It has always astounded me that the former Fonterra CEO got an $8 million pa salary for indifferent performance. No-one is worth that amount. He also headed an organisation whose shareholders did major damage to our waterways, and continue to do so.
Foster's cunning plan is to make all the ABs' opponents at the RWC become over-confident. Everything on track so far, with help from the UK rugby media.
The farmers must certainly be worried; their free lunch (paid for by the community) is coming to an end. It's not just the Manuherekia river that is being trashed. Prof Mike Joy discusses the national situation in his 2014 paper "Squandered: The ...
At the end of his TV series Life on Earth, David Attenborough acknowledges that humans are just another species on the planet, having been brought about by evolution. There is no guarantee we will be here permanently. And even within the span of human ...
In both economic and environmental terms, governments all over the world have borrowed heavily, hoping for the best. The lenders are future generations.
Can't say I see the Provincial Growth Fund as a roaring success for NZ First. The Auditor-General was highly critical of its performance and lack of accountability: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/national-threatens-pgf-cuts-after-damning-auditor-general-report...
A gang prison would probably result in a gang HQ. a sort of national communications centre (prisoners are allowed cellphones, apparently) so they can run their drug empires from their cells. I favour solitary confinement. Read the book "Papillon" for some ...
Didn't some German engineering students do a report that recommended a commuter monorail system up the centre of the North Shore motorway some years back? It wouldn't require using extra land, although motorway overbridges would be a problem.
Even if the PM discards the Three (Five?) Waters policy, the damage has already been done because of the massive opposition it provoked. Couple that with Labour ministers jumping ship or needing to be disciplined and it's a question of trust, or the lack ...
Thanks for noting the PCE report on electricity supply. I didn't know about it. Sounds like Onslow is very costly.
According to news reports, the Long Bay snapper poacher was warned 5 times by DoC staff about his illegal activities. Shows what a stern rebuke will do, doesn't it? I doubt if the $4,000 fine will be paid, unless he poaches more fish to get the dosh, ...
Congrats to the Philippines soccer team, which beat us in the Womens' World cup. NZ had 70% possession and 4 accurate shots on goal to their opponents' 1, but still lost by the only goal in the match. Those stats are not good if you are the NZ coach.
According to one doco I saw on Youtube, the basic problem for Colorado river basin is that the original water allocation agreement was drawn up between the states when the water flow in the river was very high. So water was granted on the basis of an ...
There are just too many humans on the planet. (8 billion and counting)
Osbert Sitwell said he was educated during the holidays from Eton. Seems NZ school pupils are headed in the same direction.
I saw the match on TV and waited (with my usual cynicism) for the NZ team to behave as if they'd never seen each other before, giving the ball away under the slightest suggestion of pressure, coupled with poor ball control, slow reactions and all the rest....
Douglas can't expect ACT to be the same party it was when he was active in it. All parties change with time - Labour and the Greens have certainly shown that. But maybe that just reflects changes in our society. It used to be a stand-off between Labour (...
If he follows the standard route, he'll write a book about his escapades. I recall the geezer behind the Goldcorp saga did that.
I've been watching TV coverage of the Tour de France lately. No road potholes, although on one stage the riders had to contend with cobbles, which were very tricky and led to crashes. Seen this way France looks terrific, with its mountains and picturesque ...
God's mill grinds slow but sure (17th century proverb with its source in Plutarch)
Can't see why ACT would want to announce this. School lunches, even if some are not used, have a benefit to society that almost all voters would support.
Seems to me Labour is now paying the price for not being honest with the electorate. Chris HIpkins will carry the can for that. It had its official policies, but then there were the real policies which were carefully kept out of sight. In short, Labour has...
As you noted, under existing law we have a de facto capital gains tax already. It's not just the bright-line tests. There are other rules, especially for land, that catch dealer, developers and builders. They have been part of the Income Tax Act for many ...
Even if minimum flow levels are set: * will they be sufficient to protect the river environment? * will they be enforced or will ORC turn a blind eye to lawbreakers?
I agree with your second point. Teach separate science subjects but also show how they relate to each other, along with some broader concepts. After all, we started with biology and chemistry and then moved to biochemistry. The litmus test is whether the ...
Here's #11: You can laugh at yourself
It's too much to expect a minister of the Crown to have good relationships with every civil service staff member. Some ministers would be great to work with, others a good deal less so. The reasons for friction vary, from arrogance to a misplaced sense of ...
"He [Simon Power] is effusive about the high-quality journalism being produced by TVNZ, and the Herald." (NZ Herald, 1 July 2023, p C3) Not everyone would agree with Simon Power's view.
In all the coverage over the PM's visit to China, I have yet to see our Minister of Foreign Affairs mentioned. The visit directly concerns her portfolio but she has been kept well out of sight. Anyone know why?
Media report, 30 June 2023: In a statement, Allan said: “The minister strongly refutes these allegations. No complaints have ever been taken up with MBIE or myself and certainly nothing that resembles these allegations.” She means she denies the ...
Interesting comments about Helen Clark's office. A 2IC with a firm hand is very useful, like the first mate on a sailing vessel who must command the respect of the crew. Apparently in Stalin's Russia, to get prompt action on something you just had to say "...
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