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Comment: Three speeches on going to war
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 10:47 pm, February 25th, 2015
Here is the truth about the the contingent being sent :-) https://canofwormsopened.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/new-zealand-sending-troops-to-iraq-to-protect-each-other/Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 7:14 pm, February 22nd, 2015
"Dave you seem to have been sucked into a ‘them versus us’ mentality. The GWB/OAB ‘with us or you’re against us’ silliness. That’s a bit of a concern if it’s common amongst Greens." Pete, more like good democratic practice vs bad. As you know the Greens ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 4:48 pm, February 22nd, 2015
Pete, it is so easy to see National's spin bubbling through your responses because the same language and unfounded accusations are being repeated. I have heard Key talking on the campaign and a good deal of it was slating the Greens and suggesting that ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 1:35 pm, February 22nd, 2015
Pete, you have a very simplistic approach to assessing capability and public perceptions. In politics, especially at local government level, being a familiar face is half the battle and it is nothing to do with ability or competence. Key has continued to ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 11:44 am, February 22nd, 2015
Observer, you clearly don't watch Question Time in the House, otherwise you would have realized that the "shrill screaming attacks" don't emanate from the Green Party. National is the master of the shrill and Labour do pretty well with the screaming. You ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 10:09 am, February 22nd, 2015
Kenya, read my reply to Pete. It was hardly a minor miscommunication and you seem to be implying that while Labour don't consult the Greens when they make major decisions, the Greens should always consult Labour. Both National and Labour don't want a ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 9:56 am, February 22nd, 2015
Your use of language here is interesting, Pete. By suggesting the Greens are an "active opposer" rather than a "constructive influencer" is deliberately supporting the meme that the Greens are just an 'anti-party'. Of course the Greens would actively ...Comment: Charter schools mess – what a surprise
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 5:05 pm, February 21st, 2015
Inequality is growing faster in NZ than any other OECD country, therefore those at the bottom of the heap in socio-economic terms are growing in numbers. While parents are responsible for their children, to a large degree it is the Government that ...Comment: Charter schools mess – what a surprise
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 3:41 pm, February 21st, 2015
...and 20% of children will always be well below average ;-) I wonder if the Government have lifted that bottom percentage to a higher one? It will only succeed if they remove the bottom quintile completely.Comment: Charter schools mess – what a surprise
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 3:30 pm, February 21st, 2015
When I first started teaching all schools were overseen by inspectors and advisors and when issues developed they would be addressed in a timely way. Surely it is best to support and fix an established school rather than watch it collapse and then put ...Comment: Charter schools mess – what a surprise
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 3:22 pm, February 21st, 2015
The main difference and tension between this government and the teaching profession is around the use of research and evidence to drive change. This Government is determined to ignore evidence and push untested ideology onto our children and are prepared ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 2:21 pm, February 21st, 2015
Pete George, you forget that the Green party has a long history of co-operation and constructive support in mainstream policies. Our MPs work in select committees is widely acknowledged and media commentators have recognised the work ethic and contribution ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 9:46 am, February 21st, 2015
Pete, you are just repeating National spin with the use of 'fringe' and 'anti-Party'. The implication of fringe means our members and policies do no reflect the mainstream. We have evidence based policies and our members who shape that policy generally ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 12:15 am, February 21st, 2015
After Little had announced Shearer as the other member he wouldn't back down and it was a public slight against the Green Party. There is no way that could be fixed by a phone call at that point. Politics is a tough game and Little needed to know early on ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 11:34 pm, February 20th, 2015
That being so, Little should have suggested Norman as he has more experience than Shearer.Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 9:30 pm, February 20th, 2015
Maui, one of the reasons we failed to beat National in the last election was because many voters could not see a credible, functioning government in Labour, Greens and NZ First. The work Labour and the Greens did jointly on Manufacturing (initiated by the ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 8:24 pm, February 20th, 2015
Why Naturesong?Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 7:51 pm, February 20th, 2015
Norman takes a real interest in our Five Eyes partners' activities, something I haven't noticed with Shearer. Here is something Russel linked to today to make sure people are informed: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/19/nsa-gchq-sim-card- ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 7:35 pm, February 20th, 2015
Alwyn, given that the Greens are much stronger than they were in Clark's era the logic of shutting them out makes no sense. Immediately after the election the Greens polled 17.5% and despite a slight drop in our voting percentage we actually had 10,000 ...Comment: Local Bodies: The Greens and Labour
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 7:27 pm, February 20th, 2015
Then why not Shearer and Norman, or Shearer and Turei? It is Little who is the political lightweight here. If he wasn't the leader and was still in his previous position in the party most people would think it an unusual choice to have him on the committee ...Comment: Local Bodies: Neoliberal Economics Limits Food Choice in Southland
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 6:33 pm, January 11th, 2015
Our Council tried to hit some of our stallholders with a considerable sum for a food license (cooked food) but it was for a full year and we negotiated it down to a daily rate which was minimal.Comment: Local Bodies: Neoliberal Economics Limits Food Choice in Southland
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 12:50 pm, January 11th, 2015
Good comment, saveNZ, the external costs of any product should be factored in to the price. The higher taxation on tobacco, helps to cover the external costs of healthcare that normally has to be borne by the taxpayer. There should be similar taxes placed ...Comment: Local Bodies: Neoliberal Economics Limits Food Choice in Southland
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 12:33 am, January 11th, 2015
Our main fruit and vege growers come from Central Otago and are small enterprises and they can generally undercut supermarkets, but not always. Supermarkets often discount some lines to levels where they can't compete on price, although our quality is ...Comment: A good speech
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 4:24 pm, December 15th, 2014
David Clendon actually impresses many with his business knowledge and rational approach to problems, here is a right wing blogger and journalist tutor singing his praises: http://cqae.co.nz/2013/04/04/bugger-me-days/Comment: Local Bodies: John the Don and the Family
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 11:58 am, December 1st, 2014
Actually I don't think that the Masons (I know a few) would have anything to do with them, ethics and morality are actually important to them and they actually like helping those less fortunate.Comment: Local Bodies: John the Don and the Family
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 9:59 am, December 1st, 2014
I did think of including the SkyCity and Hollywood connections...Comment: Labour and the unions
Written By: Dave Kennedy (Bsprout) - Date published: 1:54 pm, November 19th, 2014
As a member of the active Union Greens within the Green Party there is another way of looking at unions within the context of social justice, human rights and an environmentally sustainable economy. The capitalist/socialist, left/right debates tend to be ...Comment: Local Bodies: Greens Immediately Become the Opposition.
Written By: Dave Kennedy (bsprout) - Date published: 5:18 pm, September 28th, 2014
We will do some polling and analysis as part of our campaign review. Political positioning is discussed with our wider membership at branch and provincial level and feedback is shaped into a remit that goes to our AGM before an election year. It has ...Comment: Local Bodies: Greens Immediately Become the Opposition.
Written By: Dave Kennedy (bsprout) - Date published: 5:05 pm, September 28th, 2014
Te Awa, I am the Co-editor https://home.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/te_awa_-_august_2014.pdf https://home.greens.org.nz/newsletters/teawaComment: Local Bodies: Greens Immediately Become the Opposition.
Written By: Dave Kennedy (bsprout) - Date published: 1:58 pm, September 27th, 2014
I should have said each election year.
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In 1992, Paul Keating said, ‘Asia is where our future substantially lies’. Decades later, the rhetoric remains, but the follow-through is still lacking. Despite Australia’s pivot to the Indo-Pacific, our cultural competency is inhibiting our ...2 weeks ago
- The Terminator
This morning I watched The Terminator. This is the original 1984 Terminator where Arnie plays the villain, because, you know, accent. ...2 weeks ago - National’s Fossil Fool Fiasco Betrays Climate Commitments
New Zealand’s National-led government has once again proven its reckless disregard for our planet and our international reputation by abandoning the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), a commitment made in 2021 to phase out fossil fuel production.This incredibly dumb decision, coupled with a $200 million fund to subsidise oil ...2 weeks ago
- US’s Iran strike may have strengthened Tehran’s nuclear resolve
Donald Trump could be having his Mission Accomplished moment. He said in a nationally televised address Saturday night, ‘Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key ...2 weeks ago
- Donald Trump’s Arms Push Betrays Global Needs
Donald Trump’s recent insistence that NATO countries increase military spending to 5% of their GDP is a reckless and self-serving manoeuvre that prioritises warmongering over humanity’s pressing needs. This demand, rooted in Trump’s cosy ties with American weapons manufacturers, threatens to divert trillions from critical global challenges like starvation and ...2 weeks ago
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- What is Rocket Lab launching into space and why are people angry about it?
On Friday, picket signs bearing Palestine flags and banners about genocide gathered around three Rocket Lab locations in New Zealand. Why? Rocket Lab, founded in 2006 by Sir Peter Beck, is often lauded in New Zealand for catalysing our space industry. Today it still leads the sector, one with a ...21 hours ago - How fried chicken food truck YFC ran afoul of KFC’s trademark lawyers
Explainer: Why does a giant global corporation care so much about the logo being used by a young Christchurch entrepreneur? ...21 hours ago - Watch live: Submitters speak at Regulatory Standards Bill hearing day 3
ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour says the bill aims to improve lawmaking but critics argue the opposite. ...22 hours ago
- ‘Fuckity, fuckity, fuck’: The many riches of the Outrageous Fortune swear jar
Outrageous Week continues as Alex Casey celebrates Aotearoa’s sweariest show. Content note: This article contains many, many, many swear words. You have been warned. When co-creator of Outrageous Fortune James Griffin stood up to address the cast and crew at the series wrap of the beloved show in 2010, he ...22 hours ago
- Key Orange Roughy Population On Verge Of Collapse: Government Considers Closure
The scientific report from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), released last week, indicates that the fishery, known as East and South Chatham Rise (ESCR) is in a dire state, with over 80% of the original orange roughy population wiped out. ...23 hours ago - Greek and Roman nymphs weren’t just sexy nature spirits. They had other important jobs too
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kitty Smith, PhD Candidate in Classical Greek and Roman History, University of Sydney Acteon, having accidentally seen the goddess Diana and her nymphs bathing, begins to change into a stag. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. George S. Amory, Object Number: ...23 hours ago - How student games of SkyCity blackjack spiralled into $1m Watercare fraud
Shyamal Shah was introduced to a private poker ring, drawn in deep, then shown graphic photos of men assaulted for not paying their debts The post How student games of SkyCity blackjack spiralled into $1m Watercare fraud appeared first on Newsroom. ...23 hours ago - American science is in crisis. It’s a great opportunity for Australia to snap up top scientists
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Walker, Visiting Fellow, National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University Stellalevi / Getty Images Science in the United States in in trouble. The National Science Foundation, a key research funding agency, has suffered devastating funding cuts ...23 hours ago
- Some young people sexually abuse. Here’s how to reduce reoffending by up to 90%
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse Cale, Associate Professor of Criminology, Deputy Director Research (Griffith Youth Forensic Service), Griffith University When we think about who’s responsible for sexual abuse in Australia, we usually picture adults. But young people are responsible for a substantial proportion of sexual offences ...23 hours ago
- XFG could become the next dominant COVID variant. Here’s what to know about ‘Stratus’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Griffin, Professor, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Queensland visualspace/Getty Images Given the number of times this has happened already, it should come as little surprise that we’re now faced with yet another new subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus ...23 hours ago
- Can a pizza box go in the yellow bin – or not? An expert answers this and other messy recycling qu...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pooria Pasbakhsh, Research Fellow in Polymer Upcycling, The University of Melbourne ViDCan/Shutterstock Have you ever gone to toss something into the recycling bin – a jam jar, a pizza box, a takeaway container encrusted with yesterday’s lunch – and wondered if ...23 hours ago
- Another OCR cut justified as households, businesses struggle – Kiwibank chief economist
"We need to be running, not crawling out of this recession," Kiwibank's chief economist says. ...24 hours ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Applauds Christchurch Mayor Backing Rates Cap
Taxpayers’ Union, Investigation Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said: “Councils have been using ratepayers as a bottomless ATM. It’s refreshing to see a mayor finally admit that the current model is broken and something needs to change.” ...24 hours ago
- Why economists are betting on the OCR holding steady today
Inflation uncertainty is driving expectations that the Reserve Bank will hit pause on cash rate cuts, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. RBNZ set to keep cash rate steady The Reserve Bank is widely expected to push ...1 day ago
- Anti-red tape bill a health risk, doctors say
The ACT Party's "red tape-busting" Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB) threatens to harm patients by undermining the public health system, health experts are warning. ...1 day ago
- AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Dodd, Professional Teaching Fellow, Business School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau For a long time, universities worked off a simple idea: knowledge was scarce. You paid for tuition, showed up to lectures, completed assignments and eventually earned a credential. ...1 day ago
- Some people with disabilities still terrified of leaving their homes after Covid discrimination
An advocate says some people with disabilities faced discrimination because they were often mask or vaccine exempt. ...1 day ago
- Senior doctors’ union welcomes Health NZ U-turn on axing Wellington Hospital maternity beds
Health NZ says it will no longer go ahead with a trial to use maternity and gynaecology beds for emergency department overflow. ...1 day ago
- Ghost bus: why is Motu Move taking so long to arrive in Canterbury?
The new public transport payments were supposed to be operating in Canterbury already. What’s happened? Last year, people in Canterbury were expecting a subtle, but useful, change to how they use public transport: the advent of the Motu Move system, which would allow Cantabrians to tag on to the bus ...1 day ago
- Regulatory Standards Bill hearing, day two: ‘Just good law-making’ or ‘Act’s ideological fet...
Day two of select committee hearings into the Regulatory Standards Bill saw submissions from the Taxpayers’ Union, Tania Waikato and the Greater Wellington Regional Council. It was another quiet morning in select committee room four on Tuesday, and for the second consecutive day, no committee members from NZ First showed ...1 day ago
- This Wellington sea wall shows how our heritage rules are broken
The government wants to make it easier to remove protections on heritage buildings – but more change is needed. The Oriental Parade sea wall is a long, concrete barrier that curves around the stretch of Oriental Bay. It’s a critical piece of infrastructure, first built in the 1920s to protect ...1 day ago
- What the Covid-19 inquiry is teaching us
Comment: As the dust continues to settle from the peak pandemic years, New Zealand is taking a long, hard look in the mirror. The first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 Lessons Learned has been delivered, and it offers an unflinching account of our preparedness, decisions, and ...1 day ago
- Titanium could double value of Taranaki seabed mine
Unknown recovery rates for titanium dioxide saw it excluded from an economic impact assessment, while NZ’s share of mineral export value is questioned The post Titanium could double value of Taranaki seabed mine appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- There’s still time to get off this energy-hungry train
Opinion: Those of us who are old enough will remember how the windscreens of our cars would be covered in insects after a long drive through the countryside. If we travelled overseas, we could visit wilderness that lacked roads and wild animals seemed plentiful. This has changed, as humans expand ...1 day ago
- Mushroom murder could mean life behind bars
It is the triple-murder case that captivated a global audience – a sleepy Australian town, a family Sunday lunch, and a deadly beef Wellington. Now, after a marathon two-month trial involving more than 50 witnesses, four days of closing arguments and seven days of jury deliberations, Erin Patterson has been ...1 day ago
- The silent cost of hearing loss and how to slow it down
He describes them as “hard-headed deniers” but spends a lot of time thinking about how he can win them over. James Whittaker wants to improve hearing health in New Zealand and a big part of that is convincing the deniers that wearing hearing aids can prolong good health. Whittaker is the ...1 day ago
- Human rights body hooked by phishing scam
Already under pressure from the Government and with an increasingly tight budget, the Human Rights Commission is pinged for financial errors The post Human rights body hooked by phishing scam appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- ‘No secret society’: how women in sport learn best
Over the past few years, gendered learning has been organically woven into initiatives for women in high performance sport – not just to support women, but to strengthen the entire sports system in Aotearoa. We spoke to three wāhine leading the charge: Helene Wilson (netball coach and Women in High ...1 day ago
- Lianne Dalziel: ‘I’d never have got my operation in broken public health system’
Comment: Risks associated with using private hospitals to reduce public sector waiting lists for planned surgery The post Lianne Dalziel: ‘I’d never have got my operation in broken public health system’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Wellington Combined Taxi shareholders approve sale to Auckland co-op
Court action and increasing competition saw the well-known taxi company put into voluntary administration in 2024 The post Wellington Combined Taxi shareholders approve sale to Auckland co-op appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Book of the Week: Nadine vs impatient Pākehā climate change activists
I find myself instinctively reaching for the new essay collection Slowing the Sun by Nadine Hura on two significant occasions. The first was under the blanket of Mount Manaia, the mountain on my Ngāpuhi side, the night before mum received her moko kauae. Mum is the first in six generations ...1 day ago
- Academic slams NZ government over ‘compromised’ foreign policy
Asia Pacific Report A prominent academic has criticised the New Zealand coalition government for compromising the country’s traditional commitment to upholding an international rules-based order due to a “desire not to offend” the Trump administration. Professor Robert Patman, an inaugural sesquicentennial distinguished chair and a specialist in international relations at ...1 day ago
- Covid inquiry hearings: No decisions yet on which politicians will appear
The Royal Commission investigating New Zealand's Covid-19 pandemic response has not made any decisions about which leaders and politicians will appear for a public healing. ...1 day ago
- Public servants’ views on staffing, stress and job satisfaction revealed in new survey
The Public Service Census is a voluntary survey that 44,737 out of more than 65,000 public servants took part in. ...2 days ago
- How Are Designated Terrorist Entities Selected In New Zealand? Here’s What You Need To Know
Explainer - The Proud Boys are no longer a terrorist entity in New Zealand. But how does a group get designated as terrorists in the first place? ...2 days ago
- Interest rates are on hold at 3.85%, as the Reserve Bank opts for caution over mortgage relief
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Sydney Thurtell/Getty Images The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate at 3.85%, after cutting it in February and May. Those earlier moves were aimed at supporting the economy as ...2 days ago
- The US has high hopes for a new Gaza ceasefire, but Israel’s long-term aims seem far less peaceful
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University US President Donald Trump has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner at the White House, where he has declared talks to end the war in Gaza are “going along very well”. ...2 days ago
- What makes a good AI prompt? Here are 4 expert tips
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra Peter, Director of Sydney Executive Plus, Business School, University of Sydney FOTOSPLASH/Shutterstock “And do you work well with AI?” As tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems become part of everyday workflows, more companies ...2 days ago
- Saying goodbye is never easy: why we mourn the end of our favourite TV series
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Gerace, Senior Lecturer and Head of Course – Positive Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Netflix Has the ending of Squid Game left you feeling downhearted? The South Korean megahit struck a nerve with audiences worldwide, with millions logging in to Netflix to ...2 days ago
- Wellington mayoral candidate says cap on rates would reduce accountability
Andrew Little says a government rates cap would undermine the democratic relationship between mayor and councillors and residents. ...2 days ago
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