s disaster relief fund, which only has $2.3 billion remaining in its budget. Trump, meanwhile, is promising billions to help Texas rebuild from Harvey-caused flooding. The $876 million cut pays for roughly half the cost of Trump’s down payment on the border wall
And…
Trump tweeted that he intentionally understaffed FEMA in order to shrink the federal government. His tweet came in response to a critical Fox and Friends segment where Laura Ingraham said the damage and flooding in Texas from Hurricane Harvey is proof that the Trump administration needs to be fully staffed. Of the 591 key positions that require Senate confirmation, just 117 have been filled.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/29/trump-shrink-government-laura-ingraham-242128
But no worries…
It’s all due to a Hoax perpetuated by China.
Why are the crucial questions about Hurricane Harvey not being asked?
George Monbiot
“It is not only Donald Trump’s government that censors the discussion of climate change; it is the entire body of polite opinion. This is why, though the links are clear and obvious, most reports on Hurricane Harvey have made no mention of the human contribution to it.
In 2016 the US elected a president who believes that human-driven global warming is a hoax. It was the hottest year on record, in which the US was hammered by a series of climate-related disasters. Yet the total combined coverage for the entire year on the evening and Sunday news programmes on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News amounted to 50 minutes. Our greatest predicament, the issue that will define our lives, has been blotted from the public’s mind…..’
The Panel talking about the floods in Mumbai and India now.
And sure enough, no mention of climate change.
Good on you, Jim.
You really are a spineless broadcaster.
Keep saying this is the irony election but this one takes the cake. It involves Sean Plunket, TOP, a MSM journo and some sweary abuse,
https://mobile.twitter.com/duncangreive/status/903096415433351168
The whole article is worth a thread.
I have included excerpts.
‘Bill English fiddles whilst the world burns: our Prime Climate Change Denier
There will be one moment of mismanagement by Bill English this election that will be studied and debated in the future. That moment is neither Todd Barclay’s alleged workplace bullying nor the leaks of Winston Peters’ superannuation over-payment. That moment was captured in his Radio New Zealand interview on 28 August 2017; when he was challenged on his past dismissal of climate change as policy for the ‘elite,’ he doubled down, asserting that:
“well, as a day to day concern, I don’t think people are getting out of bed in the morning saying, look, the most important thing that happens today is that the climate changes…”
This moment will be studied as a recorded example of Bill English misunderstanding climate change; he sees it as a political issue, rather than a survival issue.
I wonder what Bill does think about when he wakes up? What radio station plays to start his day? I didn’t pick him for the Rock. I’d be surprised if its not Radio New Zealand, the AM Show and/or Breakfast before he goes for his walk run. If it’s any of those three, I wonder how he cannot think of climate change.
On the very day that Bill English was interviewed, even our mainstream media was covering the unfolding humanitarian and environmental disaster in Texas and America’s fourth largest city, Houston from Hurricane Harvey. As of today, that state has had 15 trillion litres of rain; you can fill all of the NFL and college stadiums in Texas to the brim one hundred times over. The numbers of dead are climbing, and the displaced from Houston are now displacing the displaced from Corpus Christi who are looking for refuge centres further afield………
On the very day that Bill English was interviewed, one third of the entire country of Bangladesh is underwater. At least 1,200 have died from flooding in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. Seventeen million people have been affected by the flooding in India, with thousands of villages cut off from food and clean water. Ninety thousand homes have been washed away in Nepal……
..Bill English may not wake up thinking about climate change. But that is not a virtue nor indicative of a sober, realistic mindset. It is the statement of a deluded, self-serving man who is no leader for New Zealand. All he has confirmed is that he and his colleagues are a danger to the future of our country. Never trust the ones who say “peace, peace,” when all about us is evidence of war and danger. Change is upon us.’
https://firstwetakemanhattan.org/2017/08/30/bill-english-fiddles-whilst-the-world-burns-our-prime-climate-change-denier/
ED I was going to say he would be thinking about how much he was going to get from the next clip but that is a insult to our farmers . So I say hes thinking I AM PRIME MINISTER and any other topic just goes way over his head.LOL
And after tonight’s polls he probably still thinks National can hold on to that slippery pole of power