Even dirty old Holmes is getting sick of the arrogance of John Key’s govt. From q+a:
PAUL HOLMES We’d hoped to have Labour and National debating the issue, but, as I say, this government doesn’t debate other parties, apparently. I would have thought that was a part of full democratic process full stop. Which means I have to explain this to you while Lianne Dalziel leaves her chair, which she has done so effectively and carefully without injury, and the Associate Justice Minister, Chester Borrows, sneaks in.
Holmes here at least highlights the lack of democratic discussion the govt is willing to participate in.
John Campbell also consistently makes a point of noting their failure to turn up for interviews.
RNZ needs to comment more pointedly on John Key’s government’s ministers’ failure to front for interviews more explicitly. It is the press’s responsibility to hold those in power ro account.
As to the patsy interviews conducted by Marcus Lush, Rawden Christie et al, all that is clear from that is that organisations, such as TVNZ and Radio Live who run such sham interviews, cannot describe themselves as serious news outlets.
I haven’t heard the RNZ interview. But it could all be in the wording:
Stevenson says the new troops were there in a combat role.
“I’ve been told the mission of these troops is not to gather intelligence but to help carry out the strikes or the raids on those insurgents that killed the PRT (provincial reconstruction team) in August,” he told Radio New Zealand.
Key today said the claims were not true.
“Completely wrong. Absolutely wrong,” he told TV3.
The small group of SAS logistics and planning officers remained in Afghanistan and it was possible one or two more had joined that team.
“On the ground operational people assess exactly what they need. From time to time it can vary by very small numbers. We don’t make a public statement every time they may go or not.”
“On the ground operational people assess exactly what they need”
-and there it is, the precedent tag! Key can now say it appears the original decision to deploy as an intel-only unit had to be adjusted when boots hit the ground. I can hear him now ‘yeah, the SAS are akshully involved in a combat role to capture or kill those responsible for the recent deaths of New Zealand Soldiers. It was an operational decision andnah i had not heard about it but i’m relaxed the boys will do the best they can.’
We all know our PM never sullies himself by interfering with operational matters of Government 😉
It’s the ‘possible one or two’ that is very vague, now it come’s down to National party semantics, as to what actually one or two really mean’s in John Key’s dynamic world?
It’s okay not to comment on real operational matters. But if they have sent in a revenge/kill team into make the miscreants pay, then it becomes a whole new ball of wax. But then again we got no missile firing drones. Why else would you send them in quietly?
A very interesting article looking at the Thatcher years and the results to date. The comments at the end of the article are also noteworthy e.g.:-
‘The worst Tory legacy from that era is the energy sell-off to any tom, dick or harry. Thanks to that government, our energy bills are decided by shareholders, and utility bills will forever soar with zero control; leaving people in fuel poverty and consequently needing to become welfare claimants and food banks open at alarming rates, even though they’re working.
Now the Tories suddenly care about the cost of bills? It’s a shame the Tories didn’t care about the cost of energy bills back then…’
A bold and decisive policy would be to state that electricity will be re nationalised, eliminate the foreign landlords and all the layers of expensive governance and legal challenges to any CommComm ruling and take out the hefferndens, stiassneys etc in one move.
Our power prices are a complete rort.
We used to have such an option in the old FPP system on polling days on certain industries from memory. Whoever gets this right with some other socially focused policy will win a lot of votes.
Can’t see it happening from any of this current lukewarm mob.
Thanks, marsman – an important article. I lived through the late 70s and theThatcher years in London, and it was very formative in my political thinking. IMO, Britain went from leading the western world towards the left in the 70s, to the devastation of neoliberalism in the 80s.
The author makes an interesting comment about how the most recent times tend to be the most reviled, and also about the resurection of postive things about the 70s. And, while many paint us boomers as being complicit with neoliberalism, amongst those I knew the Thatcher government was highly unpopular. This, from the article:
More quietly, generational shifts are eroding the 80s’ electoral influence. Thatcher and the changes that occurred under her were rarely overwhelmingly popular. The British Social Attitudes survey showed leftward as well as rightward trends during the 80s; her share of the vote at general elections was middling by postwar standards; and her iron majorities were in large part the products of splits and weaknesses among her opponents. Nowadays, the beneficiaries of her booms, such pivotal interest groups in the Britain of the 90s and 00s, are beginning to be rivalled politically by those too young to have taken part. To some of this economically stressed generation, the postwar world she replaced – of state paternalism and strong unions, of municipal housing and more workplace protections – looks quite appealing, which is one of the reasons the 70s are beginning to be rehabilitated.
Too right marsman. For example: ……this essentially sociopathic blend of charm, deceit, and ruthlessness can be extremely helpful in a colleague. The breathtaking facility with which they can lie, and their lack of compunction in so doing, makes them not only first rate manipulators, but, often, pragmatic—and effective—short-term problem-solvers, too.
John Key sadly and Joyce as well?
” They possess a superficial intellect that masks a stunning lack of empathy, which in turn permits the tunnel-visioned pursuit of personal goals by any means necessary.”
“If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything.”
Large scale water storage/irrigation schemes and GMO and Fracking are the Nats clear agenda. The only information given significant media exposure will be evidence presented at tax and rate payers expense by narrow focused (well payed) technocrats justifying an already decided position. The reality is most of these so called experts are bought by the government and regional councils. This is no where near a level playing field.
The implicit threat hanging over local and regional councils across the country? If you don’t head down the central governments idealogical path then we can just appoint our own ‘leaders’ to make some ‘progress’.
If Democracy isn’t dead in this country it must certainly be in its death throes.
Government propaganda, sound bites and corporate PR soften Joe and Jill public up for what obviously in there best interests.
The only way to counter this may be to vote with our feet.
I had a loved one diagnosed with cancer this morning. I didn’t know what to say to him. Its kind of serendipity the article you posted. It helped a lot. Thanks again.
In my experience with cancer, just being there for him is the most important thing, not what you can actually say. It’s a lot harder for our friends and loved ones to cope than it is for those of us who actually get the filthy disease. The most important thing to me is knowing that there are people around who know that I’m still alive and don’t treat me as some poor thing already half way into the grave.
I agree with that. Something about touching earth is very comforting. Also preparing food. The two are bound together. Reminds me of the Greek resturant owner on tv last night reopened his little shop after earthquake wiped him out. He talked about the smell of garlic and rosemary on his fingers, made him feel alive again.
As the UK reels in the aftermath of the Savile revelations and revokes the awards of paedophiles, at the same time St John New Zealand are to award two known paedophiles, to be presented by the Governor General
[lprent: Link removed – it is either defamatory and/or needs to go to police. But it will not be allowed on the site because it opens us up to unwanted defamation cases. ]
CYFS employed a counsellor using NLP [deleted] to treat children when he was under investigation for sexually exploiting a client. There were two different clients, but the cases appear virtually identical. Both had backgrounds of sexual abuse in their childhood and both were severely affected. Both cases also appear to have had subsidies of some kind to allow the low income clients treatment.
How much money was spent by the government on [deleted] so he could sexually exploit clients and knowingly cause them harm?
Why is CYFS using government money to pay for NLP (not clinically proven or accepted)?
Why does CYFS pay a counsellor such as the one in the story above who clearly has so many issues herself if she fails to recognise NZ Law?
Is she qualified in criminal law and therefore is giving legal advice to children? Did CYFS pay for this as well?
How is it that anyone who promotes underage sex is paid in anyway shape or form to “treat” children of sexual preditors?
I say pull the funding from these bitches. The government should not pay for this type of highly unethical treatment.
The weakness is their funding as the counselling industry obtains tens of millions in subsidies each year.
What I find the most funniest is that no political article is likely to be balanced in the Truth. The Truth is just another avenue for Slater to throw his weight about.
check out the website. They have the numbers of hits on the articles showing. All well below a hundred. When you think how many of those hits will be bots…. it’s like a ghost-town.
Oh, please, your sport is racked with drug taking, collectively
needing distraction, like a media gold rush to distort the
context, what a gift then, a man who over came testicular
cancer, a man who may easily justify their own survival
as a necessity, and so manufacture in themselves forgiveness
for their own widely alleged drug taking. Would cycling have been
free of drugs by now, had there not be a Lance Armstrong?
Would we be in a better world, had there not be a Margaret
Thatcher? Would the middle east now be mired, had there not
be George Bush junior?
The Standard has deleted my link in the posting above. It is not defamatory because it is true. It has been to the police many times, most recently last month.
The names of the St John men are already in the public domain, having appeared in print in this national magazine here [deleted]
[lprent: We don’t allow public accusations about alleged criminal offenses without an actual conviction to be on the site unless we’ve looked at it ourselves and actually intend to have it published here in the public interest. In this instance I can see several previous investigations by the relevant authorities without conviction.
Ian Wishart isn’t exactly someone I have much respect for. I’ve observed him shaving the facts several times in his articles and public speeches to fit his prejudices – for me most notably implicit accusations about my partner. But what he chooses to publish is his choice. Bearing in mind his known bigotries and biases it is usually unlikely to be similar to our choices.
We do allow considerable latitude for speculation about politicians in the public interest and with the previous defamation case law supporting our position. But don’t mistake that for a licence to do the same for non-political or non-public figures. ]
According to your “standards”, the Jimmy Savile story would have remained covered up – he was also not convicted. In the St John ambulance case, I have provided a printed national magazine, a printed press release, and evidence that the victims parents and brothers were gagged in order to hide these child sex crimes. Your action is similar – you also choose to hide these child sex crimes. Your personal feelings for Ian Wishart should not lead you to be complicit in hiding child sex crimes. FYI – this saga will be presented by a UK MP to the House of Commons either later this week or early next week – some New Zealanders may choose to hide these atrocities, but the rest of the world does not.
[lprent: In case you hadn’t noticed, this is a political blog site orientated to analysis and opinions of political issues from the left and union movements.
We aren’t the police, a general purpose newspaper or other media outlet, a site dedicated to legal issues, or even a gossip site. We simply don’t report, opine, or even allow the kind of thing that Wishart or Whaleoil specialize in. We’re not hiding anything. We have little or no interest in something that doesn’t look either political or to do with unions. We certainly don’t want to go out on a legal limb for it.
Covering up child sex crimes not a political issue? Our NZ Head of State presenting awards to known paedophiles not a political issue? Most in the world would consider this to go across the spectrum and be of relevance to the left, right, and centre. According to this page, Afganistan, fracking, drugs in sport, and a storm are all part of the agenda, but not child sex crimes. Perhaps it is the heinous deeds of a high profile lefty exposed in this story that you wish to avoid.
[lprent: So far I haven’t seen anything that indicates that there is any kind of a coverup – which would be of interest. To expand….
I suspect that an alternate hypothesis of obsessive parent(s) detirmined that their view is the only one is far more likely. That was my impression reading your exhaustive link this morning. I suspect that was also the conclusion of many other people and organizations from te police to the family court who have already looked at this case since 2006.
I’ve been on the losing side in family court action, helped deal with quite a few troubled teens from the extended family with difficult relationships with their parents, and have a skeptical relationship with the police. Your description of the process tallys with what I have seen. However your explanations about how you view the people does not tally with anything I have ever observed.
I have also dealt with numerous people with obsessions with both this blog and other political volunteer work. You seem to me to fit the profile quite closely. Certainly the vast conspiracy required for your view to work seems highly unlikely. Occams razor seems to apply.
But as I said earlier, there does not appear to be a political issue. This discussion is over. ]
You have now used 3 different reasons for removing my link: (1) the link is defamatory, (2) it is not a political issue, and now (3) obsessive parents. Did you read the entire document, as the huge number of experts quoted in appendix do not share your view of obsessive parents? When the link was posted, there was a flurry of downloads from your readers, they are obviously keen to read it – why don’t you just allow the link and let your readers make up their own minds? This would be a more mature approach rather than trying to manipulate the agenda.
[lprent: The first was a statement of fact – much of the document was likely to be defamatory (only a court could determine that). The second was a reason why we wouldn’t be interested in taking a risk of a suit after you said that we should ignore the defamatory aspects because it was already published (which makes no real difference under defamation law anyway). The third was my personal take on it based on my experience and your behaviour to explain why I wasn’t interested in overriding policy.
A flurry? According to the figures on who clicked through on that first link, I did at least a tenth of them.
Get your “experts” to put it up on their blogs – don’t use ours. And I’d suggest that you review using the dumbarse tactics you just used in this comment. All it does on blogs is annoy the operators.
The answer is no. You now have a ban on writing comments because you are wasting my time by not understanding that. ]
[deleted – usual crap about gagging]
Are you not doing a similar thing by banning me – after one post! [deleted – and somehow equating me to the whole of the left.. *sigh* so predictable ]
[lprent: No. I have spent time reading your links. I have written notes on 5 comments where I have carefully explained this site’s reason why you cannot use this site to publish a link. Each of these explanations takes time for me to write.
You have now run out of the time and patience I am willing to expend on a single commentator in moderator mode. You have shown no ability to learn or change your behaviour on this site, and I can’t see any real possibility that you are capable of doing so. I am not willing to waste any more of my limited time repeating the same message to someone who is clearly too inflexible to listen to it. It can be more constructively used for the benefit of the others amongst our daily thousands of readers and hundreds of commentators.
Despite what you appear to think, we owe you no duty nor obligation. And as you may have realized, I feel no need to be polite. Bye. ]
Republicans who support tighter voter security say that they are not seeking political advantage. But last summer Pennsylvania’s Republican House Leader, Mike Turzai, was caught on tape boasting to colleagues that the state’s new I.D. law was “going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.” Earlier this month, a state judge suspended the controversial law’s implementation until after the 2012 election; a federal court has done the same with South Carolina’s new I.D. law.
Fair enough LP, Y’know I think the arctic ice is gone for good, NY and the east coast should get used to it, it’s gonna be a regular feature from now on.
Wow, who would of thought that the best way to get transport to improve the economy of Northland is to actually spend money on infrastructure in Northland. Of course these aren’t the first issues we have raised, the 2008 study showed there was little benefit in upgrading the route while we also showed that based on Gerry’s answers to written questions you would have to travel at up to 250kph to achieve some of the time savings that the benefits above are based on.
As Mr Anderson said yesterday, its really time for an independent inquiry into the NZTA and transport priorities, there is just far to many issues cropping up.
More questions raised about the pure BS that this government is forcing upon us.
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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 ...
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. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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 ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Even dirty old Holmes is getting sick of the arrogance of John Key’s govt. From q+a:
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/transcript-chester-borrows-interview-5166989
Holmes here at least highlights the lack of democratic discussion the govt is willing to participate in.
John Campbell also consistently makes a point of noting their failure to turn up for interviews.
RNZ needs to comment more pointedly on John Key’s government’s ministers’ failure to front for interviews more explicitly. It is the press’s responsibility to hold those in power ro account.
As to the patsy interviews conducted by Marcus Lush, Rawden Christie et al, all that is clear from that is that organisations, such as TVNZ and Radio Live who run such sham interviews, cannot describe themselves as serious news outlets.
Jon Stephenson says the SAS are going back to Afghanistan for a revenge attack.
John Key says they are not.
Potential for another brain fade???
I haven’t heard the RNZ interview. But it could all be in the wording:
Stevenson is a very reliable journalist.
I would imagine that to be as certain in military circles as John Key denying it.
Best hope they don’t get smacked again.
“On the ground operational people assess exactly what they need”
-and there it is, the precedent tag! Key can now say it appears the original decision to deploy as an intel-only unit had to be adjusted when boots hit the ground. I can hear him now ‘yeah, the SAS are akshully involved in a combat role to capture or kill those responsible for the recent deaths of New Zealand Soldiers. It was an operational decision andnah i had not heard about it but i’m relaxed the boys will do the best they can.’
We all know our PM never sullies himself by interfering with operational matters of Government 😉
It’s the ‘possible one or two’ that is very vague, now it come’s down to National party semantics, as to what actually one or two really mean’s in John Key’s dynamic world?
It’s okay not to comment on real operational matters. But if they have sent in a revenge/kill team into make the miscreants pay, then it becomes a whole new ball of wax. But then again we got no missile firing drones. Why else would you send them in quietly?
The use of language such as “revenge attacks”, is of course ludicris, given that they are foreign forces occupying ME nations.
Regardless of where the “insurgents” hail from, it reads/counds like its expected that “locals” will just sit back, be occupied and like it!
I think Stephenson had credibility and Key doesn’t, so that’s that!
Oscar Wilde: “Democracy is simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.”
That pretty well sums up National government – with the exception that “for” the people means only for the advantaged.
A very interesting article looking at the Thatcher years and the results to date. The comments at the end of the article are also noteworthy e.g.:-
‘The worst Tory legacy from that era is the energy sell-off to any tom, dick or harry. Thanks to that government, our energy bills are decided by shareholders, and utility bills will forever soar with zero control; leaving people in fuel poverty and consequently needing to become welfare claimants and food banks open at alarming rates, even though they’re working.
Now the Tories suddenly care about the cost of bills? It’s a shame the Tories didn’t care about the cost of energy bills back then…’
http://gu.com/p/3bdfj/em
A bold and decisive policy would be to state that electricity will be re nationalised, eliminate the foreign landlords and all the layers of expensive governance and legal challenges to any CommComm ruling and take out the hefferndens, stiassneys etc in one move.
Our power prices are a complete rort.
We used to have such an option in the old FPP system on polling days on certain industries from memory. Whoever gets this right with some other socially focused policy will win a lot of votes.
Can’t see it happening from any of this current lukewarm mob.
Thanks, marsman – an important article. I lived through the late 70s and theThatcher years in London, and it was very formative in my political thinking. IMO, Britain went from leading the western world towards the left in the 70s, to the devastation of neoliberalism in the 80s.
The author makes an interesting comment about how the most recent times tend to be the most reviled, and also about the resurection of postive things about the 70s. And, while many paint us boomers as being complicit with neoliberalism, amongst those I knew the Thatcher government was highly unpopular. This, from the article:
Replace Romnney’s name with John Key’s name in the following article. Quite disturbing.
The Special Personality Strengths of Mitt Romney – John Wareham | Scoop News
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1210/S00163/the-special-personality-strengths-of-mitt-romney-john-wareham.htm
Too right marsman. For example: ……this essentially sociopathic blend of charm, deceit, and ruthlessness can be extremely helpful in a colleague. The breathtaking facility with which they can lie, and their lack of compunction in so doing, makes them not only first rate manipulators, but, often, pragmatic—and effective—short-term problem-solvers, too.
John Key sadly and Joyce as well?
” They possess a superficial intellect that masks a stunning lack of empathy, which in turn permits the tunnel-visioned pursuit of personal goals by any means necessary.”
Yep. It’s his psychological twin.
Apparently Confucius says
“If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything.”
Pulled quote from this article http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/271-38/14267-our-words-are-our-weapons
Definately applies to Smirkey and Romoney. Birds of a feather.
A lie is a lie. Greed is greed. To call them anything less will not do.
Large scale water storage/irrigation schemes and GMO and Fracking are the Nats clear agenda. The only information given significant media exposure will be evidence presented at tax and rate payers expense by narrow focused (well payed) technocrats justifying an already decided position. The reality is most of these so called experts are bought by the government and regional councils. This is no where near a level playing field.
The implicit threat hanging over local and regional councils across the country? If you don’t head down the central governments idealogical path then we can just appoint our own ‘leaders’ to make some ‘progress’.
If Democracy isn’t dead in this country it must certainly be in its death throes.
Government propaganda, sound bites and corporate PR soften Joe and Jill public up for what obviously in there best interests.
The only way to counter this may be to vote with our feet.
http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/cartoon-competition/
have fun folks
Great, thanks. Yes we need more satire!
Anyone else have any tonic for a severe case of neo feudal industrial blues?
I find gardening a good tonic for many ills.
The Island Where People Forget to Die
I enjoyed that article immensely, thankyou. I feel better already.
I had a loved one diagnosed with cancer this morning. I didn’t know what to say to him. Its kind of serendipity the article you posted. It helped a lot. Thanks again.
In my experience with cancer, just being there for him is the most important thing, not what you can actually say. It’s a lot harder for our friends and loved ones to cope than it is for those of us who actually get the filthy disease. The most important thing to me is knowing that there are people around who know that I’m still alive and don’t treat me as some poor thing already half way into the grave.
🙂 (those who are greatest among you shall become least; those who are least, great)
groovy man.
I agree with that. Something about touching earth is very comforting. Also preparing food. The two are bound together. Reminds me of the Greek resturant owner on tv last night reopened his little shop after earthquake wiped him out. He talked about the smell of garlic and rosemary on his fingers, made him feel alive again.
As the UK reels in the aftermath of the Savile revelations and revokes the awards of paedophiles, at the same time St John New Zealand are to award two known paedophiles, to be presented by the Governor General
[lprent: Link removed – it is either defamatory and/or needs to go to police. But it will not be allowed on the site because it opens us up to unwanted defamation cases. ]
Thanks for this information.
CYFS employed a counsellor using NLP [deleted] to treat children when he was under investigation for sexually exploiting a client. There were two different clients, but the cases appear virtually identical. Both had backgrounds of sexual abuse in their childhood and both were severely affected. Both cases also appear to have had subsidies of some kind to allow the low income clients treatment.
How much money was spent by the government on [deleted] so he could sexually exploit clients and knowingly cause them harm?
Why is CYFS using government money to pay for NLP (not clinically proven or accepted)?
Why does CYFS pay a counsellor such as the one in the story above who clearly has so many issues herself if she fails to recognise NZ Law?
Is she qualified in criminal law and therefore is giving legal advice to children? Did CYFS pay for this as well?
How is it that anyone who promotes underage sex is paid in anyway shape or form to “treat” children of sexual preditors?
I say pull the funding from these bitches. The government should not pay for this type of highly unethical treatment.
The weakness is their funding as the counselling industry obtains tens of millions in subsidies each year.
[lprent: ditto. ]
Cool, my first edited post :m
FYI his name is in the media as he was found guilty as hell by the HDC (Health and Disabilities Commissioner).
It is the last day of October and Henri, the existentialist cat, addresses the meaningless celebration of Halloween:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R_fUsssnHPw
And Campbell’s latest scoop:
An even bigger ‘scoop’ Draco, Cameron Slater the new editor of ‘The Truth’ newspaper…
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2012/10/announcement-whaleoil-appointed-editor-of-truth/
That is brilliant. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages.
What I find the most funniest is that no political article is likely to be balanced in the Truth. The Truth is just another avenue for Slater to throw his weight about.
Is that really a ‘scoop’ though – the slimy crustacean has been trying to edit truth for a while now.
or, as Lew put it on twitter:
And bomber says he’s resigned as a columnist.
check out the website. They have the numbers of hits on the articles showing. All well below a hundred. When you think how many of those hits will be bots…. it’s like a ghost-town.
That’s ok, Cameron has his own way of “counting” page views which should have those numbers going through the roof in no time.
I wonder how long it will take for him to get Truth sued to death? Not long, I hope.
Oh, please, your sport is racked with drug taking, collectively
needing distraction, like a media gold rush to distort the
context, what a gift then, a man who over came testicular
cancer, a man who may easily justify their own survival
as a necessity, and so manufacture in themselves forgiveness
for their own widely alleged drug taking. Would cycling have been
free of drugs by now, had there not be a Lance Armstrong?
Would we be in a better world, had there not be a Margaret
Thatcher? Would the middle east now be mired, had there not
be George Bush junior?
The Standard has deleted my link in the posting above. It is not defamatory because it is true. It has been to the police many times, most recently last month.
The names of the St John men are already in the public domain, having appeared in print in this national magazine here [deleted]
[lprent: We don’t allow public accusations about alleged criminal offenses without an actual conviction to be on the site unless we’ve looked at it ourselves and actually intend to have it published here in the public interest. In this instance I can see several previous investigations by the relevant authorities without conviction.
Ian Wishart isn’t exactly someone I have much respect for. I’ve observed him shaving the facts several times in his articles and public speeches to fit his prejudices – for me most notably implicit accusations about my partner. But what he chooses to publish is his choice. Bearing in mind his known bigotries and biases it is usually unlikely to be similar to our choices.
We do allow considerable latitude for speculation about politicians in the public interest and with the previous defamation case law supporting our position. But don’t mistake that for a licence to do the same for non-political or non-public figures. ]
According to your “standards”, the Jimmy Savile story would have remained covered up – he was also not convicted. In the St John ambulance case, I have provided a printed national magazine, a printed press release, and evidence that the victims parents and brothers were gagged in order to hide these child sex crimes. Your action is similar – you also choose to hide these child sex crimes. Your personal feelings for Ian Wishart should not lead you to be complicit in hiding child sex crimes. FYI – this saga will be presented by a UK MP to the House of Commons either later this week or early next week – some New Zealanders may choose to hide these atrocities, but the rest of the world does not.
[lprent: In case you hadn’t noticed, this is a political blog site orientated to analysis and opinions of political issues from the left and union movements.
We aren’t the police, a general purpose newspaper or other media outlet, a site dedicated to legal issues, or even a gossip site. We simply don’t report, opine, or even allow the kind of thing that Wishart or Whaleoil specialize in. We’re not hiding anything. We have little or no interest in something that doesn’t look either political or to do with unions. We certainly don’t want to go out on a legal limb for it.
If you have finished with Wishart, then can I suggest a new opportunity – try Whaleoil at The New Zealand Truth ]
Covering up child sex crimes not a political issue? Our NZ Head of State presenting awards to known paedophiles not a political issue? Most in the world would consider this to go across the spectrum and be of relevance to the left, right, and centre. According to this page, Afganistan, fracking, drugs in sport, and a storm are all part of the agenda, but not child sex crimes. Perhaps it is the heinous deeds of a high profile lefty exposed in this story that you wish to avoid.
[lprent: So far I haven’t seen anything that indicates that there is any kind of a coverup – which would be of interest. To expand….
I suspect that an alternate hypothesis of obsessive parent(s) detirmined that their view is the only one is far more likely. That was my impression reading your exhaustive link this morning. I suspect that was also the conclusion of many other people and organizations from te police to the family court who have already looked at this case since 2006.
I’ve been on the losing side in family court action, helped deal with quite a few troubled teens from the extended family with difficult relationships with their parents, and have a skeptical relationship with the police. Your description of the process tallys with what I have seen. However your explanations about how you view the people does not tally with anything I have ever observed.
I have also dealt with numerous people with obsessions with both this blog and other political volunteer work. You seem to me to fit the profile quite closely. Certainly the vast conspiracy required for your view to work seems highly unlikely. Occams razor seems to apply.
But as I said earlier, there does not appear to be a political issue. This discussion is over. ]
You have now used 3 different reasons for removing my link: (1) the link is defamatory, (2) it is not a political issue, and now (3) obsessive parents. Did you read the entire document, as the huge number of experts quoted in appendix do not share your view of obsessive parents? When the link was posted, there was a flurry of downloads from your readers, they are obviously keen to read it – why don’t you just allow the link and let your readers make up their own minds? This would be a more mature approach rather than trying to manipulate the agenda.
[lprent: The first was a statement of fact – much of the document was likely to be defamatory (only a court could determine that). The second was a reason why we wouldn’t be interested in taking a risk of a suit after you said that we should ignore the defamatory aspects because it was already published (which makes no real difference under defamation law anyway). The third was my personal take on it based on my experience and your behaviour to explain why I wasn’t interested in overriding policy.
A flurry? According to the figures on who clicked through on that first link, I did at least a tenth of them.
Get your “experts” to put it up on their blogs – don’t use ours. And I’d suggest that you review using the dumbarse tactics you just used in this comment. All it does on blogs is annoy the operators.
The answer is no. You now have a ban on writing comments because you are wasting my time by not understanding that. ]
[deleted – usual crap about gagging]
Are you not doing a similar thing by banning me – after one post!
[deleted – and somehow equating me to the whole of the left.. *sigh* so predictable ]
[lprent: No. I have spent time reading your links. I have written notes on 5 comments where I have carefully explained this site’s reason why you cannot use this site to publish a link. Each of these explanations takes time for me to write.
You have now run out of the time and patience I am willing to expend on a single commentator in moderator mode. You have shown no ability to learn or change your behaviour on this site, and I can’t see any real possibility that you are capable of doing so. I am not willing to waste any more of my limited time repeating the same message to someone who is clearly too inflexible to listen to it. It can be more constructively used for the benefit of the others amongst our daily thousands of readers and hundreds of commentators.
Despite what you appear to think, we owe you no duty nor obligation. And as you may have realized, I feel no need to be polite. Bye. ]
Another blogger was right on the mark with this pic, it is what I am reminded of too when I see such bigotry and hatred of homosexuals: http://laudafinem.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/kkk-edited.jpg
The New Yorker on Republican attempts so suppress voters with the myth of voter fraud.
Republicans who support tighter voter security say that they are not seeking political advantage. But last summer Pennsylvania’s Republican House Leader, Mike Turzai, was caught on tape boasting to colleagues that the state’s new I.D. law was “going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.” Earlier this month, a state judge suspended the controversial law’s implementation until after the 2012 election; a federal court has done the same with South Carolina’s new I.D. law.
edit: http://shiftfrequency.com/victoria-collier-how-to-rig-an-election/
Fair enough LP, Y’know I think the arctic ice is gone for good, NY and the east coast should get used to it, it’s gonna be a regular feature from now on.
What’s Best for Northland?
More questions raised about the pure BS that this government is forcing upon us.
Bill supports wealthy developer mates, shifts responsibility from his Government and ensures growth of inequities: http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/englishs-housing-solutions-lack-logic.html