Shine my shoes, f*ckface

Written By: - Date published: 1:04 pm, March 16th, 2011 - 100 comments
Categories: class war, humour, us politics - Tags: ,

Bill Maher takes a swipe at the ‘Undercover Boss’ and ‘Secret Millionaire’. “TV used to give Americans the reverse fantasy: what if you, normal person, were a millionaire. Now it says, oh who are you kidding? You’re lucky to hold your job frying chicken parts. But what if you were briefly introduced to a millionaire? You could touch his garments.”

100 comments on “Shine my shoes, f*ckface ”

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  1. ianmac 1
    16 March 2011 at 1:30 pm

    “But what if you were briefly introduced to a millionaire? You could touch his garments.”
    But that is what John Key paraphrased with his disparaging remarks about the envy of the rich by the masses! Perhaps he could raise funds for Christchurch by allowing a feel of him for a fee?

  2. M 2
    16 March 2011 at 1:34 pm

    ‘Perhaps he could raise funds for Christchurch by allowing a feel of him for a fee?’

    LOL and eeuuuwww – just make sure your immunisations are up to date.

    Anti-spam: vice

  3. Bunji 3
    16 March 2011 at 1:38 pm

    Talking of shoe-shiners – they, along with windscreen-washers, are back. After a notable disappearance of them under Labour (and mass employment), they are definitely starting to be out in force again.

    This is National’s Brighter Future.

    • Bright Red 3.1
      16 March 2011 at 1:45 pm

      yeah, and there’s at least three times the number of people begging on Lambton Quay these days. You hardly used to see them, now you will definitely see one, maybe two and some times more, every time you walk down the road. It’s still a low number, of course, but it’s an indication of a lot of pain for a lot more people.

      • Vicky32 3.1.1
        16 March 2011 at 4:08 pm

        I have seen an increase of people begging in Queen Street.. (and that’s not counting the Hare Krishnas!) They congregate around mid-town McDonalds, and spread as far as the doors of the language school where I teach as a reliever.
        I would give money if I could, but I mostly can’t – yet they don’t know that when I walk past! I feel like scum…
        Deb

  4. Kevin Welsh 4
    16 March 2011 at 1:41 pm

    Bill Maher is a funny, funny man. But as with all these types of monlogues, I worry that the message is lost in the humour. The audience are having a good ol’ chuckle, but are they really taking it all in?

    I watched Inside Job a couple of nights ago and now consider myself fluent in CDO’s and Credit Default Swaps. I also have a rising anger that is increasing on a daily basis when I see what is going on around me with Big Business getting all the breaks and SME’s getting shafted.

    The current GEON (print group) debacle is a classic case in point. If it wasn’t really happening, you would laugh your ass off.

    • Tiger Mountain 4.1
      16 March 2011 at 2:05 pm

      Do enlighten us Kevin, I must have missed a news day or something.
      As a freelancer I sometimes send jobs to GEON affiliated printers.

      Re the post hil–effing–arious!

      • Kevin Welsh 4.1.1
        16 March 2011 at 6:35 pm

        Where to start?

        GEON was a merger between Pacific Print Group (NZ) and Promentum (Aus) about 4 years ago backed by Gresham Private Equity (in other words, someone’s retirement money). The plan was to merge, rationalise and flick off in an IPO and make shitloads of money. Unfortunately for them, the GFC happened and they had to operate as a printing business which has been a complete disaster and shows what a flawed concept it was from the outset. (Glad I didn’t end up buying shares).

        They have haemorrhaged money like a sieve the last couple of years, and have just reported a $180M loss for the last financial year. They have a $280M loan through royal Bank of Scotland (British Govt. owned) which is now on a “pay if you can” basis but is due for full repayment in June 2015.

        Now, unless my basic economics course in 5th form at school was wrong, when your debt level exceeds your value, you are insolvent. And this is the situation GEON is now in, but… the banks keep them afloat hoping that conditions improve enough to flick them off so they can recoup their money.

        Do you think the small business owners get such a sweetheart deal from the banks? Nuh, they get hounded by the banks if they even go $10 over their overdraft.

        My advice Tiger? Support New Zealand owned and operated business. Companies that invest in New Zealand and New Zealanders. Any Money GEON make out of NZ is headed for London or Sydney.

        • Tiger Mountain 4.1.1.1
          16 March 2011 at 9:35 pm

          Thanks for reply,
          Brebner was one company that I used to deal with prior to all the logos and a few people etc changing over.

          It sounds depressingly familiar to what is common in international industrial food production with leveraged buyouts etc. that Unilever and others get into.

    • Bored 4.2
      16 March 2011 at 2:13 pm

      Kevyn, I have been wondering for years why SMEs align with corporates politically, my own business has needless dollars sucked out of it by corporates. Best examples are the banks, telcos and power companies who act like oligarchies to set prices to keep their margins high….it basically impacts my profits without adding any value. Then when we sell to them our services they try their best to squeeze our margins. The way I see it is that the corporate sector is actually a parasite upon those in the productive sector i.e the SMEs, sole traders etc. They provide infrastructural services etc which should best be delivered by highly regulated or socialised businesses.

      Dont talk to me about rentiers behavoir, landlordism, seizure of the public domain etc, apoplexy follows.

      • KJT 4.2.1
        16 March 2011 at 3:10 pm

        Have this at many Chamber meetings. “National is for business” even as they admit business was better under Labour and they talk about relocating to Oz if NACT gets back in.

  5. Bored 5
    16 March 2011 at 1:42 pm

    F**k thats funny. Compulsory viewing for those who vote National for aspirational purposes. Those who dont commit suicide will be queing up to join the Communist party.

  6. Jeremy H 6
    16 March 2011 at 2:01 pm

    Funny stuff coming from a millionaire…

    • Sookie 6.1
      16 March 2011 at 2:14 pm

      At least Bill didn’t make his money ripping people off and/or selling them crap, and employing peasants to work for him on minimum wage plus tips. The right wing wishes they had dudes this funny working for their side. Sadly, all the best comedians are leftie pinko scum. Unless you count Glenn Beck? 🙂

      • Jeremy H 6.1.1
        16 March 2011 at 2:22 pm

        I forgot those evil Capitalists forced people to buy products from them and work for them instead of starting their own companies…

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1
          16 March 2011 at 2:39 pm

          Oh welcome back Jeremy.

          I forgot those evil Capitalists forced people to buy products from them and work for them instead of starting their own companies…

          Yeah, because starting a company up to take Apple or Toyota or the National Bank down is like, so easy, yeah.

          The basic issue is that we live in a capitalist system which means that those with capital control the economy. Workers, whose assets are generally tied up in the house where they live, are at a severe disadvantage in such a system unless they too can access readily available cheap capital.

          In summary, your one liners remain weak as ever.

          • Alwyn 6.1.1.1.1
            16 March 2011 at 3:11 pm

            Why not start a company?
            After all Apple took down IBM (in PCs).
            Toyota took down General Motors.
            I suppose you could say that ANZ took down Lloyds (National owners)
            The third is a bit of a stretch but the first two were minnows when the firms they were competing with were giants.

            • Rosy 6.1.1.1.1.1
              16 March 2011 at 9:40 pm

              Apple – huge bailout by Microsoft in 1997
              Toyota – huge publicly funded science and technology research available

              Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, James Dyson, et al even Sam Morgan – massively talented entrepreneurs (although not without some skullduggery esp. Gates) and with access to reseach and capital. Not at all like the so-called entrepreneurs who, for example, buy up farmland on the edge of town and create money-go-round finance companies and then whinge when they go under taking other people’s money about not being respected for their talent.

              It takes a lot of talent and a bit of serendipity to be the first and a lack of moral and ethical framework to be the latter. I don’t have what it takes to be one or the other.

              As for your average SME – good on them for giving it a go. You may or may not be better off than your employed counterparts, but we’re pretty much in this together so fight for the start-up strategies and research grants together for goodness sake.

              Funny how rightwingers claim that lefties don’t recognise special talent yet at the same time claim that we can all aspire to be the same.

            • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.1.2
              16 March 2011 at 9:47 pm

              Alwyn your corporate history is nonsense.

              IBM took itself down. It did this when it allowed Microsoft to sell MS-Dos for any PC, even ones not made by IBM.

              As for GM, they also took themselves down. By paying scant attention to build quality, reliability and fuel economy.

          • Jeremy H 6.1.1.1.2
            16 March 2011 at 3:56 pm

            I’m not saying they have to build a Fortune 500 company in a couple of weeks… Starting a company can be as simple as making gift baskets with a few $100… There are plenty of billionaires who started companies with money borrowed on their credit cards…

            Your straw man arguments are as weak as ever…

            • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.2.1
              16 March 2011 at 3:59 pm

              Yeah OK run with the fallacy that because a few millionaires and billionaires made it big starting up in a garage, this is a good option for large numbers of people to escape from corporate clutches.

              Patently unrealistic.

              Frankly you are advocating for a system which seriously disadvantages people with limited capital, or whose capital is all tied up in their residence.

              There are plenty of billionaires who started companies with money borrowed on their credit cards…

              Name five

              BTW apart from you I don’t know of any credible advisor who suggests that loading up your credit cards is anything other than a dangerous desperation move to get a business started.

              • ianmac …
                16 March 2011 at 4:02 pm

                Wonder what start up capital Mr Key had?

              • Jeremy H …
                16 March 2011 at 4:05 pm

                Off the top of my head, the guy who started Paychex and a German billionaire who initially started an ISP on money borrowed from his credit card…

                As for other’s I’ve read about I’d have to go and re-read a lot of material again…

                Your right about using a credit card as not a good starting move, speaks a lot about their desire to succeed…

                • Colonial Viper …
                  16 March 2011 at 4:08 pm

                  Desire to succeed?

                  Then it doesn’t matter if a few people get hurt along the way then does it? Or if a few underhanded deals are done, cheating others out of their fair share? Squeezing down wages to the very minimum possible? Cutting corners on specifications and ingredients every way possible?

                  Would that also indicate a desire to “succeed”?

                  Funnily enough your definition of success is as shallow as your arguments.

                  • Jeremy H …
                    16 March 2011 at 4:19 pm

                    I’d never have and never would advocate for anyone do anything illegal CV, that you think that is required says a lot about your narrow world view than mine…

                    What must you think about your wealthy spouses family if that is your mindset…

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      16 March 2011 at 4:55 pm

                      Illegal and immoral are two quite different things Jeremy. What would you advocate for?

                      As for my spouses family. I prefer not to ask too many questions, keeps life simple 🙂

                  • QoT …
                    16 March 2011 at 7:37 pm

                    Desire to succeed?

                    I’m reminded of the popular meme in US reality TV – the idea that to win you just have to “want it more” than your other competitors.

                • prism …
                  16 March 2011 at 4:17 pm

                  Jeremy H – Like gamblers on horse racing etc. the losing bets (investments) never get mentioned only the winners. And there are far more losers than winners just like in the horsies. In new business there is the dreaded three year period during which the majority get knocked out for a variety of reasons.

              • Alwyn …
                16 March 2011 at 4:11 pm

                Hewlett and Packard actually did start their company in a garage in the 1930s.
                I understand, although I wouldn’t bet on it that it’s now a historic monument.
                Closer to home TradeMe started as an afterwork exercise. It was then financed by people Sam Morgan worked with, along with dad. The amount of money was pretty trivial apparently. Worked out pretty well for them didn’t it?
                Watties was started by Jim Wattie working in his family kitchen.
                The original Fletcher was a small time carpenter.
                Microsoft was two friends who dropped out of Harvard.
                So yes, it can be done.

                • lprent …
                  16 March 2011 at 4:57 pm

                  Yep it can be.

                  In the case of NZ you have named two from before I was born and one where the source of the seed capital was crucial family based money.

                  Microsoft, the family money was pretty crucial at seed time for that as well. Don’t know much about HP.

                  The amount of seed capital required is usually pretty trivial. The problem is from whence you get it. One of the biggest problems with dealing with venture capitalists is the amount of ownership and control you have to give up. It is why the companies tend to get sold off so early.

                  Family money is crucial and allows a much stronger retention of ownership. You’ll see that over and over again when you look at the case studies on startups.

              • lprent …
                16 March 2011 at 4:12 pm

                I’ve been around tech businesses starting up for more than 20 years now. The constraint is lack of any significant investment capital during the startup phases in NZ.

                It is less risky and far more lucrative to put money into property in NZ.

                There are plenty of billionaires who started companies with money borrowed on their credit cards…

                Name five

                Be more specific – name 5 in NZ that went past the first prototype phase on their credit cards and became millionaires from it. You can do it to the first prototype if you can use that to get access to venture capital, but we have had very very little of that here. You can get to a small market size if you mortgage your house and use that to pay for early development and marketing.

                But the key thing to remember is that virtually none of the venture capital in NZ comes from NZ. Almost all of the small on-shore funds comes from offshore, frequently from ex-pats based offshore. Capital in NZ is almost entirely tied up in banks who are entirely risk adverse. Startups don’t get any capital from them that isn’t backed with property.

                Most startup businesses here wind up being sold to off-shore companies once they have established a market because there is no capital here to buy them. Generally the business moves offshore within a few years afterwards because there is nothing to tie them here.

                • prism …
                  16 March 2011 at 4:20 pm

                  lprent That’s it all boxed up and tied with a knot. Our never-ending story here at the bottom of the world.

                • Alwyn …
                  16 March 2011 at 4:30 pm

                  I don’t think I can be bothered answering ever more limited questions.
                  My own list gave five who did it on the equivalent of a credit card
                  If I did the research and came up with five New Zealand people, when the original “name five” was not limited to NZ, I suspect it would then be down to “name five from Christchurch” or such-like.
                  The rest of your comment on the other hand I agree with.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    16 March 2011 at 5:05 pm

                    You have to be kidding, your examples are all from ancient history, as for Morgan, he put his hat round the family and collected several hundreds of thousands worth of funds to start up, plus having the name of his Dad to trade on.

                    Not everyone has that.

                    Hewlett Packard lol yeah they started up on credit cards – not. But you didn’t count the literal tens of thousands of others who got bankrupted in similar enterprises.

                    Its like the lottery, this approach. No way for most working people to risk their family on.

        • felix 6.1.1.2
          16 March 2011 at 2:49 pm

          “evil Capitalists “

          Notice how it’s only ever the righties who use this term, but they use it as if they’re quoting or mocking some imaginary oft-stated lefty position?

          Speaks volumes about their mentality AND their grasp of economics.

        • KJT 6.1.1.3
          16 March 2011 at 3:08 pm

          Yeah. It is so easy for the not already rich to obtain capital to start their own companies.
          And corporates will not use use their power to put them out of business.

      • felix 6.1.2
        16 March 2011 at 2:55 pm

        “Sadly, all the best comedians are leftie pinko scum.”

        There’s a very good reason for that. Comedy – especially comedy dealing with social and political issues – inherently involves highlighting inconsistencies, which demands that the comedian’s own position in reasonably internally consistent by comparison. Contemporary right wing thought simply can’t stand that sort of scrutiny.

    • billy fish 6.2
      16 March 2011 at 2:19 pm

      ” think you suffer from jealousy, tall poppy syndrome, imagined conspiracy and paranoia…

      (you did say you expected at least one of us evil Capitalist pig-dogs to say it)…”

      zaaazing 🙂

    • Colonial Viper 6.3
      16 March 2011 at 2:40 pm

      Funny stuff coming from a millionaire…

      It seems not all millionaires have a born to rule, keep your boot down on the masses, mentality Jeremy.

      • Jeremy H 6.3.1
        16 March 2011 at 3:57 pm

        I give over 10% of my income to some of the poorest people in the world – that I have that mentality is a figment of your imagination…

        • Colonial Viper 6.3.1.1
          16 March 2011 at 4:04 pm

          So why do you keep advocating for the evil capitalists then?

          And kowtowing to the billionaires instead of paying attention to the 50% of NZ’ers who live on less than $30K p.a.?

          Personally generous yet advocating for a punishing system for ordinary workers and families.

          Obtuse.

        • Jeremy H 6.3.1.2
          16 March 2011 at 4:15 pm

          CV, free enterprise has done more for the average worker than any other system invented, it’s not even close between free enterprise and socialism, despite the disparity in wealth the average American living standard has gone up 7 times over since 1900… That’s why I advocate for it because I do care…

          What you advocate doesn’t work, never has and never will…

          Wealth disparity is getting worse globally including in places like China and it will continue:

          http://www.economist.com/node/17929057?story_id=17929057&CFID=158992343&CFTOKEN=63173011

          Read through the articles in this special report – learn…

        • felix 6.3.1.3
          16 March 2011 at 8:59 pm

          Jeremy I think you protest a little too much there my dear. CV didn’t accuse you of holding such an attitude, did s/he? Just pointed out (again) that YOU must hold that view for your objections and faux-outrage to make sense.

  7. felix 7
    16 March 2011 at 2:45 pm

    And as usual, Jeremy runs the line that anyone rich who isn’t a complete cunt about it is an insincere class traitor.

    Here we go again. Jeremy. Why do you find it unusual that a wealthy man might care about those less fortunate?

    • Jeremy H 7.1
      16 March 2011 at 4:01 pm

      I don’t find it unusual, many wealthy people give masses of their wealth to others Mssrs Buffett and Gates being a case in point… I find Maher and Moore, et al to be hypocrites of the highest order because instead of giving they criticise the system that has made them wealthy in a way that causes them to further profit from it…

      Maybe Maher should do a show where he spends a day in the life of one of the grips on his set on the minimum wage, while the grip takes his place arguing for an extra $10,000 an episode…

      • Bright Red 7.1.1
        16 March 2011 at 4:50 pm

        how do you know moore and maher don’t give money away?

        Buffett’s a good guy but he doesn’t give much to charity as far as I’m aware, he just takes a small salary.

      • Tiger Mountain 7.1.2
        16 March 2011 at 6:47 pm

        Jeremy, you are attempting to defend both the indefensible-because capitalism oppresses and exploits, and the impossible–‘all of us’ can never become squillionaires because large numbers of producers, consumers and other underlings are required under the private ownership model to enable tiny groups of supreme bludgers to exist. Aspirational memes (be the best job seeker you can be), msm, state forces and consumerism and mortgages keep most people in line. But maybe not for too much longer. Things have moved beyond incremental improvements for all over time.

      • felix 7.1.3
        16 March 2011 at 7:23 pm

        Jeremey: “I find Maher and Moore, et al to be hypocrites of the highest order because instead of giving they criticise the system that has made them wealthy in a way that causes them to further profit from it”

        So wealthy people are or aren’t allowed to criticize society? That can be a one word answer if you like.

        Also this:

        Jeremy @ 2:01 pm “Funny stuff coming from a millionaire…”

        felix @ 2:45 pm “Why do you find it unusual that a wealthy man might care about those less fortunate?”

        Jeremy @ 4:01 pm “I don’t find it unusual”

        If you don’t find something inherently inconsistent about a wealthy person advocating for the needs of those worse off than themselves, then what is your point? Why say it’s “funny stuff coming from a millionaire”?

        You were full of shit then or you’re full of shit now. Or both, as it usually turns out with you.

      • Morrissey 7.1.4
        16 March 2011 at 9:35 pm

        While Jeremy H’s vacuous praise of the super-greedy and the criminally rich is so foolish as to serve as its own negation, there is one thing he says that demands to be firmly countered, viz. this pearl of blithering worshipfulness…
        “…many wealthy people give masses of their wealth to others…”

        No they don’t. Gates and Buffett are still obscenely rich. The money they have sequestered for themselves is money they have stolen from the community.

        Gates was, and is, a sharp and ruthless chancer, an ethics-free corporate pirate whose second-rate product is the regret and curse of corporations and governments all over the world conned and cajoled into buying Microsoft systems. How many convictions, all over the world, for gross violations of business practice has Microsoft had?

        And what was the public good that Warren Buffett provides, again?

  8. felix 8
    16 March 2011 at 8:01 pm

    For those who can’t be bothered reading all of Jeremy’s hard work today, here’s the cliff notes:

    “If all the poor people just wanted to be winners and worked harder and took more risks and stopped spending all their money on booze fags and gambling they’d all be rich too and there’d be no more poor people”.

    [lprent: this is a reframing of JH’s position, not only today, but for at least 6 months back that I could see.. See my note here. First time I could find where felix has done it. ]

    • Pete 8.1
      16 March 2011 at 8:23 pm

      Not quite – but wouldn’t there be quite a few less poor people? And a few corporations would be poorer than they are now (but a few of their workers would be poorer too).

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1
        16 March 2011 at 8:36 pm

        Corporations cannot be poor. They are not people. They also cannot be cold and they cannot be hungry.

      • felix 8.1.2
        16 March 2011 at 8:47 pm

        Sorry Petard, which part are you agreeing with? Be specific, please.

        • Pete 8.1.2.1
          16 March 2011 at 8:56 pm

          ““If people worked harder and stopped spending so much money on things like booze, fags, gambling, phones, technology, appliances, plastic for kids, poorly selected food, “anti-aging” crap, anti-bacterial and other faux health crap, seasonal clothes, cars and chupachups many would not be so poor”.

          [lprent: And that is a reframing as well. Because based on my reading tonight – JH would never say that. I can’t be bothered checking if I’ve warned you before because my brain is fried (from tedium) after reading JH’s repeated arguments in comments. ]

          • felix 8.1.2.1.1
            16 March 2011 at 9:07 pm

            Bullshit.

            You don’t even want to pay minimum wages. That means you’ll always have a massive supply of poor people.

            Start again and try to maintain some consistency this time. Or would you rather I ignored everything else you’ve ever written here and at Kiwibog?

            • Pete 8.1.2.1.1.1
              16 March 2011 at 9:12 pm

              No. My quotation is factual, your quotation is craptual. You’re just trolling.

              • felix …
                16 March 2011 at 9:23 pm

                Really Pete? So show me where you “quoted” it from, thanks.

                • Pete …
                  16 March 2011 at 9:29 pm

                  It’s a quote from me.
                  Where is your quote from? It looks craptual, is it just trying to stir shit?

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    16 March 2011 at 9:35 pm

                    As I said, I think Felix’s synopsis is particularly concise and pithy. If you smell shit it’s because the stuff Felix wrote about stinks.

                  • felix …
                    16 March 2011 at 9:41 pm

                    lol, you “quoted” yourself? With actual quote marks?

                    You’re a dangerous man Pete.

                    • Pete …
                      16 March 2011 at 9:46 pm

                      So what about your “quote” felix? Did you “quote” yourself? With actual quote marks?

                    • felix …
                      16 March 2011 at 10:13 pm

                      No you moron it was a summary of Jeremy’s argument (which no-one but OBB has disputed and he’s busy now) and I said so at the time.

                      You’re really slipping Pete. Let me know if you ever intend to have an actual discussion about the post that isn’t scrawled in your excrement.

                      Here’s something to start with: According to the video above, the richest 400 people in America have more money than the poorest 150,000,000 combined.

                      Do you think the rich are 375,000 times better than everyone else? Do you think they work 375,000 times harder? Are they 375,000 times smarter?

                      If you answered “no” to those 3 questions I’d like to know how you reconcile those answers with, well, everything you’ve ever written on teh internet.

                      I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you’re getting on. ‘Nighty night. Mind the glaring contradictions in your third-rate philosophy don’t bite.

                    • Pete …
                      16 March 2011 at 10:40 pm

                      So it wasn’t actually a quote. But with quote marks. Quote marks usually signify a literal quote, not someone else’s interpreted summary with exaggeration (deliberate or otherwise) added.

                      I don’t know enough about you, so I don’t know if you are slipping or just sloppy.

                    • felix …
                      17 March 2011 at 10:35 am

                      Well my hopes weren’t high, but I thought you’d at least have a go.

                      Any chance of an answer to those 3 very easy questions, Pete? Or would you rather just carry on distracting attention away from the subject of the post?

    • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 8.2
      16 March 2011 at 8:23 pm

      Felix,

      The moderators don’t take kindly to people rewriting what authors (or even commentators) write. Re-framing is a particularly annoying type of diversion trolling that inevitably leads to some of the most stupid flame wars.

      • Colonial Viper 8.2.1
        16 March 2011 at 8:34 pm

        I thought Felix got his synopsis spot on. But if Jeremy thinks that any particular aspect is not quite right he’s welcome to clarify.

        • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 8.2.1.1
          16 March 2011 at 8:47 pm

          You’d have thought so but, apparently, that’s not the rule.

          • felix 8.2.1.1.1
            16 March 2011 at 8:49 pm

            So point out where I’ve re-framed Jeremy’s position and you get a lolly.

            Or are you just trying to start one of those stupid flame wars?

            (I like your lprent impersonation btw, that made me lol)

            • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 8.2.1.1.1.1
              16 March 2011 at 9:01 pm

              Umm,

              I am going to have to go with here. Or are you using “re-framing” in some way other than the way in which Lprent and I use it?

              [lprent: fixed the link so I could read it. you missed the http and added a single quote. You need to use right click, and copy link. Then paste. ]

              • felix …
                16 March 2011 at 9:08 pm

                Que? I don’t see any re-framing there. It’s the same argument Jeremy has been running all day.

                [lprent: Actually OOB is correct. It was reframing in that it is your interpretation of the effects of JH’s attitudes – not what JH explicitly or implicitly said.

                If you look back through JH’s comments (and I went back through a few hundred back to October), you’ll find that JH largely talks about reducing tax and his attitudes about how to achieve it and what the benefits are. His belief that wealthy people will voluntarily donate to worthy causes. And that a pure capitalistic system is inherently equitable to pople in society and today that anyone can get ahead starting from nothing.

                He doesn’t talk about the poor apart from a discussion in November on minimum wage vs beneficiary families.

                It is everyone else who talks about the effects of his ideas on the poor and equality of opportunity. JH never mentions them.

                Consider yourself chastised for paraphrasing JH’s arguments incorrectly. Apparently it is for the first time for reframing in th last year (had to write a frigging SQL query to scan your comments looking for notes).

                Incidentally, I had thought he’d argued the old conservative saw of the poor deserving what they got. That was the reason I scanned back so far. I was incorrect.

                However reading my way through JH’s comments, I’d have to say that I think he needs to read books on why unions formed when economic conditions were more like his ideals. ]

                • Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
                  16 March 2011 at 9:20 pm

                  OK. Let’s forget about the re-framing (even though I would have thought it is obvious that that is what you have done). I understand, on good authority, that a mere rewriting of what commentators have written is poor form. Usually, it leads to angry black correction (although perhaps you are special).

                  Do I get a lolly for that?

                  [lprent: it wasn’t that obvious because the statement can relate to older comments. I check previous history, which in the case of JH takes some time because I don’t follow his arguments as closely as I do for people that I have to warn frequently.. Then I have to check if we have warned Felix for that previously – which takes even longer. It takes time – don’t be so frigging impatient ]

    • felix 8.3
      16 March 2011 at 10:25 pm

      Sorry Lynn, I think I got my Jeremys and Petes mixed up with the references to the booze and fags.

      However I believe the rest of it stands as an accurate representation of Jeremy’s position – that anyone with a credit card can start a company and become a billionaire and we can all be richer than astronauts – which he’s put forward several times on this thread.

      • lprent 8.3.1
        17 March 2011 at 12:01 am

        Oh I’d have agreed with that. Along with the benevolent rich putting their hands out voluntarily to support the poor, an argument he has used today and in the past. It does happen. But I always remember how the charities of Liverpool got built on the profits of the slave trade.

        It was the poor people and their sins part that just wasn’t JH.

  9. Oleolebiscuitbarrell 9
    16 March 2011 at 9:46 pm

    I just knew that whole thing was going to end with you showing me your dick.

    [Well this moderator was rather enjoying this sparring match …up until about now. RL]

    • lprent 9.1
      16 March 2011 at 10:17 pm

      It is rather idiotic old style slagging, but he did cause me to expend half an hour and creatively write a generic SQL query for moderator notes. He does seem to be the impatient type and it was probably frustration

  10. felix 10
    16 March 2011 at 9:57 pm

    Remember, all of this horseshit from Pete, Jeremy et al is only to distract you from what you’ve just watched. Those numbers bear repeating:

    The richest 400 people in America have more than the bottom 150 million people.

    Let that sink in. That’s what they want you to forget about.

    • Pete 10.1
      16 March 2011 at 10:35 pm

      You presume far too much felix. I’m well aware of the obscenity of the wealth imbalances in the US especially. To a lesser extent here. It’s all very well saying it ain’t fair. But what is a fair way to fix it? A way that could actually work, not some idealistic wand waving fairy dust.

      Rampant capitalism is obscene. But capitalism may be like democracy, the least worst system. In practice communism is a proven, greater, failure, with communes of more than a few people. Even small communes have usually failed quite quickly, due to lazy pricks and greedy pricks and power pungry pricks.

      Funny, one of the main problems with capitalism is lazy pricks and greedy pricks and power hungry pricks too. Common denominator – fallible people, no matter what the system.

      What’s your solution?

      • RedLogix 10.1.1
        16 March 2011 at 10:59 pm

        Less fallible people?

      • felix 10.1.2
        17 March 2011 at 5:24 pm

        The solution, Pete my dear, is for the obscenely rich to not take so fucking much of the world’s resources.

        Why do you find that so hard to comprehend? If I’ve got 375,000 time more than you, and you’re starving, anyone who says they can’t see the solution is a liar, a thief, a cheat, a scoundrel or a dullard.

        Have you watched the video yet? The “THAT’S SOCIALISM!!” guy, that’s you right now Pete.

        • Pete 10.1.2.1
          17 March 2011 at 7:05 pm

          That’s not a solution, it’s a naive wish.

          How can the disparity in wealth problem be solved? I don’t mean some idealistic slogan, I don’t mean crude attempts to abuse people you know little about, I mean how can it really be solved? Real world. In a democracy? And what possible downsides and unintended consequences could there be to your solution?

          • KJT 10.1.2.1.1
            17 March 2011 at 7:06 pm

            91% wealth taxes in the USA worked.

            That was when the USA was most prosperous.

          • felix 10.1.2.1.2
            17 March 2011 at 10:37 pm

            Appararently you haven’t noticed – in your crusade against ideology – that your creed of “finders keepers” and “must not share lest we anger the gods of the market” is in fact an extremely ideological position to hold to. You should think about that. I mean it.

            I also note that you have totally failed to answer my simple question:

            Are the richest 400 people in America…
            a) 375,000 times better
            b) 375,000 times smarter
            c) 375,000 times more hard-working
            … than the poorest 150,000,000 people?

            Do you need more time to come up with an answer or have you passed already?

            • Pete 10.1.2.1.2.1
              18 March 2011 at 7:27 am

              Apparently you haven’t noticed – in your lame attempts to discredit people – some comments directed at you above, including Consider yourself chastised for paraphrasing – you seem to have a habit of posting “quotes” of other people that are bullshit misrepresentations. You should think about that.

              While you repeated your three questions you didn’t repeat your followup comment:

              If you answered “no” to those 3 questions I’d like to know how you reconcile those answers with, well, everything you’ve ever written on teh internet.

              That’s a pathetic attempt at trap questions isn’t it? You don’t want to know what I think or write, you’re trying to frame it yourself. A paraphrase pussy.

              Thanks for all the attention, but I can speak for myself ok.

              [lprent: That was the first time I can recall having to pull Felix up on misrepresenting the opinions of someone else in the last 3 years. As he said, he was probably just confusing two people.

              But remember that the moderators set the behavior standards here, neither you or any other commentator does. You can draw comments to our attention, but you cannot presume to tell people what they should do here. We view it as trying to tell us how to run our site – which is a self-martyrdom offense.

              You can try to tread the line but it is risky as hell, especially the IrishBill risk. ]

            • felix 10.1.2.1.2.2
              18 March 2011 at 10:51 am

              Call it a trap question if you like, call it anything you want. Should I call you Sarah Palin? She famously complained about “Gotcha journalism” by which she meant “being asked straight questions”.

              And that’s pretty much what you’re doing now. You’ve been asked a straight question and you’ve been lawyering over the phrasing of it for days rather than just answering it, which pretty much says all anyone needs to know about you.

              It’s a yes or no question, Pete. And it couldn’t be straighter. The fact that you’re worried about your previous statements being scrutinised in light of your answer is neither here nor there to the straightness or otherwise of this particular question.

              But your dilemma is clear. See to an empathic living breathing human there’s only one correct answer. And you can’t admit it because to do so exposes your entire philosophy for what it really is.

              So if it’s a trap, it’s one you’ve set for yourself. Hoist by your own Petard, you might say.

          • Billy Fish 10.1.2.1.3
            19 March 2011 at 10:21 pm

            “In a Democracy?”

            Asujming you are referrign to the US then you are making the mistake of stating it is a democracy. It is not, it is a Republic. May sound like symantics but it is actually a crucial difference.
            In a Democracy it would be unlikely to see wealth disparities of such a huge level

            There is some very interesting debate going on in the states on this subject – how to actually become a democracy and make peoples opinions count

            • Colonial Viper 10.1.2.1.3.1
              19 March 2011 at 11:46 pm

              Remember that a Republic is supposed to allow elected members of Government to consider and deliberate upon complicated issues of importance and make decision for the well being of the people and of the country.

              In the US this is not happening. Elected officials are making decisions based on the wellbeing of wealthy business interests and themselves.

            • Adele 10.1.2.1.3.2
              20 March 2011 at 8:16 am

              Teenaa koe, Billy Fish

              The classic definition of republic is simply a form of government whose head is not a monarch. The USA is a republic and a representative democracy whose powers are constrained by a constitution that protects the rights of the individual (whether it does or not is another discussion).

              Wealth disparity is simply fuel to the capitalist creed. A democracy that favours capitalism will always have wealth disparities. The hugeness of the disparity is a subjective call and raises the question – is there an acceptable level of wealth disparity?

  11. Oleolebiscuitbarrell 11
    16 March 2011 at 10:32 pm

    Hats off, ‘n’ that. I really thought the whole you-can’t-paraphrase-someone-else’s-argument-to-point-out-how-stupid-it-is would not be applied even-handedly. The revered Felix was a pretty good test of my scepticism and, to your complete credit, Lprent, you have applied it even-handedly.

    But don’t you think re-framing an argument really is a valid way of exploring it?

    • lprent 11.1
      16 March 2011 at 11:48 pm

      Nope. I have seen too many flamewars started that way. You can see a minor version in these comments. But they can run to hundreds of turgid comments about nothing. Boring as hell to read.

      The safest way is to just ask if your rephrased interpretation is correct. You will see hundreds of examples on site. That is requesting clarification and invites discussion. Clearly satirizing will also work. There are many other techniques that do as well.

      But simply restating and asserting this is what someone said is always fraught with problems of deliberate or accidental misinterpretation. It is frequently interpreted as a dominace behavioral ploy by our hardwiring with the usual results.

      So when it gets raised in comments I (or one of the other mods) will look at it when we see it – our styles differ about what we handle and how we handle it..

      Since I get to clean up the mess, I will wave the ban and sit in judgement. It has to be handled fairly (within and with my known quirks of bluntness and sarcasm) for people to accept it.

      I have to expend effort, so the person making it had better not have wasted my time. Playing the lawyer with nuisance suits is a self-martyrdom offense that I virtually always reward it with a ban.

      If it is a valid argument I give it a pretty good look to give a judgment, and always explain my reasoning so people understand what I am looking for.

      I am going to sometimes be wrong and there really is no appeal. But the cost of that is less than having an unreadable comments section.

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  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    6 days ago

  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago

  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago

  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand resumes peacekeeping force leadership
    New Zealand will again contribute to the leadership of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with a senior New Zealand Defence Force officer returning as Interim Force Commander. Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the deployment of New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • New national direction provides clarity for development and the environment
    The Government has taken an important step in implementing the new resource management system, by issuing a draft National Planning Framework (NPF) document under the new legislation, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “The NPF consolidates existing national direction, bringing together around 20 existing instruments including policy statements, standards, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Government shows further commitment to pay equity for healthcare workers
    The Government welcomes the proposed pay equity settlement that will see significant pay increases for around 18,000 Te Whatu Ora Allied, Scientific, and Technical employees, if accepted said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. The proposal reached between Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • 100 new public EV chargers to be added to national network
    The public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identity
    Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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