Same old faces, same old tactics

Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, January 23rd, 2008 - 251 comments
Categories: dpf, election funding, same old national - Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

mugabe-whale.jpgWell it looks like Free Speech Coalition founder Cameron Slater has taken a break from stalking John Minto and photoshopping underage bloggers’ faces onto porn and decided to finally publish the Coalition’s updated donors list (and only a month after he said he would). Interestingly, a “P Shirtcliffe” is listed as having donated $5000. Now one can only assume this is the same Peter Shirtcliffe who ran a multi-million dollar fear campaign against MMP on behalf of the Business Roundtable.

So let’s see, a front group run by National Party activists David Farrar and Cameron Slater has extended its latest tasteless billboard campaign into Invercargill in support of a mayor who is running a campaign to “bring down the government” over the Electoral Finance Act – a campaign backed and funded by Hollow Men the Talley brothers, who are documented as offering Don Brash $1m in secret donations last election.

According to blogblog, other Hollow Men contributing to the Free Speech Coalition include Don Brash, Michael Friedlander, Doug Myers, Paul Baines and Roger Kerr, among others.

It’s starting to look like the whole campaign against the Electoral Finance Act is being run by the same bunch of clowns that tried to scare us into voting against MMP and secretly backed Don Brash last election. I wonder what it is they’re so worried about?

To top it all off, it now looks like Farrar’s close friend and National Party deputy leader Bill English is in on the act. I think this is the first time in my long life I’ve ever seen a Senior MP – or any MP for that matter use a press release to promote material containing statements like this:

“.just like the pervert Benson-Pope, the thug Mallard, the drink-driver Dyson, the racist Cunliffe, the thieving Cullen, the fraudulent Clark, the pisshead Barker, etc, etc…

..a filthy, stinking Labour liar.”

  • National’s core vote, eh Bill?

251 comments on “Same old faces, same old tactics ”

  1. Benodic 1

    Very interesting when you lay it all down like that. I can see why National are so keen to have you guys shut down.

  2. Robinsod 2

    Jeez, considering the hits you guys are gonna be getting off scoop this is gold! I wonder who came up with the bright idea of a Bill English media release???

  3. Double Standard 3

    [Sorry ‘Insolent Prick’, but you were banned for spamming. Don’t try coming back as your other pseudonym either.]

  4. Sam Dixon 4

    If I were Bill I wouldn’t be linking to a place where my supporters voice their racist, mysogynist, homophobic, bigoted opinions. But then what would I know? I never led a party to its worst ever election defeat.

  5. rjs131 5

    Why dont you answer the questions bill english has raised? And how can you associate Bill English with the other statements you have linked to? How is he promoting such questions? Isnt taht like saying thsi website has never spoken out against Taito philip field therefore supports slave labour?

    I see you still havent answered the questions raised earlier in the week and instead and have responded in another hysterical attack against David Farrar. Why arent your promoting all the good recent work by Labour MP such as Nanaia Mahuta’s promotion of youth poetry?

  6. IrishBill 6

    Sod, I would say it was Davey who came up with the idea and wrote the release. It’s got the same stamp of poor judgment his other PR activities have and I’m sure he just couldn’t resist that vanity link.

    What questions rjs? Who we are and where we work? Having watched Slater stalk Minto, I don’t think so.

  7. Sam Dixon 7

    I think this site has spoken out against Feild, or at least writers on it have.

    But the point is clear, the same old faces are trying to pull a sly one on the public again, but thansk to the electoral finance act they can no longer campaign secretly – instead they use Farrar as their front man.

  8. PM 8

    Wow, what an unbelievably stupid post.

    Fresh from finally *not* denying that Labour are paying for this blog, a fact that you have tried to deny over and over again and was only irreputably discovered because you were so sloppy.

    Your hypocrisy is absolutely amazing and absolutely stinks. How dare you attack those that voluntarily disclose the fact that they voluntarily spent some of their own money on a campaign when you won’t even disclose who you are or that Labour pays for your blog??

    And your attack is as pathetic as your lame attempts to explain Labour’s sponsorship of your blog. How can you possibly say that Engish is “promoting” those sort of garbage comments on one blog because he asks the very pertinent question of another – why is Labour funding an attack blog who’s only purpose appears to be to attack John Key and National, anonymously, and with funding (in kind) from Labour?

    Try again, Wayne et al. That attempt at obfuscation was, quite frankly, pathetic. Nobody’s buying what you’re selling, and your attempt to deflect attention isn’t fooling anyone.

    The fact still remains, your blog appears to be paid for by Labour, and there are a growing number of people that want answers.

  9. andy 9

    the links show the difference in quality of comments, quite a stark difference IMO.

  10. g 10

    Before making anymore stupid allegations about other people and parties, how about you make a statement about why your site is being funded by the Labour Party.

  11. schrodigerscat 11

    IP I think you mean Bill English and the FSC Circus are not satisfied.

  12. westmere 12

    English is entitled to try and score a point off Labour in the usual way – that’s politics. But it’s incredibly poor judgement to endorse Kiwiblog. What was he thinking?

    Realistically, National should win the next election … provided the wider public, the coveted middle ground, don’t discover the right-wing blogosphere!

  13. roger nome 13

    Prick – you’ve been banned for primting a continuous stream of lies (i’ve also exposed your lies on another blog).

    http://kiwiblogblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/the-politicisation-of-blogging/

    That means it’s time for you to fuck off and learn some manners.

  14. Matthew Pilott 14

    Oh, labour-party inspired now? Backing down, wee Pricky? Classic.

  15. roger nome 15

    “Evidently Scoop isn’t satisfied that Tane’s answers …”

    The fact they’ve published a National Party press release doesn’t mean that they endorse its argument Prick. Only that they think it’ll get people reading their website.

    Anyway don’t respond. You’re banned, remember?

  16. PM 16

    Can I also ask why IP has been banned?

    It appears as though he was banned for politely asking for an explanation, which you weren’t prepared to give.

    Then you said he was banned for “telling lies”. Quite odd, really. What lies was he apparently telling?

    And now you’re saying he was banned for “spamming”??!?

    Until you provide an acceptable explanation I think we can quite safely conclude that he was banned for asking questions that you find embarrassing – why are Labour paying for your attack blog, why weren’t you prepared to disclose this, and do one or more of the authors of this blog work for EPMU, one of the unions that is very closely related to the NZ Labour Party?

  17. Sam Dixon 17

    IP – Scoop is just posting English’s release, that’s what it does. There is no expression of opinion on Scoop’s part.

    What is clear is that a Labour techie offered some hosting to the Standard becasue they kept crashing from excess demand, seems that was taken up (unwisely in my opinion), and they’ve been using Labour hosting for what 23 days? Dear oh dear that must be worth a fortune.

    Unless a blogger is fulltime (Farrar says he spends more thn 20 hours a week blogging), a blog is essentially free.

  18. IrishBill 18

    Hi guys, Prick has been banned for repeated lying amounting to spam. His ban has been extended to two weeks for repeated breaches but as you can see he is not willing to accept it. Please do not engage him as he has disrupted enough threads already.

  19. roger nome 19

    “If my “lie” that some of the Standard’s authors are employed by the Labour Party, an affiliated union of the Labour Party, Parliamentary Services, or Ministerial Services is incorrect, then I withdraw and apologise unreservedly.”

    You should have done that before you were banned Prick. No use feeling sorry for yourself now. Take your medicine and learn from it.

  20. rjs131 20

    If the hosting is apparently not worth that much, why dont for the avoidance of doubt and to avoid accusations of the labour party direct/indirectly supporting the site, move to a new site or temporarily shut down to avoid the accusations that are coming in….At least that would avoid accusations of the standard being hypocrites

  21. Robinsod 21

    What really sickens me is the fact that at the Wellington march the FSC claimd that Rod Donald would be rolling in his grave over the EFB when they are backed by the same people that tried to smear him so badly during the campaign for MMP. What a bunch of slimy pricks.

  22. Michele Cabiling 22

    “just like the pervert Benson-Pope, the thug Mallard, the drink-driver Dyson, the racist Cunliffe, the thieving Cullen, the fraudulent Clark, the pisshead Barker, etc, etc…”

    It’s all true. History will record this lame duck government of fruits and nuts as being the most corrrupt, scandal-ridden administration in NZ’s political history, not to mention the most out of touch with ordinary NZers.

    In almost nine years, this Liarbour caucus has had only two members who have ever employed another NZer with their own money: Dover Samuels and Jim Sutton.

    The balance are overwhelmingly former teachers and former union officials or union lawyers. Some, like Phil Goff, have been both teacher and union official. For these people, wealth is not something to be created, but something to be distributed.

    They have always lived nicely off others, and have no experience in adding value to anything. Being an MP is the best-paid job they are ever likely to have. They are career politicians.

    What a collective waste of oxygen!!!!

    The Dustbin of History and a deserved political oblivion waits come October …

  23. Robinsod 23

    [teachers] have no experience in adding value to anything.

    But Michele, you’re always going on about how people should get an education like you have and go forward into the marketplace. Surely someone taught you?

  24. Brownie 24

    Westmere

    Where in the release did English endorse Kiwiblog? I missed that.

  25. Another Hollow attack against the most transparent campaign in new Zealand political history.

    More galling is the complete hypocrisy exhibited by a blog of anonymous hollow men, being subsidised at the least , paid for by the Labour Party that campaigned for openness ins campaigning all the while hiding the connection and once exposed not even trying to explain it to anyones satisfaction.

    Where is the email that proves that Tane received an offer. Who is paying for the hosting? Who is paying for the Static IP block monthly? Why do EPMU talking points and propaganda get printed almost word for word? Who are the anonymous backers supporting this hollow blog?

    The questions remain and will continue to be asked no matter how upsetting they are to anonymous bloggers from the ninth floor.

  26. schrodigerscat 26

    May have been the link at the end, do you think?

  27. You have to laugh. You guys have banned IP for supposedly lying, and yet you openly allow Robinsod and others to make bizarre allegations of bestiality without censure; you accuse Bill English of endorsing Kiwiblog when he doesn’t; and you draw a very long bow linking English to comments made on a blog to which he has no input and over which he has no control whatsoever.

    Guys, I think you’ve lost the plot. You are being hypocritical over the whole transparency issue. You want everyone else to meet a level of transparency that you are not prepared to meet yourselves.

  28. Matthew Pilott 28

    Robinsod, you obviously know nothing – apparently all teachers are part of a Communist Collective, trying to implement Scientific Socialism globally by brainwashing kids, that’s why Michele doesn’t like them. They took over “the academy” back in the 60’s or thereabouts, y’see. I don’t blame you for missing that, most people would gloss over Michele’s old posts (slightly better this time around, seems you can teach a dog tricks or whatever the saying is) but this is just a repeat of an old post.

    Bet you’ll wish you didn’t ask!

    Isn’t it funny that people like Michele try to pretend that they know what history will say. Most people realise that it’s one of the most futile activities to engage in.

    Especially since Michele has chosen to base what history will say about the Government upon their old jobs, which she then judges in a way that 99% of humanity would disagree with.

    Michele – can you tell me the job of every member of staff in Truman’s government, or in Thatcher’s, prior to their entering public service? Off the top of your head?

    Also, will I be useless in my current job, since I used to work in a supermarket?

  29. Tell the truth Helen Klark

  30. Adolf Fiinkensein 30

    schrodigerscat, you’d think even the most dormant dead shit in the world could see the like was put up by Scoop. You know, AFTER the word ‘ends’ which defines the end of a press release. That’s what you get for employing NCEA fourth formers. Mind you, they probably come cheap.

  31. Adolf Fiinkensein 31

    Woops. …’the like’… should read ‘the link’

  32. Matthew Pilott 32

    Whale – please let me know where you got your “knowledge” if IT from – I just want to make sure I can avoid it like the plague.

    Y’see, Whale thinks that being hosted on a server that also hosts right-wing websites, among other things, is being ‘paid for’ by the Labour Party.

    I’d say Whale isn’t the sharpest tool, but even dull tools have a point…

    It’s fun to watch these bufoons blubber about and waste their donors’ money. I’d be asking for a refund, or at least a word with the 6 year-old who gets to design the billboards!

  33. Robinsod 33

    Whale – I see you put this on scoopit. I made sure I voted as the more people who read the release the more will read the standard and the more will see your disgusting stalking of Minto and James. Thanks.

    IV2 – you know full well my “allegations” are a reference to a story about Lyndon B. Johnson. If you think they are bizarre you should read the post: http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/pig-fucking/

    And IV2, I see the standard has accused English of promoting kiwiblog. Generally putting a link to something in a press release fits that description. Wouldn’t you think?

  34. Adolf F said “That’s what you get for employing NCEA fourth formers. Mind you, they probably come cheap.”

    Adolf – must be those young, inexperienced journalists that Helen Clark was talking about last year!

  35. westmere 35

    Adolf:

    1) Read this link
    2) Apologise

    http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=11751

    Thank you

  36. Robinsod 36

    Jeez, IV2. It’s not often you’re right but you’re wrong again. That’s what you get for listening to a man that named himself after Hitler…

  37. westmere 37

    Hmmm.

    It seems the abuse flows much faster than the apologies. Shame.

    Three little words: “I … was … wrong”. Not so hard, really. Come on Adolf and chums, deep breath, you can do it.

  38. roger says:

    “…That means it’s time for you to fuck off and learn some manners..”

    Perhaps Roger, using language like that you might like to take your own advise?

    Dear standard: where can I find a full list of donations recieved to support your blog and who they came from please?

  39. Brownie 39

    Westmere eta al,

    Hate to break the news but having a link to a story does not equal endorsment. Bit of a stretch, guys.

  40. Matthew Pilott 40

    Brownie, he has covered the detail of the blog and demanded answers based upon the content of said story. Given such questions are being asked, one can only assume he completely believes in the story, and has issues a press release to give the story coverage. If that’s not an endorsement then I hope you never try to get one for anything – you’ll be a hard person to please.

    Hello Richard Hurst. I just looked at your blog (you’ll have 19 profile views now 🙂 ). Given you claim your blog was free, may I please see your bank account records for the past seven years (the legally required minimum time bank records must be available) to verify this?

  41. westmere 41

    Brownie

    That is, of course, a matter of opinion. We disagree.

    That the link was provided by National and not by Scoop, is not a matter of opinion, but a matter of proven fact.

    Adolf F informed us that “even the most dormant dead shit in the world could see the link was put up by Scoop.” It was not.

    He knows what to do now.

  42. Robinsod 42

    I’ve just noticed Bill English has his release up on his taxpayer funded blog:

    http://www.billenglish.co.nz/

    I’d imagine the person that wrote it was also paid out of my taxes. Perhaps Richard Hurst should head over there and ask Bill to come clean…

  43. Aj 43

    ‘having a link to a story does not equal endorsment’

    In mst peoples minds it will appear as though there is some association between the two.

  44. 19??? you must be joking, try one maybe two. 19 is far too many! I only created it a few weeks ago, still working out what to put on it and playing around with it in my free time. Alot of fun really.
    As you can see from my web address, my site is hosted for free on blogspot.com along with a million others. Sure you can have my bank account records of the past seven years, unfortunately I can’t let you see my overseas Swiss account in which Roger Kerr has been depositing hundreds of thousands every week to pay me to do my blog. Or the car John Key gave me in the driveway right now, or the flat from Bill English.

    Now, jokes are over, is there somewhere you display your list of donations and who they are from, please? Its a reasonable request. I’m not asking for personal bank details. Just what the standard received say in 2007 and who it was from. Your not a commercial blog after all so its not sensitive.
    best regards,
    Richard Hurst.

  45. Michele Cabiling 46

    Teachers …

    William Ross Wallace famously declared in a poem extolling the virtues of motherhood that “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”

    The point is clear: shaping the moral and intellectual beliefs of the next generation determines what kind of future we will have.

    In this age of near-universal government-run education, one of the most important hands that rocks the cradle is the public school. And if the new primary and secondary school curriculum launched in November 2007 is any indication of what the future of public education holds for New Zealand, there is much to worry about.

    To descibe it in a single sentence, radical leftists have hijacking the curriculum in order to replace the views and values of a free society with the views and values of the leftist counter-culture.

    From the Secretary’s opening statement (“Tena koutou katoa”) to her closing salutation (“Naku noa”), it’s clear where the curriculum will be coming from.

    One of its core agendas is clearly to aggressively push the “one country, two cultures” line for all it’s worth.

    The document is overflowing with radical leftist jargon that sounds warm and fuzzy to the uninitiated, but conveys entirely different meanings to congiscenti:

    “Diversity” is leftist code-speak for the denigration of Western culture as “inherently oppressive” to women, ethnic minorities, gays, and workers, while utopian mythologising elevates primitive stone-age cultures to an undeserved pre-eminence.

    It means, for example, evangelical homosexuals coming into schools and preaching to our kids that homosexuality is normal, natural behaviour, and that their parents are bigots for opposing this “more enlightened” world view.

    “Students’ identities … are affirmed” is again about normalising the unnatural behaviours of gays and lesbians.

    The notion of “culture” is shoehorned into every area of the curriculum, even mathematics and the hard sciences, thus allowing the teaching of every subject to be politicised.

    “Environmentally Sustainable” allows the views and values of radical environmentalists to be mainstreamed, and for children to be force-fed a diet of prejudice and bias against the industrial capitalism that is the engine of wealth creation for the whole world.

    Students who are ‘international thinkers” will be indoctrinated with the tenets of international socialism based on the redistributive agenda of the United Nations.

    “Community for the common good” means the views and values of national and international socialism.”

    “Equity, through fairness and social justice” means teaching children that it’s only right and proper for the earned wealth of some be confiscated for the unearned benefit of others, in both a national and international context.

    “Students learn to deconstruct and critically interrogate texts in order to understand the power of language to enrich and shape their own and others’ lives” means students will be taught that the entire Canon of Western thought is just a tool for maintaining the dominance of existing powerful groups in society. They will learn, for example, that Shakespeare is a Dead White Male, whose writings are inherently “oppressive to women and people of colour.”

    With respect to the agenda behind the curriculum statement, this quote from influential Marxist academic, Richard Rorty, is most instructive:

    “It seems to me that the regulative idea that we heirs of the Enlightenment, we Socratists, most frequently use to criticise the conduct of various conversational partners is that of ‘needing education in order to outgrow their primitive fear, hatreds, and superstitions’ …

    “It is a concept which I, like most Americans who teach humanities or social science in colleges and universities, invoke when we try to arrange things so that students who enter as bigoted, homophobic, religious fundamentalists will leave college with views more like our own …

    “The fundamentalist parents of our fundamentalist students think that the entire ‘American liberal establishment’ is engaged in a conspiracy. The parents have a point. Their point is that we liberal teachers no more feel in a symmetrical communication situation when we talk with bigots than do kindergarten teachers talking with their students …

    When we American college teachers encounter religious fundamentalists, we do not consider the possibility of reformulating our own practices of justification so as to give more weight to the authority of the Christian scriptures. Instead, we do our best to convince these students of the benefits of secularisation.

    “We assign first-person accounts of growing up homosexual to our homophobic students for the same reasons that German schoolteachers in the postwar period assigned The Diary of Anne Frank …
    You have to be educated in order to be a participant in our conversation …

    “So we are going to go right on trying to discredit you in the eyes of your children, trying to strip your fundamentalist religious community of dignity, trying to make your views seem silly rather than discussable. We are not so inclusivist as to tolerate intolerance such as yours …

    “I don’t see anything herrschaftsfrei [domination free] about my handling of my fundamentalist students. Rather, I think those students are lucky to find themselves under the benevolent Herrschaft [domination] of people like me, and to have escaped the grip of their frightening, vicious, dangerous parents … I am just as provincial and contextualist as the Nazi teachers who made their students read Der Stürmer; the only difference is that I serve a better cause.”

    A glance at the course outline for any teaching degree, such as that offered by the Auckland College of Education, makes it self-evident why many students graduate as self-anointed “agents of social change.”

    Little course time is devoted to pedagogy. It’s all about a Gramscian Marxist “race, gender, class, sexual preference” ‘Structural Analysis” of society: the blanket discrediting of Judeo-Christian cultural traditions and conservative ideas advocated by people like Rorty.

    These views are taught independently of direct association with Marxism, with students being told by their lecturers they are clever for accepting the programming. It’s hardly surprising that the products of this indoctrination system think they know what’s best for everyone, and have a right to ram it down our children’s throats by force.

  46. Sam Dixon 47

    Michele – no-one’s going to read a comment that long. Waste of time writing it. Pithy is what you want.

  47. Adolf Fiinkensein 48

    Westmere, don’t talk such utter claptrap. The scoop link came after the press release. Now to more important matters, who pays for your blog?

  48. Robinsod 49

    Um Michele, you went to school and you’ve not become an indoctrinated commie homo etc. Doesn’t that disprove your hypothesis?

  49. Michele Cabiling 50

    SD if you have too short an attention span to read anything longer than a verbal soundbite, it’s your limitation rather than mine.

  50. Brownie 51

    Gotta go with with Sam on that one, Michelle – sound and fury, signifying…….. well you, I’m sure would know the rest.

  51. Pithy is what you want.

    I think there’s a stray “h” in there, Sam …

    Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Must not taunt teh wingers.

  52. Michele Cabiling 53

    Robinsodomite, there are always a handful of enlightened individuals who will resist group indoctrination programmes.

    I suggest you read Robert Kocher’s lengthy article on the attached link:

    http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/attitude.htm

    If you have any personal integrity at all it will make you angry. To suggest that anyone has a right to coercively tamper with people’s views and values should offend even a leftard.

  53. westmere 54

    Adolf, Adolf, you gotta stop that digging …

    http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=11751

  54. Sam Dixon 55

    Michele. ‘robinsodomite’ – here i was thinking you were a longwinded but clever econo-geek, now your a homophob? And I wasn’t trying to insult you. I mean it, no-one reads comments beyond a 100 words.

  55. Matthew Pilott 56

    Richard, you’re more popular than you imagine, or so it seems – it was indeed 19 when I had a look.

    Can I suggest that if you wish to make a polite and reasonable request, you do so using the ‘contact’ link. To not do this, and then take pains to suggest that you are making a fair and reasonable request comes across as slightly disingenuous, although I’m sure it’s not intended that way.

    Sam – don’t get her started on the homophobe thing, for the love of baby cheeses!

  56. dave 57

    Tayne,
    when are you going to be upfront about Labours involvement in the standard

  57. Conor Roberts 58

    Bill English surely has something better to do? Like come up with some policy. Or stop crab fishing in NZ. Or something else.

    Perhaps instead of trying to get you lot to ‘reveal’ yourselves (sounds naughty), he could tell us who funds the National Party through secret trusts to the tune of $1,741,793 in 2005 and $150,166 in 2006… That would be transparency.

    Surely that’s a much bigger issue. That and crab pots.

    Or he could explain why after the *Free Speech Collation* disclosed its donor list, why so many current National office holders, contractors, donors and fundraisers are supporting the hyperbolic shambolic (or hypershambolic) billboard campaign when English himself has said “the strongest possible signal is to be sent throughout the National Party organisation that third parties will not be authorised or endorsed by National in election year.”

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0801/S00069.htm

    National has nothing to do with all this? Spare me.

  58. Bill English has just stated on 1zb that Mike Williams today confirmed that they will need to take into account the costs associated with the standard into their electoral spend for the year.
    care to comment?

  59. Excellent post!

    The right-wing bottom feeders lurking on blogs like the Standard need to get a life – http://nzquest.blogspot.com/2008/01/standard-unmasked-big-fuss-over-nothing.html – and realise that The Standard performs a good role in keeping National, ACT and Labour’s opponents honest, even if it does create a false impression that Labour is fundamentally different from National.

  60. lprent 61

    Apologies for the people who had problems accessing today.

    Looks like there was a DNS issue with one of the secondary DNS’es not updating. Not sure exactly what was going on – but I’ll track it further later. In the meantime I’ve kludged the DNS records in the affected serevr.

    Happened to be the one that some of the local ISP’s were using, and they didn’t fall back onto the next one in the list. Pretty poor behaviour by those ISP’s DNS… Was no problem getting the correct lookup from outside the country, but local users were having problems.

  61. The Double Standard 62

    Well, good to see that nothing has changed in my absence.

    Robbo is still being a dick, and the standardistas can still ignore the elephant in the room.

  62. lprent 63

    Talking about poor behaviour.. I see that Bill English has a press release out on scoop about The Standard.

    If he wanted to know who was ‘behind’ The Standard, all he had to do was do a WhoIs on the domain name. My contact details are there. Thats why the contact details are public – so questions can be asked. Trying to bypass the net protocols via the msm is pretty stupid, even for an illiterate politician.

    Anyway, I must have a look at the webstats and see if he has increased our hitrate.

  63. Mike? If you are online right now I would just like to say WELL DONE, better late than never. That was a very gracious MEA CULPA you just delvered on ONE NEWS.

  64. Rich Prick 65

    I bet you are all on Helen’s shit-list now 😉

  65. Robinsod 66

    Robbo is still being a dick
    Hi TDS – Are you being IP? Anyway bro, long time no see – did you have a good holiday and are you back to annoy us with more research unit stats? After a few of teh rabid right that have been around here lately you’re a rational breath of fresh air…

  66. Evening Rob, how was your day? I see you have posted on your blog about mike Williams confession as well.
    http:robinslob.blogspot.com

  67. David Farrar would be a candidate forthe National SP’s – they where all gay too!156

  68. Robinsod 69

    Not bad Bill, I’ve been watching all of this with some interest. I’ve gotta say the idea deputy lead of the opposition of the nation attacking a blog does seem to lack some dignity.

  69. The Natioal Socialists

  70. Yes Mike Williams outs the Standard officially, they are funded and paid for by Labour…..Labour will be adding the costs to their election expenses.

    Now why did it take the President to say what Tane and others should have said.

    At least we know now. The Standard is the mouthpiece of Labour. Bought and paid for.

    However more questions now arise. How many of the posters on theStandard are blogging off the public purse? How many off Labour’s purse and how many from affliated Union purses?

    More questions, need more answers Hollow people.

  71. Mike Williams……..”….the website is run by Labour Activists”

    Hollow, Hollow, Deceptive, Covert, Lying Men!!!

  72. Rob… I agree it does lack dignity, so does the fat slug Mike Williams having to confess the very fact that many people have been denying here and elsewhere all week. None more so than Tane, bet he is on the ninth floor shit list right about now. Very amateurish, H1 used to manage the media and public so well, it was the only aspect of her political life I admired.
    Chalk up one for the good guys I guess

  73. Adolf Fiinkensein 74

    Oh dear. It appears the pig fuckers are going to be ‘tidied up.’

    Supreme irony, your captcha for this comment was ‘outplayed.’

  74. Tane 75

    Hey Whale, um, we said this site involved Labour Party members months ago. Williams’ comments just confirmed he doesn’t actually know who writes for the site.

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=616#comment-2976

    We’ll be interested to see how many hits all this coverage translates into. Don’t be surprised if your access to the National Party suddenly dries up after this fiasco.

    And Prat, you’ve conveniently cropped “probably” out of the quote. You’ll have to try harder than that.

  75. Tane 76

    And hey, we made the telly! Awesome!

  76. Robinsod 77

    Yeah man you guys are famous! Shit, I wonder how many people will be reading about Cameron’s stalking now?

  77. And you have been denying labour party funding all week Tane, if your party president can fess up on national TV why can’t you just do the same. Then we can put your lies behind us and get back to the normal thrust and parry.

  78. Tane, you hollow blogger, I don’t have any access into National, because I’m not on the payroll, unlike you guys, hollow, hollow, hypocrites.

    Supporting a law that makes opponents of the government say who they are while all the time hiding like anonymous cowards in the pocket literally of Labour.

    You guys are well and truly hollow and discredited liars. When faced with legitimate questions from IP you resorted to form and instead of answering them banned him. It turns out now, thanks to Mike Williams that IP was right all along. Hollow, very hollow.

    Ha! Captcha exemption reached

  79. Robinsod 80

    Jeez whale. Seeing as the standard has linked to you you might even get a bit more mainstream traffic. Here’s hoping. Anyway, when Davey told to you leave off James Sleep ‘cos you were hurting the FSC’s image did you just mumble some kind apologies or did you take him to task on it?

  80. Outofbed 81

    Tane well done the master plan worked The standard is on the telly

    Now people can read this and discover the following people have donated to the Free speech coalition
    Peter Shirtcliffe
    Michael Friedlander
    Doug Myers
    Paul Baines
    David Farrar
    Aaron Bhatnagar
    Don Brash
    Richard Prebble
    Roger Kerr
    All have donated cash to a organisation jointly run by a derranged pornographer
    Mr Cameron Slater (whaleoil)
    who Photoshops young labour posters on pornographic images
    And Photoshops pornographic images of Helen Clark

    http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/

  81. James Kearney 82

    Whale you moron there’s two different issues here. One is that the labour party is going to declare server space that was donated to them. That was clearly always going to happen. The second is that Mike Williams doesn’t know who writes for the Standard but guesses they’re probably labour party activists; something they’ve always been open about themselves.

    You really are a thick piece of shit aren’t you Whale? Do your parents still let you in the house? Or are they still pretending to their friends that you died in a car accident years ago?

  82. Outofbed 83

    whoops that is not the right link
    although it is very apt

  83. Nice try Tane, but there is a significant difference between Labour Party members,and Labour Party ACTIVISTS which was what Big Mike said.

    Anyway, enjoy all the extra traffic. I might even link to you from Keeping Stock – after all, the more people who see the bitter and twisted stuff you churn out, not to mention Robinsod’s “interesting” perspective on pigs and mothers, the better!

    PS – Capthcha = SNARLED Government

  84. Russell 85

    LABOUR VOTERS ARE MORONS!!!

  85. James Kearney 86

    Nice try Inventory but I think a labour member who writes a blog attacking tories is by definition a labour activist.

    LABOUR VOTERS ARE MORONS!!!

    Keep it up Russell, and I mean that.

  86. Kimble 87

    “That was clearly always going to happen.”

    It wasn’t exactly clear that The Standard was paid for by the Labour party until very, very recently. So how can it be CLEAR they were going to declare anything?

    Why does it take a complete and total humiliation like this to get you guys to START being honest?

  87. So I understand now that this is a Labour party funded Blog, you must feel like a right charlie.

  88. Rich Prick 89

    The abuse is all well and good, but you guys now have a slight problem on your hands. We are in the regulated period, and nowhere on this site to I see an authorising name and address.

    Would be funny to see an organ of the Labour Party the first cab off the rank prosecution-wise.

    Heh, and I’m doing roast pork on the BBQ tonight – delicious.

  89. RP -just as long as Robinsod had nothing to do with the apple sauce!

  90. Simeon 91

    An appropriate disclosure statement by the Standard should read:

    “The Standard is proudly supported by the Labour Party, which subsidises the hosting of this blog. Some Standard authors are active Labour Party members. Some Standard authors are also paid employees of the EPMU. Some Standard authors are employed by Parliamentary Services and work in the Beehive.”

    Unfortunately, the Standard is too dishonest to make that statement. Despite campaigning for everybody else’s political affiliations to be outed, and championing the cause of the Electoral Finance Act, which by the Standard’s own claims, increases transparency and accountability in politics, the Standard has done everything it can to conceal its political ties.

    And by the way, I very much doubt the Trust Deed states that the donors list must be published on a daily basis. The Electoral Finance Act doesn’t require that party donations are listed until after the year they’re made. The FSC have said they will regularly publish their donors list. They’re evidently not working to the timetable demanded by the Standard’s chief stalker.

    While you’re asking questions, Tane, why don’t you answer some? Are any Standard authors employees of the Labour Party, a Labour Party affiliate union, or Parliamentary or Ministerial Services? You’re asking for some transparency here. Why don’t you be a bit more transparent yourself?

  91. The Prophet 92

    Yeah Russell, they need all the help they can get.

  92. The Prophet 93

    Repost –

    Interesting that nobody seems to know very much, isn’t it?

    Everyone connected with this site seems a little hollow to me.

    Anyway, none of it matters as this site is now as dead as the Dodo. All credibility is gone and I will give it 2 mths tops before it disappears into the ether.

    Even if you guys try to continue you will forever be connected with The NZ Labour Party.

    So, far from counteracting DPF, you have just handed yourselves to him on a platter, with a apple in your mouth even. To try and start again as a new entity now (election 10 mths >)will not work. You have centimated(decimated x 10?) Jordons site, and just left lightweights like KBB and Sleeps blog to fight the good fight.

    All in all, an own goal of epic proportions sure to go down in NZ internet history.

    Bit of a shame really as, apart from Robinsod, I thought you guys were doing quite a good job even though I could not agree with some of you positions.

  93. Simeon 94

    I totally agree prophet!

  94. Russell 95

    There is no future in dictatorship(ex Labour Party of New Zealand). Thank the lord SKY TV finally had an epiphany and brought Fox News to our shores.

  95. That is a bit harsh, rob is the best thing about this labour party funded site.
    Come on tane, just apologise so we can all move on and get back to the normal thrust and parry.
    Also prophet, I disagree that this site will fade away. They will have an enormous number of new visitors over the next few days. let us hope that many of them take the time to delve into the treasure chest of unforgettable comments by my mate rob and the rest of the team.

  96. Rich Prick 97

    IV2 – Heh!

    Simeon – crieky, no one has been telling that for a while now, now have they! Bet they a spewing that they didn’t listen. But notwithstanding that, the evidence has been captured and Mike Williams has admitted liability, so it should be pretty easy for the Electoral Commission and Police to act.

  97. Bill – do you mean like the ones where he accused IP of doing naughty things with pigs?

  98. Pascal's bookie 99

    Prophet, I’d give this story about as much legs as any of the other nonsense that gets right-blog-istan all excited. Remeber all those Investigate expose’s that would destroy Labour in a sea of resignations and committees of inquiry? Neither do I.

    If the left got a tissue for every time the right wet their pants about something Softex would own the world.

    Seriously though, “You have centimated(decimated x 10?)” made me cringe the first time I read it so to save you from embarrassing yourself by posting it again, you need to think about it a bit harder. (clue: decimate means kill one in every ten, so centimate would mean…?)

  99. Police to act…. Don’t, my sides are splitting. The police have not acted since clarke lied about doone to the SST.
    Len Richards anybody? remember the ginga cardy wearer who assaulted somebody on national tv.
    A simple confession and apology by Tane would probably be enough to draw a line under this shameful scandal, so that we can all have some closure.

  100. Simeon 101

    To all the great bloggers at the standard have you read

    http://whaleoil.co.nz/?q=content/standard-scandal-investigation

  101. Rich Prick 102

    Yes BB there are some pearls in there to provide an insight into the thinking of ordinary folk who support this Government … social intercourse tha involves delightful terms such as “fuck off” in answer to a reasonable question, “pig-fucker”, “fucks pigs”, “go fuck yourself” to some one who again poses a reasonable question, and so on. Yes, this now more patronaged Labour Party web-site will show to any reasonable voter what Labour id all about. Fantastic! I thought “Rich Prick” was a bit on the nose …

  102. Daveo 103

    The abuse is all well and good, but you guys now have a slight problem on your hands. We are in the regulated period, and nowhere on this site to I see an authorising name and address.

    My understanding of the law is that blogs are exempt from the EFA. This site is not published by the Labour party and no one is paid- what did happen was someone from the standard accepted second hand use of a donation made to the party.

    You are welcome to keep repeating lies but everyone else can see you’re strange rightwing extremists (especially that Slater chap) and with any luck the standard will get a major traffic boost from this. An own goal perhaps?

  103. Rich Prick 104

    Daveo, not when its funded by a political party.

  104. Daveo, might I suggest you have a look at Mike Williams comments on the TV One website before you try the “nothing to see here” swerve again.
    Nobody is repeating lies other than the apologists for Tane and co.

  105. Santi 106

    I blame “Einsteim” Mickael Porton for this scandal anddebacle. His intelligence and comments made this blog too conspicuous.

  106. Rich Prick said “But notwithstanding that, the evidence has been captured and Mike Williams has admitted liability, so it should be pretty easy for the Electoral Commission and Police to act.”

    Don’t hold your breath RP – Len Richards was caught on TV (by both One News and 3News) clouting someone with a megaphone. That was nearly three months ago. Has Richards appeared in court yet? Has Richards been charged yet? Has Richards even been interviewed yet? Not that I’m complaining mind – the nearer to the election that Len Richards has his day in court, the better!

  107. Rich Prick 108

    And if this site is not funded by the Labour Party, when then did Mike Williams confirm on One News tonight that its expense will be included in the Labour Party’s return?

  108. Simeon 109

    “[IrishBill]: Prick, you’ve posted this comment several times now across several threads and are becoming a troll. You’ve been given more space to make your point than you would have been given on other blogs. If you don’t refrain from this behaviour you will face a one week ban.]”

    So you threaten to ban someone when he is commenting on a post where you support accountability and free speech.

    Once again the left restricting someones freedom of speech.

  109. Rich Prick 110

    So, with Williams’ admission, there does seem to remain a wee problem with this site not having an authorising name and address, don’t ya think?

  110. Santi 111

    Any true to the rumour than the honest and courageous Tane has been sent to Afghanistan by Mike Williams to deliver a personal letter to the Taleban.

    Not that he’s a gopher o mailboy but ….?

  111. Whaleoil 112

    Sorry Daveo, You clearly haven’t caught up with Mike Williams’ talking points.

    He has admitted that The Standard is run by Labour activists and is seeking legal advice as to whether the cost are attributable. For him to even utter such things suggests that there is more to this than Tane has admitted and Lynn bragged about.

    This blog is a bought and paid for Labour mouth-piece. There is no longer any debate, the science is settled.

    Unfortunately, the Standard is too dishonest to make any statement of denial. Despite campaigning for everybody else’s political affiliations to be outed, and championing the cause of the Electoral Finance Act, which by the Standard’s own claims, increases transparency and accountability in politics, the Standard has done everything it can to conceal its political ties.

    Those ties are plain now for all to see. The only thing remaining is the disclosure statement and the name and address of th authorised party as it has also clearly been shown that in excess of $12000 has been or will be expended on this site and that clearly they are advocating either for or against a party. Blogs on the surface are exempt, yes, but you would have to be very sure of your legal standing and clearly the none of the Standards Labour sponsored hollow bloggers are any kind lawyer, even a poor bush lawyer,they best pony up for some advice before going much further.

    Nice…smoke capped

  112. Simeon 113

    ‘Double Standard
    Jan 23rd, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    [Sorry ‘Insolent Prick’, but you were banned for spamming. Don’t try coming back as your other pseudonym either.]’

    So the Standard continues to restrict freedom of speech.

  113. Robinsod 114

    Hey guys, froth froth. The coverage was like primetime advertising! This blog is now the most famous in the country and it’s all thanks to DPF! Cheers, DPF.

    Oh and guys you don’t need to beat around the bush – I accused Insolent Prick of using “Pig Fucking” argument – I figured if it was good enough for the 36th Pres of the USA it was good enough for me:

    http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/pig-fucking/

  114. Santi 115

    Has Tane been taken to a quiet place and executed by “activists” in the middle of the night?

    Where is that open and valiant man?

  115. Rich Prick 116

    Simeon, as Insolent is no doubt a taxpayer I suspect he actiually has a Bill of Rights Act right to post on a taxpayer funded web-site. Might look into that further.

  116. Rich Prick 117

    Yes Robinsod, and now the true sentiment of Labour activists (to use Mike Williams’ words) is laid bare for the electorate to see. That, I suspect, is what one calls an own goal. Ordinary people just don’t like vile like that leaping out of their screens from a Labour Party web-site.

  117. Daveo 118

    And if this site is not funded by the Labour Party, when then did Mike Williams confirm on One News tonight that its expense will be included in the Labour Party’s return?

    Ah because the donated web space was donated to Labour in the first instance so they would have to declare it anyway?

    The only thing remaining is the disclosure statement and the name and address of th authorised party as it has also clearly been shown that in excess of $12000

    No Cameron. Webhosting for a year costs nothing like that. It’s also donated.

    This blog is a bought and paid for Labour mouth-piece.

    Strange they’re advising people to vote for the Green party then.

    You’re living in a fantasy world mate, spinning to try and get back at the folks who ruined that little corner of filth you’d staked out in the Kiwi blogosphere all for yourself. I saw the TV One vid and it looked to me like a big advert for the standard. Nice work- you’ve just propelled them into the big leagues.

  118. Rob, why should you explain yourself? You keep firing them out mate.
    Famous or infamous?
    This whole issue could be put to bed if Tane just cme on here and took one for the team. A simple humble apology for misleading everybody would give us all the closure we need.

  119. Rich Prick 120

    I’m glad your not my lawyer Daveo.

  120. Simeon 121

    It’s no wonder the Standard changed their accusation of Insolent Prick being a liar to an accusation of spamming as the reason for banning him. They knew that Mike Williams had given affirmative responses to IP’s questions, and IP was proven to be correct in his line of questioning. So instead of banning him for lying, they banned him because his questions were a reminder of how much the Standard was lying.

  121. Robinsod 122

    Dude – you’ve called yourself “Rich Prick” – don’t you understand that kinda takes the moral highground for good taste right off you? Man you righties really lack any self-reflexivity…

  122. michaels 123

    You are a pack of sick fuckers.
    Tane, you are ill, so very very ill.
    Why would anyone with their head screwed on want to vote for Labour when they have sick sick fucks like you lot?
    Socialist fucking pigs the lot of you.
    Please, all of you nasty little pieces of shit, take some of your owns advice and take your socialist fat lazy pig arse arses and fuck off to Australia or somewhere else and make NZ that much more intelligent.

  123. Rich Prick 124

    Daveo, I’m starting to feel a little sorry about the hole that you are digging yourself so I’ll help you out. When the Labour Party allegedly receives a donation it becomes Labour Party property. If the Labour Party then donates it to a third party it becomes an expense (which as Mike Williams quite rightly recognises is required to be declared on the Party’s return) now I happen to know a little bit about charritable trusts and other mechanisins for the distribution of property and money so don’t go guessing what the law might say about all of that.

    Now, that being so, this blog as a recipient within the terms of the EFA must have an authorising name and address and given the admissions over time of the amount of assistance from the Labour Party you are well over the threshold.

    Christ, you guys drafted that law.

  124. The Prophet 125

    Pascals bookie said –

    Seriously though, “You have centimated(decimated x 10?)” made me cringe the first time I read it so to save you from embarrassing yourself by posting it again, you need to think about it a bit harder.

    Yeah, righto mate, no need to rub it in. I had to curtail my education early for family reasons.

    Whats the right word?

    Better answer quick though, cause this blog won’t be here for long.

  125. The Prophet 126

    Whale – don’t you think a post/series of posts with some of the more *cough cough* imaginative comments from some of our leftwing brethren might be in order?

    Just this thread has some gems, prior to Mike W’s revelations.

  126. Robinsod 127

    I happen to know a little bit about charritable trusts

    No you don’t, you don’t even know how to spell “charitable trust” and you sure as shit don’t know anything about electoral law if you think that three weeks of borrowed server space amounts to a legal action under the EFA. I’d suggest you stick to your day job (which by the looks of your comments doesn’t seem to involve literacy).

  127. The Prophet 128

    Hey Mike shall we link in here to that thread where you and Nih threaten to [deleted] my wife?

    That will be good for all those new readers you’re getting huh?

    You know, reading for themselves what a stand up guy you are.

    Whaddya reckon?

  128. Rich Prick 129

    Sorry Robinsod, its seems a bit more expensive than that.

  129. Gooner 130

    Good grief, some well known right leaning supporters band together and donate some money towards a cause, and give their names willingly, and you guys freak out about it?

    I can’t see the issue.

  130. Rich Prick 131

    Haha, the editing has begun already, I clearly remember Robinsod (aka Michael Porton) and Nih threaten to [deleted] The Prophet’s wife on this site. Google is handy some times. Yes, the Standard is a very instructive of your average Labour Party activist.

  131. Robinsod 132

    Sorry Robinsod

    Thanks, RP. I’m glad to see some of you righties can apologise. The rest of you could learn from RP.

  132. Pascal's bookie 133

    Sorry Prophet, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

  133. The Prophet 134

    So whats the right word Pascal’s B?

  134. Whaleoil 135

    Heh…The Very Double Standard doesn’t even defend themselves anymore, they rely on Michael Porton for that and a couple of other lickspittles who haven’t cottoned on to the sheer hypocrisy of what the Standard and Labour have done.

  135. Rich Prick 136

    Well union boy, I’m guessing that I get paid a shit load more than you as a union staffer, so despite my typing skills – which I happen not to be employed for – I guess, as you suggest that I will stick to my day job. But will smile knowing that you will never crack $200k. Ever. In your life, unless inflation hits 300% of course.

  136. Simeon 137

    Wouldn’t it be ironic if Andrew Little appeared in the Herald tomorrow morning, denying any links between the EPMU and the Standard, while using the talking points that a Standard author and EPMU employee wrote for him?

  137. Rich Prick 138

    Simeon, how did you know where Tane was tonght? 😉

  138. Max Call 139

    Michele

    you are wrong about teacher training
    a large part of our course (at Uni of Waikato) related to pedagogy
    it is true that during the 90’s that pedagogy was forgotten about (it wasn’t even mentioned in the previous curriculum – the new one does mention it)
    keep up with the times
    and stop relying on 5th-hand info

    i could pick holes in a whole lot more of what you said – but I cannot be bothered.
    1) you are too narrow-minded for what anyone else says to make a difference anyway
    2) i am going to bed now

  139. Pascal's bookie 140

    The right word for Decimate X 10?

    There isn’t one.

    It doesn’t make sense.

  140. Robinsod 141

    Heh.The Very Double Standard doesn’t even defend themselves anymore,/i>

    Whale – the standard have outted you in your creepy stalking. No wonder you have axe to grind. I guess they don’t feel the need to answer you because they can’t be bothered engaging with a creep.

    Simeon – for someone who seems so keen on people’s right to abuse their kids that’s some moral high-horse you’re on.

  141. Rich Prick 142

    Ohhhh look, there is someone who can’t un-italicise text! Shock horror. Must be denigrated.

  142. Whaleoil 143

    Don’t worry it is only silly old Michael Porton the last defender of the Sub-Standard and resident abuser and coward.

    Captcha troller guerin

  143. The Prophet 144

    Pascal’s B – Centesimus is the Roman 100. So centimate would be?

    Anyway, I knew what I meant…and……I am an uneducated dolt……. so…….AH forget it.

    Hey if you can’t embarrass yourself anonymously on the interwebs, where can you do it?

  144. Benodic 145

    Interesting discussion over at Kiwiblogblog.
    http://kiwiblogblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/electoral-finance-act-working/

    You lot on the right are frothing over nothing. All it shows is how much you feel threatened by The Standard. Guess what guys – it’s only going to get worse now the site has got some TV coverage. The hits will be going crazy.

  145. Rich Prick 146

    Do you mena the Michael Porton who works for Finsec or EPMU or which ever union, who takes large subscriptions from poor old workers give to the Labour Party only to have it re-cycled back to a web-site like this? The poor buggers who “donate” probably aren’t even aware their money gets used for this vile sess pit of a blog.

    Must raise it at this week’s staff meeting.

  146. Dark Watcher 147

    I’ve suspected for a while that this blog has heavy involvement from finsec. Take a look at their blog, same wordpress format and it went very quiet around the time the sub-standard got underway. See for yourself… it’s a dead ringer. http://finsec.wordpress.com/

    Of course Tane et al have refused to answer any questions about it. What else do you expect from a pack of lying thieving socialists who get their blogh paid for by the taxpayer?

  147. Rich Prick 148

    It does look similar, funny how filthy pinko unionists never have a contacts section for their staff though. But yeah Bark Watcher, I think its pretty much established that this blog and its hardwar has been paid for by the taxpayer.

  148. Wayne 149

    Coming to this reasonably cold I gotta say I’m taken aback by the amount of vitriol from the right. Eight years in opposition must do strange things to some people.

    Dark Watcher and Rich Prick… do you have any idea how fucken creepy you sound?

  149. bob marley 150

    fags

  150. Concerned from Tawa 151

    TVNZ:”Mike Williams says Labour Party activists are probably behind The Standard and admits a “tidy up” of who uses the web space may be needed.” So does this mean IP is no longer banned and gets a sincere apology?

  151. Benodic 152

    Taxpayer funded? Wtf?? You honestly have no clue what’s going on do you? What’s more the standard has always been upfront that there are labour party activists involved. Williams saying that’s probably the situation is no revelation, it’s just plain common sense.

    What I can’t understand is why Bill English would want to be associated with rabble like you.

  152. Scroll 153

    Thanks Standard, reading this thread sure has been entertaining. 1st time here due to the commotion going on.
    One question – is lprent the system administrator at Labour HQ?

  153. Benodic 154

    There’s so much rubbish being spread here by ignorant righties I don’t know where to start. If you’d actually followed the story instead of just parroting your wingnut mates you’d know Lynn Prentice is not employed by labour. He’s a well known stirrer from way back who has his fingers in a lot of pies and volunteers to help websites like the standard as well as animal rights, vegan, farming and IIRC even a soap manufacturer once. Why don’t you read what hes said elsewhere before you open your ignorant trap?

  154. Concerned from Tawa 155

    Or perhaps the Standard could just fill in the missing blanks, declare their interests and support, just like they expect of everyone else. Hollow?

  155. Benodic 156

    I don’t think Ive ever seen anyone from the standard say anonymous bloggers should declare their identity or their place of employment. Come to think of it the moderators have repeatedly told people off for trying to out others. Why do you lot always have to lie?

  156. Robinsod 157

    Hey Ben, I’m pretty certain CoT is Insolent Prick. I guess some people just can’t take being banned.

    It’s a little um, robust… but I’ve got the answer to why IP was banned here:

    http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/pig-fucking/

    Id suggest the more sensitive readers (such as the politically correct Inventory2) may not wish to read it.

  157. Concerned from Tawa 158

    Being an anonymous blogger is one thing, claiming to be an independent website whilst being a poorly hidden mouthpiece for a party is another. Especially when high standards of transparency are expected of everyone else. Guess I’m “you lot” and and “ignorant rightie” now. Sigh.

  158. lprent 159

    Interesting reading some of the junk that people write… Unlike some people who’ve been writing here tonight, I’m into doing things rather than talking about the same topic repetitively – mainly repeating the same inaccuracies over and over as if that somehow makes them true.

    Why would I work (as in for pay) for a political party? They don’t have particularly interesting work… Too many talkers. However I’m always willing to help a cause that I think will be useful when asked by someone I trust and if I have time.

    Like a site that I just revived again tonight. Gets used once a year to help schoolkids by putting a web interface on a matrix database operation. Its been running once a year for about 5 years now – about to go active again.

    Sure I help the NZLP, not because I particularly love politicians or politics, but because anything is better than national.

    I’m living in a leaky building – reminds me every day why one should never trust national policy making. National were the idiots that deregulated the building industry in the 1990’s without bothering to maintain controls. Perhaps Bill English could explain their policy this time around – make housing cheap by making sure it doesn’t last?

    I even pay the NZLP their $15/year when someone waves an enrollment under my nose. Mind you I buy tee-shirts, cookies, sweets, etc when people are fund raising as well.

    Anyway – gotta do some work…

    Lynn Prentice

    BTW: I wish people could remember to spell my name correctly. Its as bad as the IRD who still think I’m female…

  159. Santi 160

    “..to help websites like the standard as well as animal rights, vegan, farming,…” Talking about lprent

    What’s worse than a socialist? A bloody vegan socialist!

  160. Santi 161

    “Obviously The Standard is operated by people from the Labour Party.”

    The quote above from Tumeke. Even that old left-winger states the obvious.

    C’mon Tane make that disclosure, eat a big portion of humble pie and move on. And tell Michael Porton to take some ritalin.

  161. The Prophet 162

    Slip sliding away,

    slip sliding away ay ay,

    you know the nearer your destination, the more you’re slip sliding away.

    Byebye Very Double Standard
    nice knowing you.
    don’t let the door hit Sod’s fat arse on the way out.

    Love
    The Prophet.

  162. And what’s worse still is that it is a vegan socialist with hairy arm pits and a twisted vinegar/warty face .

    [IrishBill: Did you forget you’re banned for life dad?]

  163. Simeon 164

    Isn’t it ironic that the poll over at http://www.nzdebate.blogspot.com has got no one supporting a labour govt!!

    “[IrishBill: Did you forget you’re banned for life dad?]”

    Now you are restricting someone else’s freedom of speech.

  164. James Kearney 165

    Dad is sick. He’s been banned from every other major blog and for good reason. I’m surprised he lasted this long.

  165. Robinsod 166

    Simeon – you’ve still not told me why you’re campaigning for people to be allowed to beat their kids…

  166. Simeon 167

    I do agree that he does go a bit over the top with his language.

  167. bomber 168

    Hey just wanted to give you some props for the blog site, very entertaining and very interesting – and I think the whole debate swirling around you being a Labour party front and that it falls foul of the EFB is just a slow news day, there’s nothing wrong with insiders posting their opinions on a site that clearly states where it is coming from, that’s political opinion and we live in a country where that is protected, the EFB is about paid speech, not free speech.

    Kia kaha

    http://www.tumeke.blogspot.com

  168. Re Mathew Pilott suggestion:

    I have indeed used the contact link as you suggested in regard to doners to the Standard. Await response sometime in the next few days. Will check on my next day off.
    reagrds,

    Richard Hurst.

  169. Simeon 170

    Robinsod,

    I’m not campaigning for parents to beat their kids, I am collecting signatures on a petition calling for a referendum on smacking (which is not a beating). Why cant the people of NZ choose whether they want this law or not?

    I am also collecting signatures on a petition asking the Govt to urgently address the wider causes of Child abuse and family breakdown in NZ.

    Maybe you should look at the petition. Go to http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/documents/CirPetition.pdf

  170. Alex 171

    Nice to see you pick who posts on your blog.

  171. Tane 172

    Thanks bomber, appreciate your solidarity.

  172. Robinsod 173

    Simeon – you’re trying to repeal a law that stops people like the “riding crop lady” from having a technical defense when they beat their children.

    Or do you think thrashing a child with a riding crop is legitimate?

  173. Brownie 174

    So boys (especially Westmere) if not only link to a site, but host a site, does that mean I endorse the site?

  174. Brownie 175

    Did anyone hear that the Standard fella’s are taking up cycling?

    Apparently they’ve entered a team in the Tour de France but have been excluded since they intend to back peddle the entire way.

    Capdtcha: handcuffed efforts

  175. Matthew Pilott 176

    Yeah Simeon, given the hundreds of cases where good parents were jailed indefinitely over the last few weeks and months, your cause is just fantastic.

    The best quote I ever saw during the “I want to be able to beat my kid and have a loophole in the law so the police won’t even bother prosecuting me” debate was:

    “What’s the point in having kids if you can’t beat ’em”

    Richard – the benefit is you’re more likely to get a response – although these jokers might be somewhat busy as of late…

    Well this was a facinating read – you can almost feel the desparate hopes and dreams of the RWNJs, that this will be an issue and that The Standard will go away. Rather pathetic really.

  176. Simeon 177

    Robinsod why don’t you spare a thought for all of these people

    http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html

  177. the sprout 178

    it certainly takes the bog trolls a fair while to tire when they’re getting paid for it.

  178. Matthew Pilott 179

    Simeon, OMFG – the public is getting more awareness of violence against children! People might think of alternatives to hitting children when disciplining them! Call the anti-PC brigade! Call SpankMan!

  179. Simeon 180

    Remember this?

    “Now David Farrar owns his blog and he’s free to do what he likes with it. But if it is just a home for National Party lines where dissent and contradiction aren’t welcome then he needs to make that clear. Swanning around as an independent ‘political analyst‘ while he carries on like this is simply not credible. Nor is purporting to stand for free speech when he can’t even handle mild criticism.”

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=616

  180. Whaleoil 181

    Then Bomber why did you march down Queen Street protesting the EFB with Tim, or was htat just for show huh?

  181. James Kearney 182

    Simeon that’s moronic. Farrar’s site is a home for National Party lines. He even wrote Bill English’s press release for him yesterday.

    Farrar’s also banned most of the left wing dissent by creating fake moderators who mysteriously disappared as soon as his left opposition had been banned.

    The comment about Farrar pretending to be an independent political analyst in the mainstream media is completely valid. When the unsuspecting public are watching him on TV they should be made aware he’s pushing a National perspective and is not in any way a neutral commentator.

  182. Robinsod 183

    Hey Whale – how are the stats for your minto stalking post going? I’d imagine you’ve got quite a spike out of referrals from the standard, yes?

  183. Leaning2tharite 184

    Simeon your argument is weak. I cannot in any way see how smacking can be viewed in your mind as a beating. Instead of us looking at your link why not direct yourself to the addresses of those families who have had loved ones injured or in some cases killed, as a result of sensless beatings carried out by kids who have not an ounce of respect for other human beings or the society they live in. I am of the view that smacking those kids when they were younger would have gone a lot further than sending them to counselling. Bring back corporal punishment!

  184. Simeon 185

    Learning2thartie,

    I believe that a smack for the purpose of correction should NOT be a criminal offense in NZ. Currently it is.

  185. Monty 186

    Hey Robinsod – I can confirm to you that Concerned of Tawa is a good friend of mine and although he is an insolent prick, he is not “the Insolent Prick”

    In fact Concerned of Tawa is from a staunch Labour Family who have now turned againstLabour becouse they have proven themselves to be corrupt and desperate. Once upon a time they were National Party supporters, but Rob Muldoon saw them change to Labour. They have turned again for the same reason they did over 30 years ago.

    By the way – on your new server (who is paying) the load up is so slow I am not sure I will check back again today. can you go to a more powerful server and provider?

  186. Kimble 187

    Still nothing on the front page about the Labour Paying for Low Standards© kerfuffle?

    It made the new for gods sake, why doesnt anyone at the Standard think it is newsworthy? Complete and total humiliation is no excuse.

  187. James Kearney 188

    They’ve been answering questions all over the place Kimbo and your ‘scandal’ turns out to have been nothing of the sort. You think they might have full time jobs to hold down too?

  188. Robinsod said “It’s a little um, robust… but I’ve got the answer to why IP was banned here:

    http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/pig-fucking/

    Id suggest the more sensitive readers (such as the politically correct Inventory2) may not wish to read it.”

    Robinsod, there’s nothing PC about suggesting that repeatedly accusing a poster of bestiality (even in the context you mention in the posted link) is over the top or objectionable. I just wonder, with all the extra traffic this present furore is generating, if it is a good look for the Labour Party (or for that matter, the Union movement) to be associated with – espcially now that the party’s President has told New Zealand that “Labour Party activists are probably behind The Standard”. Then again, if you are happy for the Labour Party to receive that kind of reputation, who am I to complain?

  189. James Kearney 190

    Seeing as Robinsod doesn’t write for the standard and as far as I know doens’t vote labour I don’t imagine they’d be too worried.

    Perhaps you should just stop being so fucking PC?

  190. lprent 191

    kimble: I’m with DPF on this – as far as I’m concerned, the most newsworthy part of it is that blogs were worthy of a parliamentary press release.

  191. Brownie 192

    Right James. He just maligns and slanders people like a 6 year old throwing his toys out of the cot!

  192. Robinsod 193

    Bro I don’t vote at all and as much as I’ve tried to convince them it’d be a good idea the standard won’t let me write for them. Newzblog have however, and that’s where I posted the Insolent Prick article. I’d suggest IV2 that you are being a prissy little PC whinger if you can’t see the funny side of my post or at least see what I’m doing. The sort of comment I made is frequently repeated on prime time TV (eg southpark) and quotes from a President of the United States!

    Actually IV2 – if you’re feeling so PC, perhaps you might want to take whale to task for this little effort:

    http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=8660

  193. Matthew Pilott 194

    ‘Sod – whatever that is, I ain’t clicking on it!

    Now now, Brownie, Slander is spoken, Libel is published 😉

    Technically, you just libelled Robinsod by publishing a false accusation of slander!

    But given the ridiculous accusations flying around, the only difference between what Robinsod has been saying is that it has the word ‘fuck’ in it. The rest is accusations and a lack of denial to those accusations because, as Robinsod has made abundantly clear – to deny an accusation is to give it credibility, no matter how outrageous the accusation is.

    I find it pretty fucking funny, no pun intended 🙂

  194. Phil 195

    Actually Robinsod, I think you’ll find the Pig-fucking story is a fabrication in totality… A quick google search points alternatively to Hunter S Thompson and Paul Krassner as the origins of the story as a political prank – they also suggest that the LBJ was the TARGET, not the prepetrator.

  195. Robinsod 196

    Hey Phil – I think you’ll find in my post that I say it is probably a myth. There is another version in which it is a joke LBJ tells to his advisor. Regardless of where it comes from its capacity to convey the ridiculous and vicious nature of this form of argument is obvious.

  196. robinsod is your above 11 ?
    No offence as mine is only 9 .

  197. Brownie 198

    Agree.

    I think the whole affair has been blown out of proportion.

    Well said, Lynn.

  198. daedalus_y 199

    Jeez, who just got outed by DPF…again? Mwahahahaha…

  199. j 201

    Hey maybe one day we’ll actually get some National Party policy to debate.

    The “sam dixon” outing is strange. It’s not beyond reasonable doubt that immature individuals use these political forums to take the piss. Also given the appalling level of billboard commentary the “freespeech coalition ” has reached you can’t rule out one person pretending to be multiple posters with various immflamatory political positions. Whaleoil and farrar must have at least considered this as a traffic driver.Surely a way around this would be for the more rational posters to alert the reading community to obvious serial hate spammers.I think that word “hate” is appropriate given the intent of some of our more radical (crazy) posters. Hello Michelle c.

  200. bomber 202

    Then Bomber why did you march down Queen Street protesting the EFB with Tim, or was htat just for show huh?

    I don’t think Tim marched down Queen street with me on that issue as he was still under Home Detention, I marched because what was first suggested by Labour WAS an abortion, come on, everyone of us knew that when we read through it, it would have set up an unlevel playing field unlike anything we’ve ever seen to hold onto the election, only the most zealous idealogue would say otherwise, but there have been substantial changes and I don’t want a plutocracy for a democracy, certainly the way Labour have gone about this (was it 80 amendments folks?)has been teeth gritting, but the goals to limit moneyed influence in a democracy is a worthwhile aim.

  201. Sam Dixon 203

    Gidday, I got excited when I saw Daedulus-Y posting here, misreading it for Daedulus-x – thought the two of us could discuss what DPF is up to.

    I don’t agree with Daedulus-X’s politics at all but its not fair that he gets banned because DPF thinks he’s me

    (Standardistas, nothing blog-able happening at the moment?)

  202. Kimble 204

    Sam, that is getting really pathetic. If you aren’t Daedulus-x then you could prove it very easily.

  203. Tane 205

    Hey Sam, in my case I’m just snowed under with work. Didn’t get a lunch break today and will probably be working late. Same deal for the others I suspect. And yeah, slow news day too.

  204. Kimble 206

    yup, nothing happening anywhere. Cant think of a single thing that could do with a front page comment, even if it is only a copy and paste from a comment at another site explaining away a certain local embarrassment. Nothing.

  205. Leaning2tharite 207

    my bad Simeon, previous post was inteded for Robinsod

  206. Robinsod 208

    Hey learning2write – Section 59 allowed a woman who beat her child with a riding crop to be let of assault charges. The repeal of 59 has made it a hell of a lot harder to beat your kids with impunity. What’s your problem with that?

  207. Leaning2tharite 209

    It’s made it a whole lot harder to smack your kids as a perfectly reasonable form of discipline to.

  208. Simeon 210

    Isn’t it interesting that only 16% of people in the poll at http://www.nzdebate.blogspot.com support a Labour Govt.

  209. Matthew Pilott 211

    Leaning2tharite – It’s also made it a whole lot easier for police to prosecute when they think that abuse has taken place. In the past, they would often not prosecuse because they knew S59 would make it a waste of time.

    Do you think that having it made harder to smack your kids is a small sacrifice for the prospect of parents being prosecuted for actual violence, such as the recent case in Masterton illustrated? (the judge said “you could have gotten away with this before” regarding an incident where a child was left with bruising after the father lost his temper – this was by the father’s admision.)

  210. Matthew Pilott 212

    Simeon – that’s out of 12 whole votes… Move over Curia 😉

  211. James Kearney 213

    Simeon that poll is self selecting, is hosted on a fundamentalist Christian website and has a sample of 12. I know you haven’t done seventh form stats yet but that’s still pretty stupid.

  212. Leaning2tharite 214

    The reason i smack my kids is so that they don’t end up like the thugs who bashed a # of couples on the north shore & don’t worry i am not sacrificing that right. It’s my view that S59 has now left the door wide open for scenarios such as the Jimmy Mason incident where six cops turned up when he flicked his son on the ear.

  213. Simeon 215

    Robinsod,

    Those who abuse their kids will continue to abuse their kids. The changes to S59 did not affect them. There were already laws in place to deal with child abuse.

    All the the “anti-smacking” has done is make it harder for parents to do their job. A good parent does not “go over the top”.

    And the idea about getting people to vote in the poll is to make it a better sample !! 🙂

  214. Leaning2tharite 216

    Robinsod, just heard that a 14 year old has been arrested for the beating of young girl in Taupo and is a possible suspect in the bashing of the tourist down there. Still all for the removal of a perfectly reasonable disciplinary measure by the labour government? Yet another 14 year old waiting in the line for councelling!

  215. burt 217

    Robinsod

    and you sure as shit don’t know anything about electoral law if you think that three weeks of borrowed server space amounts to a legal action under the EFA.

    What’s with the “three weeks” Robinsod?

    Over and over again you told me that the EFA made no difference to the standard so why are you talking about 3 weeks – surely you mean the period back to when ‘all_your_base’ gloated to the world about “M” giving the standard access to tax payers resources – or have you changed you tune and acknowledge that something has changed under the EFA, contrary to calling me a complete idiot for suggesting it would.

    I would find a few of the many links where you denigrated me as a fool for saying the EFA will impact the standard but since the site has been moved from the Labour party server cluster it would take days to complete the search.

  216. James Kearney 218

    By making that stupid and discredited comment about taxpayer resources you lose all credibility in my eyes burt. Lies make you look stupid.

  217. burt 219

    James

    I guess that after being accused of using a tax payer funded server and/or connection the anonymous authors of the standard suddenly decided to shift to a different server and/or connection because…. ummm, arrr, because it’s ummmm Thurday. That it – because today is Thursday – it had nothing to do with illegally using tax payer funded resources……

  218. Rich Prick 220

    “I’m living in a leaky building – reminds [sic] me every day why one should never trust national policy making.”

    Well boo-fucking-hoo. Serves you right for not checking it out more carefully before you bought it. Some fools spend more time agonising over buying a pair of pants than they do a house. Personal responsibility – end of. Oh, and don’t expect me to help you out of the mess your cheap-off-the-plans breading box brought you through my rates when you sue the Council.

  219. Rich Prick 221

    Although you do only say “I’m living in” as opposed to “I own” so I guess you’re just a renter … if so, move out, instead of blaming others. Useless socialist.

  220. Benodic 222

    Burt: No one has accused the standard of using taxpayer resources but you. Go get yourself another whiskey, grab some more talking points from your emotionally unstable mate Whale and try again.

    Rich Prick: You’re acting like a cock.

  221. Rich Prick 223

    Benodic, yes I am because I am one. Get used to it.

  222. Robinsod 224

    Hey rich prick, how you doing boyo? Still making so much money you have to spend all day on a blog talking yourself up? I reckon you’re a bit of a liar. In fact I’d say it’s still school holidays isn’t it? And you seem to fit that demographic just about spot on – especially the spelling. So what are you gonna be when you grow up RP? A businessman? Yeah, I can see you’d like that – you could feel just like the grown-up dad you never had.

  223. Rich Prick 225

    Wrong on all counts Robinsod, I’m retired, but am not of retirement age. I just don’t need to work any more. Wild incorrect guesses just show you for the fool that you are.

  224. Robinsod 226

    No you’re not bro. You’re clearly just some kid who feels they need to big it up on a blog. I’m sure you’ll grow out of it and I’m sorry for that crack about your dad (I hate the idea of dragging people’s families into this kind of thing) – so how is NCEA treating you (apart from the literacy stuff of course).

  225. Rich Prick 227

    It must choke you to know that when I do choose to work its at my discretion and my fees would probably bring tears to your eyes, but the work I choose to do fits with my lifestyle, and I suspect that you have a problem with that being an embittered union boy stuck on $45k. Looser. Don’t send your CV.

  226. Robinsod 228

    Looser

    It’s spelled “loser” and you mean “it’s” (with a contractive apostrophe) RP, but apart from that you got most of it right. You may pass NCEA level 1 yet. So tell me are you pretending to be your dad or have you imagined a whole blog-life yourself? When you get old enough to work you may want to get someone to proof your CV.

  227. Rich Prick 229

    Wrong again fool. I just enjoy the sport on this site with idiots like you, Michael Porton. What’s your diagnosis and have you been referred for therapy? Aspengers springs to mind, but regardless, get help because you are embarrassing yourself, Labour and Helen, oh, and that slug who dropped all of you guys in the shit.

  228. Rich Prick 230

    I can assure you I have no need for a CV. Thanks for the typing tips though. In the unlikey event I desire to become a typist I shall bear them in mind. You would make quite a good one andyou may even find it comes with increased pay.

  229. Robinsod 231

    “Aspengers”?? Jeeze bro you seem tired. Perhaps you should get back to sleep before you mum takes your computer privileges off you. How is your mum anyway?

  230. Rich Prick 232

    Why do you enquire about my mother? Do you want to fuck her like you wanted to fuck Prophet’s mother. Sorry, my mother is dead. What is your point?

  231. Robinsod 233

    Jeez, I’d say you’ve got a wee dose of the liables there bro. Good to see you got your possessive apostrophe right.

  232. j 234

    Rich Prick = immature timewaster

  233. The Prophet 235

    What does Robinsod equal J?

  234. Michele Cabiling 236

    I think there’s no doubt this blog is an organ of the Liarbour Party: an organ of excretion.

  235. Matthew Pilott 237

    Well Michele, you’re learning something about length of posts, if not the intelligent thought required to make them interesting.

    You’re slightly over-imaginative if you think a Party would set up, pay for and manage a blog, whilst trying to pretend that it isn’t run by the party, and then host it on their own servers. If the Labour Party was running it, they’d be able to hide it far more easily than that, so spare us the bullshit hysterics. I don’t think National would do something like this either, for example, but I’m not surprised in the slightest that you’ve made this (il)logical “leap”.

  236. Michele Cabiling 238

    Matthew Pillock wrote:

    “You’re slightly over-imaginative if you think a Party would set up, pay for and manage a blog, whilst trying to pretend that it isn’t run by the party, and then host it on their own servers.”

    That’s exactly what I, and a number of others, are contending.

    If the Labour Party was running it, they’d be able to hide it far more easily than that …”

    Nobody ever said you had to be smart to be a leftard, in fact, I’d suggest the reverse.

  237. Robinsod 239

    Jeez Michele – you’re only like a week behind the play. Good to see you keeping up mate.

  238. Matthew Pilott 240

    That’s exactly what I, and a number of others, are contending.

    I guess there’s no dumb-fuck quota on humanity is there, sugar 😉

    And upon what evidence do you base this contention, or is Whale’s hand so far up your rear he is able to type for you?

  239. Michele Cabiling 241

    Since I’m not in the habit of letting ANYONE up my rear perhaps you could tell me what it feels like … fisty boy!

  240. Matthew Pilott 242

    Not quite sure Michele, that’s not my game. I didn’t mean it in a literal sense, apologies if you took it that way.

    However, you’re claiming that Labour has set up, paid for and managed The Standard, whilst trying to pretend that it isn’t run by the party at all. I can’t help but notice you’ve given no evidence whatsoever to back up such an assertion, so I assume you’re just parroting Whale’s and IP’s talking points (Life Tip: that won’t get you far!).

    How does it feel to be Whale’s little sock puppet?

    P.s I think you forgot to write the word “just” before the “ANYONE”…

  241. Phil 243

    “P.s I think you forgot to write the word “just” before the “ANYONE”…”
    Matthew, I may disagree with most of your political viewpoints, but you’re on fire! Keep up the good work dude – this is a laugh.

  242. Matthew Pilott 244

    ‘Tis a Friday after all 🙂

  243. Michele Cabiling 245

    I hope the barman pisses in your beer …

  244. Tane 246

    Michele, you’re adding no value here and your comments are starting to resemble Dad4Justice. Clean up your act eh?

  245. Matthew Pilott 247

    I doubt she could, she’d have to take it out the back and it would look a bit dodge, y’know…

    Besides, I’m more of a shandy type, I can’t handle full strength beer *sighs*

    So how is that actual argument against The Standard going? Not good I guess. Stink, brother.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    7 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    8 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    9 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    10 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    12 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    13 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    13 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    13 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    15 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    18 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T10:20:30+00:00