Abortion is a crime, a crime Colin believes in, and wants the votes of people who believe its a crime.
Progressives see an attack on women right to choose, choose how to live their lives, own property, marry who they want, and choose for themselves when it comes to their own body.
Yet for decades, the fundamentalists wouldn’t listen, that women weren’t the best people to choose what was best for themselves.
I don’t see how a women acting in self defense to remove a homicidal fetus can even be a crime.
craig is a fool. he suffers from the socratic disease. i.e. because he knows somehting he thinks he knows everything. plus his theology is shallow and paltry and un-christian. he is too busy trying to make people do what he wants them to do rather than finding out what they need and then trying to do something for them.
“…..Craig ……. he suffers from the socratic disease. i.e. because he knows somehting he thinks he knows everything…..plus his theology is shallow and paltry and un-christian……”
Jesus never walked on earth being all nice and cuddly. I don’t have a problem with Mr craig speaking up. Or anyone else for that matter.
And then you went on to say this:
“…..he is too busy trying to make people do what he wants them to do rather than finding out what they need and then trying to do something for them…..”
Can’t really remember Jesus doing too much for people – other than teaching them lessons – so that they can make better choices – and then do things all by themselves.
Mr Craig is certainly on to human dignity – and it’s virtues of self reliance, resourcefulness ect there!
Everyone is giving him the party vote as he’s different – he’s the counter culture – the cool one!
You also don’t appear to understand Christianity in the slightest while trying to pretend that you do.
As for trying to compare Colin Craig to Jesus Christ in the same sentence…congratulations for baking today’s outstanding What The Fuck cake on The Standard.
craig is a fool. he suffers from the socratic disease
Don’t know what you are on about with here, Colin Craig doesn’t count but we sure could do with a few more politicians able to use the socratic method properly.
Which part of “mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem in hoc cognoscent omnes quia mei discipuli estis si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem” do you not understand?
Sounds like your Jesus had been tainted by the 20th century / 21st century neo-con vision that says that only those who have the wherewithall to help themselves are going to get any help from the heavens above! What a load of old cobblers! I remember stories about Jesus feeding multitudes and surely that was a parable resting on his desire to help and serve the masses. No Jesus was not a right wing nutter who declared a belief in self reliance what ever that may be in what is the community of man.
That’s insulting. There is no evidence that ET was ever a fiscal or social conservative, and anyway, he looked far too much like Ronald Reagan, although less senile.
could some clever person out there make a gif of him walking..?
..he has that unique gait..
..that elbow/arm action going on..
..that just screams for a soundtrack/to be gifed..
..and y’know..!..not everyone in national is a libertarian nihilist..(just key/joyce/collins etc etc..)
..and there must be many in that party internally screaming:..’no..!..f.f.s..!..he thinks the moon-landings were shot on a soundstage in the desert outside of phoenix..!..
..what are you thinking..?..
..we’d rather have peters than that clown..!..’..)’
I don’t believe it ! This isn’t a real poster, is it Mickey ? No-one would be so stupid as to put a poster like that out for electioneering, would they ? ? ?
According to the bible heaven is not just inhabited by seraphim and cherubim but also good Christians who have died and then “ascended”. Unfortunately under New Zealand law the dead are not allowed to vote, and so poor ol’ Colin is out of luck there as well.
oops! error… In the last line substitute the word poor for rich
The “son of Helen” allusion presumably means ‘we will put the breaks on any Nat/Key tendency toward moral liberalism’. Then again, maybe it’s a suggestion that Clark had dictatorial tendencies (a common Tory meme) and that Craig will ensure Key doesn’t move in the same direction (to which I’d say: Too Late).
“Son of National ?” seems to be a particularly vague and clumsy way of trying to differentiate Craig/the Cons from National. Presumably ties in with the idea of “serving” rather than “self” and of being truly conservative as opposed to Key – the “liberal” Son of Helen.
That’s the closest I can come to making any sense of it. But, a really poorly thought out poster.
Why does he want to portray himself as the son of national… And confuse some fundies that he is in the national party and give their party vote to the wrong party
So, Craig is hoping to pick up those National voters who have become unhappy with National. Then he’s going to enter into a partnership with… National… In doing so he will be able to prevent John Key from becoming Helen Clark’s… son… You can believe this because Colin Craig is National’s… son… maybe (question mark).
Oh or maybe The Christian party or whatever it’s called will be National’s ‘son’ when the enter into the coalition. And as the ‘son’ they will be able to keep John Key, the ‘father’ from becoming Helen Clark. (Myself I’m not so convinced that a) this might happen or b) that it would be a bad thing.) So what is the Holy Ghost then? This doesn’t seem clear in the poster, disappointing.
If someone has a better way to interpret this I’d like to hear it.
Well, if he wants to be seen as a Christ-like figure then maybe we should just take him at his word and Nail him up !, Nail him up, I say !, Nail some sense into him !. Crucifixion ? Best thing the Romans ever did for us. And, if nothing else, IT’S TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT THE ROMANS !, AND IT’S TAUGHT ME THAT YOU’LL NEVER GET ANYWHERE IN THIS LIFE UNLESS YOU’RE PREPARED TO DO A FAIR DAY”S WORK FOR A FAIR DAY”S PAY !
Jeepers that poster gave me the creeps – what the hell does it even mean, the whole poster doesn’t make any sense at all. I looked for the parody tags and seriously I wanted to find them.
WO – and he who will not be named at YourNZ – now have up another unbelievably bizarre Conservative Party poster entitled “They’re OUT OF CONTROL running around as if THEY OWN THE PLACE”.
I won’t provide links, to WO or YourNZ on principle and cannot seem to copy the poster itself to provide a link. Hopefully someone here who is more tech-savvy will do so and post it here as it is definitely a Must See!
In brief it focusses on Key, English, Joyce and Charlie Wilson and presents them as cocks of the chicken variety with brief ‘notes’ on each – and a centre comment ” Let’s put them back in the coop September 20″.
How not to win friends and influence people. IMO, if this goes viral, it could be the end of any accommodation by National to the Conservatives.
Incidentially, the poster is not on the Conservatives’ website, but does bear a Conservative Party authorisation.
As I noted in the above comment, WO – and he who cannot be named in case he appears – have posted yet another bizarre Conservative Party poster that has to be seen to be believed.
As I said above, it was not on the Conservative Party website when I checked earlier today. And I amend my final comment above to “does bear a Vote for the Conservative Party motto”, rather than authorisation.
What, even more so than Colin’s ruminations that he’s (ahem) ‘neither one way nor the other’ and has been seriously talking about crossbench occupation if the Nats are foolish enough to gift them a seat or help them over the MMP five percent threshold? I think that may have started the current distancing on the centre-right, as well as the Conservative Party’s continually basement level opinion polling. And Peter Dunne hates their guts for an obvious reason (spelt Gordon Copeland). It’s also difficult to see the Maori Party working with them, given the Conservatives radical anti-Treaty stance.
The arrogance very clear to me is that if McCully, professor of the darkest arts, relinquishes his East Coast Bays seat so late that National cannot/ will not nominate another candidate in his place, as suggested on Stuff this morning … by what polling/logic or insanity do they simply assume that National voters will be so easily manipulated to vote for batshit crazy Craig instead? How will voters be with this arrogant arrangement? Me? I would automatically be forced to vote Green or IMP !
Why would they vote Chemtrail Colin ? East Coast Bays ? My dahling boy, jesting you must be !!
Expect Craig to get stranger as the campaign progresses. He is very risky for National. The Nats best option is to go hard against him and drive his vote down to limit the damage to the right to about half a percent. If they accommodate him they could easily lose half a percent anyway by association as his narcissism becomes more and more apparent. I don’t see real upside for the right in the Conservatives, only risk.
Sorry Micky, you can do better, this is a bit mischievous, cheeky and below the belt, I must say, hey, now I feel tempted to vote for Colin Craig, thanks for the “motivation”!
memo to cc – your photos make you look creepy – no one wears a suit in the grass unless they are sneaking around and the pose is, well, better to take your shirt off to convey the pinup look more successfully.
Last month I noted that the public policy debate was all about how we deal with covid-19. That’s changing now, and will change more over the next couple of months as the buffering impact of the wage subsidy disappears and we see starkly the economic hole out of which we ...
The mission of the New Zealand Police is to make this country the safest nation in the world. To achieve that aim, there is one important step the police need to take at the end of this month. When the evaluation of the Armed Response Teams’ trial is completed, the ...
The right of employees to strike is an internationally recognised employment right that has been a feature of New Zealand’s industrial relations system for over a century, albeit with different constraints and limitations at different times. Although more restricted, this right even continued under the anti-union Employment Contracts Act (1993-2000). ...
Bernard Hickey is one of New Zealand’s leading financial journalists. His latest article, published by Newsroom, lays bare the cruel treatment of hundreds of thousands of workers stranded since the lockdown. Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of ...
For a good part of my adult life I have studied civil-military relations. I have studied authoritarian and democratic variants, and I have studied them across countries and regions. I have also worked in and with several US security agencies and have lectured on the theme at a number of ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf we stopped oil, gas and coal extraction immediately – ...
by The Spark “The system is broken”—the words of a young black man in Minneapolis watching flames destroy a police precinct demonstrators had torched. Broken? Yes, it is! What else could you say about a system whose police for nine minutes casually knelt on a black man’s neck, watching until ...
The latest opinion poll is out, and it’s more bad news for the National Party, with Roy Morgan putting them on only 26.5% support, against Labour’s 56.5%. You can see the details here: Roy Morgan May opinion poll. Roy Morgan is regarded as less accurate than other polling companies, and the ...
When miners pillage conservation land, they are typically required to "rehabilitate" it afterwards. Its not much compared to the damage they do, but its something. But apparently even that is now too much to expect. NZG Limited, a company owned by Oravida directors James Blackwell, Julia Jiyan Xu, Stone Shi, ...
Like everyone else, I've spent too much of the weekend watching the protests in America, and the increasingly brutal response to them. The overwhelming impression is of a nationwide police riot, as people speaking out against a murder and demanding change are beaten, gassed and shot by racist, militarised thugs ...
In mid-April, as New Zealand entered its fourth week of alert level 4, the Prime Minister warned us not to make comparisons with other countries over our Covid-19 pandemic response. This extraordinary advice came after Simon Bridges had urged the government to adopt a less-stringent lockdown similar to those in ...
Wales has lowered the voting age to 16: 16 and 17 year olds can now officially vote in Wales for Senedd elections. Votes at 16 & 17 come into force on Monday, as part of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020. Next year’s Senedd elections will ...
The government announced more changes to the ETS today, including to the emissions budget for 2021 - 2025. The overall budget for that period will stay at 354 million tons of CO2-equivalent. But the ETS component of that - stockpile reduction, free allocation, and credits to be auctioned - budget ...
The new National Party leader, Todd Muller, had been at pains to portray himself as a solid, serious, safe pair of hands, in contrast to the increasingly Trumpian leanings of Simon Bridges, who Muller deposed in a leadership coup last Friday. But after an uneventful, if uninspiring, first press conference, ...
Minneapolis Police StationIf you’ve been keeping an eye on recent events in the United States, you’ll likely understand why there’s so much anger on the streets at the moment. Not only did police officers murder another black man; it is patently obvious that authorities initially attempted to cover up George ...
Becoming the leader of a political party is a bit like having a baby. Not so much the screaming and sleepless nights, as the fact that you’ve waited and hope and planned for something and it’s finally here. And when that wonderful gift finally arrives, you want to be ready, ...
The US appears to be headed towards what Antonio Gramsci and other Italian political theorists call an “organic crisis of the State.” It involves the simultaneous and compounded fractures of economy, society and politics, which together constitute a tipping point in a nation’s history. Social contradictions are exacerbated, class and ...
Like the rest of the world, I have been aghast at what I have seen of, and read and heard about, what is happening currently in the United States. It seems incredible that a once great country should be suffering the worst effects and the highest number of deaths worldwide ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week...
Climate concerns as Siberia experiences record-breaking heatHeat wave sparks concerns about devastating wildfire season and melting permafrost.Satellite ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 24 through Sat, May 30, 2020Editor's ChoiceAntarctic Ocean Reveals New Signs of Rapid Melt of Ancient Ice, Clues About Future Sea Level RiseA study of seafloor ripples ...
It’s almost painful to watch. Let’s be honest, maybe a pleasure too, in some quarters, but painful nonetheless. Because the fact is, for a democracy to function properly, any sitting Government does need honest and proper Opposition so that it doesn’t get ahead of itself. That’s what we should ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk A banner on the International Energy Agency website spells it out in bold font: “The global oil industry is experiencing a shock like no other in its history.” As the response to the coronavirus pandemic upends the lives of billions of ...
The ownership of newspapers and televison channels is in turmoil, and they want to redisorganise public broadcasting. *Three years ago, I expressed concern in a column about the future of the (traditional) media. Nothing has happened since to reduce the concern. It was based on an earlier column which ...
Australia's High Court has ruled that the "palace letters" between the queen and then-Governor-General John Kerr are public records rather than private papers: Historian Jenny Hocking has won her High Court bid to access the letters exchanged between then governor-general Sir John Kerr and the Queen around the time of ...
SATURDAY MAY 30Six60: Live at Western Springs 2020 (TVNZ 1, 8.45pm). Remember live concerts? The day will come again, friends, when we will be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an uncomfortable sweaty venue with people we don’t know. It will happen. Sometimes the sound of concerts drifts over to the ...
New Zealand and its prime minister Jacinda Ardern have received international attention and praise, rightly so, for decisive leadership, clear communication and scientific management of the coronavirus pandemic. Observers point out that the nation has been through multiple crises under Ardern’s leadership – such as the Christchurch terrorist attack and ...
…a lot of things unrelated to the pandemic were happening. Relatively little attention was given to some major events on the global stage, so I thought I would do a quick recap of some of the high (or low) -lights, starting with something familiar. The common theme throughout is human ...
Labour's talk of gutting the RMA to push through "shovel ready" projects to boost employment after the pandemic predictably has every half-arsed pipe-dream crawling out of the woodwork demanding special treatment. Today, it's the West Coast inbreds, who are demanding a host of laws be rescinded so they can dig ...
"I can't breathe, Mama. I'm dying." - Last words of George Floyd.LOOK HARD at this image. Think about what it depicts. Ask yourself how one human-being could behave so brutally when so many eye-witnesses – and very soon millions of people online around the world – were there to watch ...
Since the government announced its pandemic wage subsidy, there have been regular stories about companies taking it and then sacking or refusing to pay their workers - essentially committing fraud. But how often does this happen? The Minister just doesn't want to know: Government ministers are not receiving up to ...
"You call that a conservative?Nah, this is a conservative!" New Zealanders are in the market for a quiet and reassuring small-c conservative political centrist. The critical question, however, is which politician is currently playing that role? Who has mastered the art of relaxed, informal and intimate political communication? Who ...
I’VE OFTEN WONDERED if South African immigrants passing through towns like Kerikeri and Kaikohe ever wonder how we do it. In their homeland, through the bitter years of Apartheid, keeping the races segregated required pass laws, Alsatian dogs, tear gas, rubber bullets and, all-too-often, live rounds. Not here. Not in ...
Below is the list of gender-critical material which appeared on Redline from July 31, 2019 to September 30, 2019. Sports categories must be by sex, not gender identity Queer theory glossary Woke misogyny and homophobia: a gay critique of trans ideology Another unfortunate experiment? New Zealand’s transgender health policy and ...
Smart Energy Europe: A Plan to provide 100% of ALL ENERGY using Renewable Energy to EuropeIntroductionAll Energy renewable energy systems are often commented on here at Skeptical Science. Many comments suggest that it will be difficult, expensive or impossible to use renewable energy to power the world. To ...
The government released its Action for Healthy Waterways package today, ostensibly with the goal of cleaning up our rivers and making them swimmable within a generation. Doing that, of course, requires confronting the cow in the room: the dairy industry which causes most of the pollution. But while they've imposed ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzI would like to know if New Zealand’s carbon emissions ...
Simon Lamb, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Timothy Stern, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonBack in the 1970s, scientists came up with a revolutionary idea about how Earth’s deep interior works. They proposed it is slowly churning like a lava lamp, with buoyant ...
Remember KiwiBuild? Previously the government's flagship policy, it was supposed to build thousands of new homes every year for kiwi families. But instead of flooding the market, we've got a pathetic dribble: The Government's former flagship housing policy is so far behind schedule it will take more than 400 years ...
Don Franks Now Covid-19 restrictions allow gatherings of a hundred, an urgent hui needs calling. A special conference of the Council of Trade Unions. Today, workers face the greatest attack on employment, pay and conditions since the depression, we need a strong united union voice. As it stands now, organised ...
George Henderson New Zealand schools have introduced a climate change resource that suggests children “eat less meat and dairy”, even though teachers will not know how much meat or dairy any child in their care has eaten. Opinion pieces in the papers have called for the reduction of meat and ...
Questioning the number of district health boards in New Zealand has got to the extent that “too many DHBs” has become a perceived truth requiring no further elaboration. It is rarely challenged by policy advisers, academics, and journalists. But when one drills down further it becomes clear that the number ...
The emergence of a new National party leader, seemingly out of nowhere, has – not surprisingly – raised a number of questions as to who Todd Mulller actually is and what makes him tick. He has been an MP for some time but seems to have hidden his light under ...
Costa Rica has become the first country in Central America to recognise same-sex marriage: The first same-sex weddings have taken place in Costa Rica, the first Central American country to equalise its marriage legislation. A lesbian couple became the first to tie the knot in a ceremony that took ...
There's a new twist in the Winston Peters secret donation story. It appears that a significant chunk of NZ First's secret laundered donations goes straight into the pockets of the people administering the scheme: Tens of thousands in donor's funds given to the New Zealand First Foundation were spent paying ...
Is Todd Muller the Ned Flanders of the National Party? This is how he’s been characterised by political commentator Gordon Campbell, who suggests the change in leadership is, in Simpsons terms, akin to swapping the scary and cruel Monty Burns for Homer Simpson’s compassionate but conservative neighbour. There’s almost a ...
We all know that many so-called journalists and political commentators in New Zealand work directly or indirectly for political parties or for certain political factions. This was obviously the case when pundit for hire Matthew Hooton launched a campaign against then National Party leader, Simon Bridges, over their numerous polling ...
Let's Roll! The easy victory over a Bridges-led National Party which the Left had every cause to anticipate just a few days ago is no longer in the offing. Our enemy’s position has changed. His numbers are swelling. A rapid thrust to the left, followed by an audacious outflanking manoeuvre ...
New National Party leader Todd Muller has been interviewed about his policies, and has promised to restart offshore fossil fuel exploration if elected: The Bay of Plenty MP rolled former leader Simon Bridges last week, but says the party has not changed its stance on previous promises. "That is ...
Anyone who keeps an eye on evidence around cannabis and public health will be familiar with the Christchurch Health and Development Study. It's one of two local longitudinal studies frequently cited with respect to cannabis and youth development. But in a new article in the New Zealand Medical Journal, it is ...
In the age of covid we are Jacinda’s team of five million, except for some. There has rarely been a more blatant case of discrimination against beneficiaries than Grant Robertson’s announcement yesterday that people who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus will receive weekly payments of $490 per week for 12 weeks and $250 per week for part time ...
It was 75 years ago this month that Germany surrendered and the Allies celebrated VE (Victory in Europe) Day. Millions of people around the world had been killed and many more injured or captured. It was an end to war not just for Europeans, but their allies too, in countries across Africa. But its impact is ...
Well, we are out of lockdown, essentially. I did end up getting the wage subsidy while we were on levels 3 and 4 but I would have been fine if we didn’t. The first day of level 2, the Thursday, the office opened again for the people who weren’t able ...
Watching Todd Muller make his first speech as the newly minted Leader of the Opposition after Simon Bridges’ defenestration on Friday brought to mind a headmaster addressing a school assembly. He showed no particular desire to ingratiate himself with his audience although the occasional flash of self-deprecating humour indicated a ...
The government has announced another income support scheme for people affected by the economic aftershocks of the pandemic: a $490 a week tax-free payment for the newly unemployed, which you can get even if you have a working partner. Which is great, because its supporting people who need help, but ...
The Greens have released their party list, and it contains a few surprises. The one that's getting all the news is that the membership are clearly fans of Chlöe Swarbrick, and she has worked hard to earn that. But they've also favoured incumbent protection over new blood, and in the ...
age credit:Science and Politics – Skeptically.org It seems impossible to keep politics out of science. It’s a pity because politics can end up forcing science to produce the results desired by ...
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Matthew Parry, Dr Ayesha Verrall, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Martin Eichner (author details*)This blog details a recent modelling study we conducted. In it we estimated that it would take between 27 and 33 days of no new detected cases of COVID-19 for there to be ...
The 2015 Schol Bio paper included a question about a group of birds known as honeycreepers, specifically, the 56 species endemic to the Hawaiian islands. (Or, were endemic: 18, or perhaps 19, are still living; the others are extinct.) Students who’ve already had a look at this paper as part of ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... What a Week’s Disasters Tell Us About Climate and the PandemicExtreme weather presents an even bigger threat ...
Todd Muller has made a good start to his leadership, though it would obviously be pretty stupid to extrapolate too much from the first couple of days. Nevertheless, as a matter of speculation, it is interesting to think what success on his part might say about the preferences of the ...
A guest post by Hamish Price.“A leader is a dealer in hope.”— Napoléon BonaparteCatholics have a name for potential successors to a dead pope. Papabile. The small coterie of distinguished cardinals who have what it takes to step up. Todd Muller has always been one.I first met Muller at a National ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 17 through Sat, May 23, 2020Editor's ChoiceMore than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areasA man salvages items from ...
Two poor political polls within the same week had seen National for the first time in over a decade dropping major support in the face of a competent and assured COVID-19 health response from the Coalition government. Step forward the relatively unknown Todd Muller, who by Friday afternoon had secured ...
SUNDAY MAY 24The Luminaries (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). There are an awful lot of indeterminate accents in The Luminaries; even lead Eve Hewson seems undecided about being Irish, and she is Irish. Fair play, accents can go badly wrong, so perhaps not over-egging was a consideration. Marton Csokas, always impeccable, and Himesh Patel ...
SUNDAY MAY 24The Luminaries (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). There are an awful lot of indeterminate accents in The Luminaries; even lead Eve Hewson seems undecided about being Irish, and she is Irish. Fair play, accents can go badly wrong, so perhaps not over-egging was a consideration. Marton Csokas, always impeccable, and Himesh Patel ...
Let’s be honest; Simon Bridges was a disaster of a political leader. If he wasn’t attempting to criticise the Government’s perfectly good policy initiatives that the public generally supported, he was fudging his lines after getting caught out in yet another lie. When Jami-Lee Ross said Bridges “is a flawed individual ...
The media treat budgets as bit of a circus: lots of theatre and soon forgotten. For a serious economist they show how a team of economists is thinking about the wider economy. The 2020 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) was the most difficult forecasting exercise in the history of ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First is disappointed that the removal of the spousal deductions has had to be delayed by the Ministry fo Social Development, due to COVID19 workload pressures. “New Zealand First has always stood for fairness when it comes to superannuation ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First On the steps of Parliament today the Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters received a petition from registered nurse Anna Maria Coervers, requesting an amendment to the Protection for First Responders Bill which will ensure the legislation also include registered ...
It's been a busy seven days as we start to rebuild New Zealand together. From delivering extra support for small businesses, to investing in our artists and arts organisations, to cutting red tape on home DIY projects, we're rolling out our plan to get the economy and New Zealand moving ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says alert level 2 restrictions have to be discussed during today's Cabinet meeting. Thousands gathered across the country, including at Parliament, yesterday forBlack Lives Matter marcheswhere social distancing and mass gathering rules were flouted. Mr Peters said the breaching of Alert Level 2 rules at ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State Owned Enterprises KiwiRail’s Northland rail upgrade steps up another gear today and will help Northland recover from the impacts of COVID-19, State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters says. The Government is investing $204.5 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to ...
“Today and every day we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family, friends and community who feel pain and fear about his untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis police”, said Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson. ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Hon Eugenie Sage, Minister of Conservation The West Coast forests of Mount Te Kinga at Kotuku Whakaoho/Lake Brunner are the latest predator free project to receive Government funding, announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
The Green Party says major freshwater reforms announced today provide the strongest ever protections of our waterways, to help ensure the next generation can swim in the rivers of Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party has begun the process for a Select Committee inquiry into student accommodation, which has been exposed during COVID-19 as an under-regulated sector that straddles students with unfair debt. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Megan Woods, Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Hon Dr David Clark, Minister of Health Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, and Health Minister David Clark today announced a COVID-19 vaccine strategy, ...
Budget 2020 is about rebuilding together, supporting jobs, getting business moving and the books back into the black. It’s an integral part of our COVID-19 economic response, and our plan to grow our economy and get New Zealand moving again.Here’s a quick look at the five top things you ...
The Coalition Government has approved $206 million in essential upgrades at Ōhakea Air Base. Defence Minister Ron Mark said the money would be spent on improving old infrastructure. He said safety issues would be addressed, as well as upgrades to taxiways, accommodation and fresh, storm and waste water systems. "This ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First “I am not persisting with this case just for myself, but for all people who have had their privacy breached. Privacy of information is a cornerstone of our country’s democracy. Without it our society truly faces a bleak future. We now ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones has introduced a Bill to Parliament that he says will "force more transparency, integrity and respect" for the domestic wood-processing sector through the registration of log traders and practice standards. The Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill had its first reading in ...
Green MP Golriz Ghahraman is joining over 300 lawmakers from around the world in calling on the big banks and the IMF to forgive the debt of developing countries, in the wake of the COVID crisis. ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones says concerns that carbon foresters are planting pine trees that will never be harvested are the result of "misinformation". "The billion tree strategy is an excellent idea, unfortunately from time to time it's tainted by misinformation spread by the National Party or their grandees, hiding in scattered ...
The Green Party welcomes funding in the budget to reunite more refugees with their families, ensuring they have the best chance at a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
This year’s Budget is about rebuilding New Zealand together in the face of COVID-19. Jobs are central to how we’re going to do that.There’s a lot of targeted investment for employment in this year’s Budget, with announcements on creating new jobs, training people for the jobs we have, and supporting ...
Young people in Waikato will be the first to have free access to period products in schools in another step to support children and young people in poverty,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. During term 3, the Ministry of Education will begin providing free period products to schools following the ...
The Minister of Police Stuart Nash has issued the following statement in response to charges filed against three Police officers this morning in the New Plymouth District Court. “Any incident involving a loss of life in Police custody is taken very seriously. The charges today reflect the gravity of the ...
Further temporary changes to NCEA and University Entrance (UE) will support senior secondary school students whose teaching and learning have been disrupted by COVID-19. “The wellbeing of students and teachers is a priority. As we are all aware, COVID-19 has created massive disruption to the school system, and the Government ...
Minister for Racing Winston Peters today announced that the terms for the directors of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) have been extended to 30 June 2021. Due to the COVID-19 crisis the transition period has been extended to ensure that the Racing Industry Bill can complete its progress through ...
The deadline for landlords to include detailed information in their tenancy agreements about how their property meets the Healthy Homes Standards, so tenants can see the home they are renting is compliant, has been extended from 1 July 2020 to 1 December 2020. The Healthy Homes Standards became law on 1 July 2019. The Standards are ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little today announced details of further appointments to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. “I am pleased to announce Paula Rose QSO OStJ as Deputy Chief Commissioner for a term of five years commencing on 15 June 2020,” said Andrew Little. “I am also pleased to announce the ...
The Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund (TTAF) will pay costs of learners of all ages to undertake vocational education and training The fund will target support for areas of study and training that will give learners better employment prospects as New Zealand recovers from COVID-19 Apprentices working in all industries ...
The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will finally start to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pollution as it was originally intended to, because of changes announced today by the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw. The changes include a limit on the total emissions allowed within the ETS, rules to ensure ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List provides an abundance of examples that Pacific people’s leadership capability is unquestionable in Aotearoa. “The work and the individuals we acknowledge this year highlights the kind of visionary examples and dedicated community leadership that we need ...
The Government is backing a new $27 million project aimed at boosting sustainable horticulture production and New Zealand’s COVID-19 recovery efforts, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “Our horticulture sector has long been one of New Zealand’s export star performers, contributing around $6 billion a year to our economy. During and ...
Applications have opened for 2021 Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – Forestry Scholarships, which will support more Māori and women to pursue careers in forestry science, says Forestry Minister Shane Jones. “I’m delighted Te Uru Rākau is offering Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – Forestry Scholarships for the third year running. These ...
The Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List once again highlights the dedication by many to looking after our native plants and wildlife, including incredible work to restore the populations of critically endangered birds says Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. Anne Richardson of Hororata has been made an Officer of the New ...
The Government will invest $10 million from the One Billion Trees Fund for large-scale planting to provide jobs in communities and improve the environment, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Forestry Minister Shane Jones have announced. New, more flexible funding criteria for applications will help up to 10 catchment groups plant ...
Organisations that support women are invited to apply to a new $1,000,000 fund as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response. “We know women, and organisations that support women, have been affected by COVID-19. This new money will ensure funding for groups that support women and women’s rights,” said Minister for ...
Healthier waterways are front and centre in a new project involving more than 300 King Country sheep, beef and dairy farmers. The Government is investing $844,000 in King Country River Care, a group that helps farmers to lift freshwater quality and farming practice, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “Yesterday ...
A major funding package for libraries will allow them to play a far greater role in supporting their communities and people seeking jobs as part of the economic recovery from COVID-19. “Budget 2020 contains over $60 million of funding to protect library services and to protect jobs,” says Internal Affairs ...
A jobseekers programme for the creative sector and four new funds have been set up by the Government to help our arts and music industry recover from the blow of COVID-19. Thousands of jobs will be supported through today’s $175 million package in a crucial economic boost to support the ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has welcomed the First Reading of a Bill that will make legislative changes to further improve the veterans’ support system. The Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill No 2, which will amend the Veterans’ Support Act 2014, passed First Reading today. The bill addresses a number of ...
Views sought on Order in Council to help fast track the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Hon Poto Williams, will be seeking public written comment, following Cabinet approving the drafting of an Order in Council aimed at fast-tracking the reinstatement of the ...
The law setting out New Zealanders’ basic civil and human rights is today one step towards being strengthened following the first reading of a Bill that requires Parliament to take action if a court says a statute undermines those rights. At present, a senior court can issue a ‘declaration of ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today reiterated the deep concern of the New Zealand Government following confirmation by China’s National People’s Congress of national security legislation relating to Hong Kong. “New Zealand shares the international community’s significant and long-standing stake in Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand ...
Thousands of artists and creatives at hundreds of cultural and heritage organisations have been given much-needed support to recover from the impact of COVID-19, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern announced today. “The cultural sector was amongst the worst hit by the global pandemic,” Jacinda ...
Key New Zealand assets will be better protected from being sold to overseas owners in a way contrary to the national interest, with the passage of the Overseas Investment (Urgent Measures) Bill. The Bill, which passed its third reading in Parliament today, also cuts unnecessary red tape to help attract ...
Setting higher health standards at swimming spots Requiring urban waterways to be cleaned up and new protections for urban streams Putting controls on higher-risk farm practices such as winter grazing and feed lots Setting stricter controls on nitrogen pollution and new bottom lines on other measures of waterway health Ensuring ...
The Government is on the verge of reaching its target of state sector boards and committees made up of at least 50 percent women, says Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter and Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa. For the first time, the Government stocktake measures the number of Māori, ...
The Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister and Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister, Kris Faafoi, has today announced the appointment of Tristan Gilbertson as the new Telecommunications Commissioner and member of the Commerce Commission. “Mr Gilbertson has considerable experience in the telecommunications industry and a strong reputation amongst his peers,” ...
The Ministry of Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa have agreed to settle the pay equity claim for teacher aides, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This will see more than 22,000 teacher aides, mostly women, being valued and paid fairly for the work they do. “Teacher aides are frontline ...
Subcontractors will have greater certainty, more cashflow support and job security with new changes to retention payments under the Construction Contracts Act says Minister for Building and Construction, Jenny Salesa. A recent review of the retentions money regime showed that most of the building and construction sector is complying with ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have marked the first anniversary of the New Zealand-Singapore Enhanced Partnership with a virtual Leaders’ Meeting today. The Enhanced Partnership, signed on 17 May 2019, provides the framework for cooperation across the four main areas of trade, defence and ...
On 17 May 2019, New Zealand and Singapore established an Enhanced Partnership to elevate our relations. The Enhanced Partnership – based on the four pillars of trade and economics, security and defence, science, technology and innovation, and people-to-people links – has seen the long-standing relationship between our countries strengthen over the ...
State-Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters has welcomed KiwiRail’s announcement that it is seeking a preferred shipyard to build two new rail-enabled ferries for the Cook Strait crossing. “This Government is committed to restoring rail to its rightful place in New Zealand. Bigger, better ships, with new technology are yet another ...
Better protection for seabirds is being put in place with a new National Plan of Action to reduce fishing-related captures, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The National Plan of Action for Seabirds 2020 outlines our commitment to reduce fishing-related captures and associated seabird ...
Almost $1 billion in interest-free loans for small businesses More than 55,000 businesses have applied; 95% approved Average loan approx. $17,300 90% of applications from firms with ten or fewer staff A wide cross-section of businesses have applied, the most common are the construction industry, accommodation providers, professional firms, and ...
Thousands of children will have healthier lungs after the Government’s ban on smoking in cars with kids becomes law, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. This comes after the third reading of Smoke-free Environments (Prohibiting Smoking in Motor Vehicles Carrying Children) Amendment Bill earlier today. “This law makes it ...
The special Epidemic Response Committee (ERC) has successfully concluded its role, Leader of the House Chris Hipkins said today. The committee was set up on 25 March by the agreement of Parliament to scrutinise the Government and its actions while keeping people safe during levels 4 and 3 of lockdown. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced four diplomatic appointments: New Zealand’s Ambassador to Belgium, High Commissioners to Nauru and Niue, and Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. “As the world seeks to manage and then recover from COVID-19, our diplomatic and trade networks are more important than ever,” Mr Peters said. “The ...
New Zealanders will be better protected from online harm through a Bill introduced to Parliament today, says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “The internet brings many benefits to society but can also be used as a weapon to spread harmful and illegal content and that is what this legislation targets,” ...
New Zealand’s world-first plan to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis is on track the latest technical data shows, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “Two years ago the Government, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand and industry partners made a bold decision to go hard and commit ...
Further support for New Zealanders affected by 1-in-100 year global economic shock 12-week payment will support people searching for new work or retraining Work programme on employment insurance to support workers and businesses The Government today announced a new temporary payment to support New Zealanders who lose their jobs due ...
The Provincial Growth Fund will play a vital role in New Zealand’s post-COVID-19 recovery by creating jobs in shorter timeframes through at least $600 million being refocused on projects with more immediate economic benefits, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The funding is comprised of repurposed Provincial Growth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will provide eligible owner-occupiers with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home or extensively renovate an existing one. The scheme – estimated to cost up to $688 million – will not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Purnendra Jain, Adjunct Professor, Asian Studies, University of Adelaide Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will finally hold a virtual summit this week after efforts to meet in person were scuttled by the bushfires and coronavirus. The meeting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Popular Entertainment Studies and Science in Fiction Studies, Australian National University Bloodsucker, leech, tick – few things have a reputation worse than parasites. But these biological hangers-on also have a comic cultural history. In biology, a ...
By RNZ News The organisers of Black Lives Matter protests in several main centres will not be prosecuted. On Monday, thousands gathered at several events around the country for Black Lives Matter marches in solidarity with protesters in the United States after the police killing of George Floyd. The protests ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Fletcher, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington One of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s favourite exhortations is that we all “be kind” to one another. It’s part of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University A go-slow on spending sent the economy backwards 0.3% in the first three months of this year, only the fourth such decline since Australia was last in recession in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Zimmer, Research associate, Southern Cross University As bushfires blackened forests last summer, one tree species was protected by a specialist team of firefighters: the Wollemi pine. These trees have a deeply ancient lineage dating back to when dinosaurs walked Gondwana 100 ...
Children's Minister Tracey Martin says she was never officially asked to do anything about the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki commissioned by Whanau Ora. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Whittaker, Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney You probably know the details of the death of George Floyd. He was a doting father and musician. He was killed when a police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Greste, Professor of Journalism and Communications, The University of Queensland Here is a line from the latest safety advisory for reporters issued by the US-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ): Taking into account the increased levels of violence ...
Aaron Ironside is the new spokesperson for the Say Nope To Dope campaign. Aaron Ironside rose to prominence in the 1990’s as the anchor of Radio Hauraki’s popular Morning Pirates breakfast show. The young rock DJ fully embraced the Sex, Drugs and ...
AgResearch chairman Dr Paul Reynolds said the Government’s capital contribution of $45 million towards a new education, science and innovation precinct in Lincoln is a huge boost for New Zealand’s COVID 19 recovery plan and the contribution to ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot on America's "President Cheezel". Go Big or Go Home Prezident Cheezel deletes lockdown, deletes the World Health Organization, deletes the memory of George Floyd, then hunkers in his hunker bunker, hunkers with freedom fries at midnight, a lights out party at the House of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Locke, Research Associate, LCT Centre for Knowledge-Building, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney Prime Scott Morrison last week outlined a plan to create jobs and revitalise the economy post COVID-19. Part of this so-called Jobmaker plan includes an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Willand, Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Stay-at-home orders and the economic crisis have increased the burden of energy costs on lower-income Australians. Poor housing quality and unequal access to home energy efficiency are hurting our most ...
Jacinda Ardern has unveiled details of the changes New Zealanders can expect when we move from level two to level one. What will it mean for businesses, hospitality and day-to-day life? Level one! At last, life is finally back to normal.Not so fast. We’re still in level two, and will be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kantha Dayaram, Associate Professor, Curtin University The number of Australians working from home has soared during the COVID-19 crisis. Latest data from the Australian Bureau of Stastistics shows 46% of the workforce worked from home in late April and early May. By ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Economic Life, Economics and EconomismKeith Rankin. When things go wrong with economic life, it’s easy to blame economics; that is, the academic discipline called ‘economics’. We all live economic lives, and use metaphors to give meaning to that amorphous thing we call ‘the economy’ ...
National survey asks New Zealanders If They Support Recognition For the Contribution of Our Service Personnel and their Families The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RSA) said today that it supports the proposal for a Kawenata which is ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says there will still be strict controls on the border, but all current rules and restrictions on businesses and services will be "essentially lifted" under alert level 1. ...
ANALYSIS:By Philip Russo of Monash University The death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of police has sparked protests across the United States and inspired many people to reflect on our own history of police violence against Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand. After thousands marched ...
The New Zealand Police Association is supporting the three officers who are now facing manslaughter charges in relation to the death of a man in the Hawera Police Station cells in June last year. Association President Chris Cahill says the officers ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Associate Professor, Criminology and Justice Studies, RMIT University As we have been cooped up at home during coronavirus lockdown, reports of image-based abuse have skyrocketed. According to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, it received more than 1,000 reports of image-based abuse between ...
In the third part of our series with Kiwibank answering your questions about Covid-19’s impact on New Zealanders’ finances, two readers at different ends of their saving journeys ask what to do with their KiwiSaver account. Melissa Vasta, Kiwi Wealth GM retail and product, responds.Hi Melissa, My KiwiSaver ‘growth’ fund has ...
Landlords have been given a break – well, a bit of a break – according to the latest bunch of Beehive pronouncements. Other announcements by the Beehive Bugle Brigade tell us: People wanting to train for employment– or retrain – will be given a helping hand. But funding “will ...
“The Government’s bill to regulate vaping won’t bring New Zealand any closer to its smokefree ambition, unless MPs now get in behind the many submitters and intervene to drive down the country’s smoking rates,” says Jonathan Devery, spokesperson ...
Covid-19 has not stopped a North Island Iwi from continuing to ready itself for a vote this year, that if ratified will be one of the largest Treaty settlement to date. Whakatōhea is located in the eastern Bay of Plenty region centred around ...
New Zealand ranks first in a new global food security index produced by multinational real estate company Savills. The company has compiled its Food Security Index as part of its latest global Impacts research, which looks at the factors shaping the ...
“A huge opportunity has been missed to make risk-reduced vaping products more accessible to smokers in order to reach the SmokeFree 2025 goal set by government,” says Nancy Loucas, Director of the Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA). Her ...
Noel Edmonds is a British TV legend with a 50 year career in broadcasting. So why did he move to Matakana and launch a radio station? Like an over-excited Mr Blobby, Tara Ward gave him a call to find out. When Noel Edmonds answers the phone from his home north ...
New statistics released by the New Zealand Police show Māori were disproportionately subject to police proceedings - including court proceedings and receiving warnings - during March and April, Marc Daalder reports As a debate heats up over racial bias in New Zealand policing, new statistics show that Māori were more ...
The Matariki and Puanga stars are due to rise this month, signalling the Māori New Year. Rehua will set in the west at the exact time Puanga rises. So how do we see them and what are the best dates? With thanks to Matua Rereata Mākiha for We often hear about Matariki ...
Here’s The Spinoff’s weekly round-up of data tracking the effects and response of Covid-19 around the world – and how New Zealand stacks up.Our weekly summaries of data and visualisations use Our World in Data’s work on the Covid-19 pandemic, which is freely available for re-use. Not all data is ...
Pacific Media Centre The Vanuatu Council of Ministers has agreed at its meeting held in Luganville, Santo, to postpone the hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting due in August 2020, reports the Vanuatu Daily Post. The decision followed the recommendations of the National Task Force based on ...
The National Party leader says the Black Lives Matter protests were a mockery of Covid-19 alert levels, but thinks the country should move to alert level 1 now. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wayne Hope, Professor of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology How many media analysts predicted it? In 2018 Australia’s Nine Entertainment absorbed Fairfax Media and its New Zealand subsidiary Stuff. Just under two years later chief executive Sinead Boucher bought Stuff from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abby Mellick Lopes, Associate Professor, Design Studies, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Home cooks have been trying out their skills during isolation. But the way food tastes depends on more than your ability to follow a recipe. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremy Moss, Professor of Political Philosophy, UNSW Queensland Nationals Senator Matt Canavan on Monday night denied suggestions the government subsidises Australia’s fossil fuel industry. The comments prompted a swift response from some social media users, who cited evidence to the contrary. Canavan ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ralph Sims, Professor, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Marshman, Honorary Principal Fellow, Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne Most of Australia’s universities have adequate cash and investment reserves to deal with the immediate impact of a downturn in international student revenue in 2020. But ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sameer Hasija, Associate Professor of Technology and Operations Management, INSEAD “This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away.”– WHO executive director Mike Ryan, May 13 Vaccine or not, we have to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Later today we’ll know what the bushfires and the coronavirus did to the economy in the three months to March: whether gross domestic product grew (as is usual) or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dawson, Professor and Chair of Anthropology, University of Melbourne June, 1980, Laibach was formed. Soon, they became the musical wing of the Slovenian arts collective Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), or New Slovenian Art. Comprising visual artists, theatre companies and a unit ...
"George Floyd was not the first, nor will he be the last, to have been denied his human rights as the police officers murdered him. Their names, overseas and in New Zealand are so many, over so many years, and their stories are all so different ...
The National Party is surprised New Zealand immigration officials didn't consult their Australian counterparts before granting a visa to refugee author Behrouz Boochani. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Strotz, Professor, Northwest University, Xi’an The COVID-19 outbreak has put into stark relief the disruption parasites can cause, both in human society and ecosystems. Researchers have long sought to better understand the evolutionary importance of parasites, to help lessen their impact. ...
More than half of a $30 million emergency welfare fund has been spent in just over a month, and many of those in need are foreigners and migrant workers who can't get a home. ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Significant new support announced for trainees and apprenticeships, more level one detail coming, and long-delayed changes made to ETS.Significant new support has been announced for trainees and apprentices, with thousands of dollars worth of costs being removed for each student. The ...
A Government okay for foreign crews to come here to train is likely shortly, Auckland's Mayor says America's Cup teams' hopes of winning border exemptions to get their crews to Auckland to prepare for next summer's big event should be met soon - with applications under consideration by officials and ...
Can anything stave off 'highly undesirable' cuts to services and projects in Auckland caused by the economic crisis? Will Wellington step in? Tim Murphy reports. For the second time in a year, Auckland Council needs to find half a billion dollars in a hurry to meet its financial commitments. After ...
Sewage fungus, bad smells and insinuations of ignored good faith clauses swirl in a dairy processing wastewater consent application heard in Hamilton last week New Zealand’s second largest dairy processor wants to discharge wastewater into the polluted Waitoa River, including during summer when flows are low. Open Country Dairy’s application for ...
Bubbles, tails, embers, mountains: The PM's deft use of metaphors has helped guide us in the battle to eradicate Covid-19 New Zealand’s success at containing the coronavirus has benefitted from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s clear communication during her daily media briefings. One aspect of what made this effective was her ...
Medical scientist Anona Pak won't let coronavirus wipe out her chances of playing badminton at the Tokyo Olympics, and an innovative national league will keep her on her toes. Two years ago, Anona Pak was playing badminton purely for the love of the game. The thought of representing New Zealand at ...
Former Woman’s Weekly editor Jenny Lynch on the Bauer-exterminated magazine that may yet rise again. It was born in 1932 at the height of the Depression and laid to rest in 2020 the middle of a global pandemic. In the intervening years the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly became a national ...
The country’s coronavirus restrictions might be coming to an end sooner than you think. Justin Giovannetti looks at what level one rules mean for you.Crowded stadiums and restaurants filled to capacity could be reality in New Zealand as soon as next Wednesday as the government eyes an early move to ...
Waitomo is a town built on tourism. But as overseas visitors, who have been flocking to its spectacular network of glow-worm caves for over a century, dry up, the future looks uncertain.More than 130 years ago, the eruption of Mount Tarawera killed an estimated 153 people and buried Te Otukapuarangi ...
Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of thousands of jobless migrants and beneficiaries struggling through the Covid-19 crisis, Bernard Hickey argues Over the last year since the March 15 attacks, our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has become a paragon of virtue for many ...
There's the law; then there's what's right. Our national carrier has been battered with complaints that it's hanging on to customer cash for flights it grounded. Jon Duffy's first week as head of Consumer New Zealand is a memorable one - the consumer watchdog was swamped with complaints from Air ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards The latest opinion poll is out, and it’s more bad news for the National Party, with Roy Morgan putting them on only 26.5% support, against Labour’s 56.5%. You can see the details here: Roy Morgan May opinion poll. Roy Morgan is regarded as less accurate than ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Russo, Associate Professor, Director Cabrini Monash University Department of Nursing Research, Monash University The death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of police has sparked protests across the United States and inspired many people to reflect on our own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney I can’t breathe, please! Let me up, please! I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! These words are not the words of George Floyd or Eric Garner. They weren’t uttered on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberto Musotto, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre Postdoctoral Fellow, Edith Cowan University Alongside growing concerns over a possible resurgence of the coronavirus during winter, the pandemic is now creating even more victims as cybercriminals aim to capitalise on the economic upheaval. According ...
Spot the difference 
Last month I noted that the public policy debate was all about how we deal with covid-19. That’s changing now, and will change more over the next couple of months as the buffering impact of the wage subsidy disappears and we see starkly the economic hole out of which we ...5 hours ago
The mission of the New Zealand Police is to make this country the safest nation in the world. To achieve that aim, there is one important step the police need to take at the end of this month. When the evaluation of the Armed Response Teams’ trial is completed, the ...6 hours ago
Bernard Hickey is one of New Zealand’s leading financial journalists. His latest article, published by Newsroom, lays bare the cruel treatment of hundreds of thousands of workers stranded since the lockdown. Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of ...11 hours ago
For a good part of my adult life I have studied civil-military relations. I have studied authoritarian and democratic variants, and I have studied them across countries and regions. I have also worked in and with several US security agencies and have lectured on the theme at a number of ...13 hours ago
The CTU is planning to mount a campaign to double sick leave, from 5 to 10 days a year. Good. We've all just had an extremely strong reminder of the need to stay at home when sick, and of the effectiveness of doing so (the lockdown, social distancing, and responsible ...15 hours ago
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz If we stopped oil, gas and coal extraction immediately – ...18 hours ago
by The Spark “The system is broken”—the words of a young black man in Minneapolis watching flames destroy a police precinct demonstrators had torched. Broken? Yes, it is! What else could you say about a system whose police for nine minutes casually knelt on a black man’s neck, watching until ...1 day ago
Minneapolis Police StationIf you’ve been keeping an eye on recent events in the United States, you’ll likely understand why there’s so much anger on the streets at the moment. Not only did police officers murder another black man; it is patently obvious that authorities initially attempted to cover up George ...2 days ago
Like the rest of the world, I have been aghast at what I have seen of, and read and heard about, what is happening currently in the United States. It seems incredible that a once great country should be suffering the worst effects and the highest number of deaths worldwide ...3 days ago
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week...
Image credit: Writing an Article vs. Writing a Blog Post: What’s the Difference? I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is ... 3 days ago
It’s almost painful to watch. Let’s be honest, maybe a pleasure too, in some quarters, but painful nonetheless. Because the fact is, for a democracy to function properly, any sitting Government does need honest and proper Opposition so that it doesn’t get ahead of itself. That’s what we should ...4 days ago
SATURDAY MAY 30Six60: Live at Western Springs 2020 (TVNZ 1, 8.45pm). Remember live concerts? The day will come again, friends, when we will be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an uncomfortable sweaty venue with people we don’t know. It will happen. Sometimes the sound of concerts drifts over to the ...6 days ago
6 days ago
Well, we are out of lockdown, essentially. I did end up getting the wage subsidy while we were on levels 3 and 4 but I would have been fine if we didn’t. The first day of level 2, the Thursday, the office opened again for the people who weren’t able ...1 week ago
age credit: Science and Politics – Skeptically.org It seems impossible to keep politics out of science. It’s a pity because politics can end up forcing science to produce the results desired by ... 1 week ago
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First is disappointed that the removal of the spousal deductions has had to be delayed by the Ministry fo Social Development, due to COVID19 workload pressures. “New Zealand First has always stood for fairness when it comes to superannuation ...2 days ago
It's been a busy seven days as we start to rebuild New Zealand together. From delivering extra support for small businesses, to investing in our artists and arts organisations, to cutting red tape on home DIY projects, we're rolling out our plan to get the economy and New Zealand moving ...2 days ago
“Today and every day we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family, friends and community who feel pain and fear about his untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis police”, said Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson. ...3 days ago
Young people in Waikato will be the first to have free access to period products in schools in another step to support children and young people in poverty,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. During term 3, the Ministry of Education will begin providing free period products to schools following the ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will provide eligible owner-occupiers with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home or extensively renovate an existing one. The scheme – estimated to cost up to $688 million – will not ...3 hours ago
A new bill has forest owners fuming, but it could be the tip of the iceberg for them if NZ First are re-elected to Government ...7 hours ago
Children's Minister Tracey Martin says she was never officially asked to do anything about the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki commissioned by Whanau Ora. ...9 hours ago
...11 hours ago
The mantra for economic and social change in the wake of Covid-19 is strong, but it is not yet clear whether it will amount to much ...12 hours ago
Dunedin writer Victor Billot on America's "President Cheezel". Go Big or Go Home Prezident Cheezel deletes lockdown, deletes the World Health Organization, deletes the memory of George Floyd, then hunkers in his hunker bunker, hunkers with freedom fries at midnight, a lights out party at the House of ...12 hours ago
Jacinda Ardern has unveiled details of the changes New Zealanders can expect when we move from level two to level one. What will it mean for businesses, hospitality and day-to-day life? Level one! At last, life is finally back to normal.Not so fast. We’re still in level two, and will be ...13 hours ago
Landlords have been given a break – well, a bit of a break – according to the latest bunch of Beehive pronouncements. Other announcements by the Beehive Bugle Brigade tell us: People wanting to train for employment– or retrain – will be given a helping hand. But funding “will ...15 hours ago
New statistics released by the New Zealand Police show Māori were disproportionately subject to police proceedings - including court proceedings and receiving warnings - during March and April, Marc Daalder reports As a debate heats up over racial bias in New Zealand policing, new statistics show that Māori were more ...17 hours ago
After dodging HNA's bullet from China thanks to an OIO block, ANZ finally sells UDC for $762m to Japan's BBB+-rated Shinsei Bank ...21 hours ago
A Government okay for foreign crews to come here to train is likely shortly, Auckland's Mayor says America's Cup teams' hopes of winning border exemptions to get their crews to Auckland to prepare for next summer's big event should be met soon - with applications under consideration by officials and ...21 hours ago
Can anything stave off 'highly undesirable' cuts to services and projects in Auckland caused by the economic crisis? Will Wellington step in? Tim Murphy reports. For the second time in a year, Auckland Council needs to find half a billion dollars in a hurry to meet its financial commitments. After ...21 hours ago
Sewage fungus, bad smells and insinuations of ignored good faith clauses swirl in a dairy processing wastewater consent application heard in Hamilton last week New Zealand’s second largest dairy processor wants to discharge wastewater into the polluted Waitoa River, including during summer when flows are low. Open Country Dairy’s application for ...22 hours ago
Bubbles, tails, embers, mountains: The PM's deft use of metaphors has helped guide us in the battle to eradicate Covid-19 New Zealand’s success at containing the coronavirus has benefitted from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s clear communication during her daily media briefings. One aspect of what made this effective was her ...22 hours ago
Medical scientist Anona Pak won't let coronavirus wipe out her chances of playing badminton at the Tokyo Olympics, and an innovative national league will keep her on her toes. Two years ago, Anona Pak was playing badminton purely for the love of the game. The thought of representing New Zealand at ...22 hours ago
Former Woman’s Weekly editor Jenny Lynch on the Bauer-exterminated magazine that may yet rise again. It was born in 1932 at the height of the Depression and laid to rest in 2020 the middle of a global pandemic. In the intervening years the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly became a national ...22 hours ago
Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of thousands of jobless migrants and beneficiaries struggling through the Covid-19 crisis, Bernard Hickey argues Over the last year since the March 15 attacks, our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has become a paragon of virtue for many ...22 hours ago
There's the law; then there's what's right. Our national carrier has been battered with complaints that it's hanging on to customer cash for flights it grounded. Jon Duffy's first week as head of Consumer New Zealand is a memorable one - the consumer watchdog was swamped with complaints from Air ...22 hours ago
Get the feeling National are more “Self” than they are “Serving.”
Listen to who’s talking!!
Abortion is a crime, a crime Colin believes in, and wants the votes of people who believe its a crime.
Progressives see an attack on women right to choose, choose how to live their lives, own property, marry who they want, and choose for themselves when it comes to their own body.
Yet for decades, the fundamentalists wouldn’t listen, that women weren’t the best people to choose what was best for themselves.
I don’t see how a women acting in self defense to remove a homicidal fetus can even be a crime.
Women still die in child birth.
craig is a fool. he suffers from the socratic disease. i.e. because he knows somehting he thinks he knows everything. plus his theology is shallow and paltry and un-christian. he is too busy trying to make people do what he wants them to do rather than finding out what they need and then trying to do something for them.
+100
“…..Craig ……. he suffers from the socratic disease. i.e. because he knows somehting he thinks he knows everything…..plus his theology is shallow and paltry and un-christian……”
Jesus never walked on earth being all nice and cuddly. I don’t have a problem with Mr craig speaking up. Or anyone else for that matter.
And then you went on to say this:
“…..he is too busy trying to make people do what he wants them to do rather than finding out what they need and then trying to do something for them…..”
Can’t really remember Jesus doing too much for people – other than teaching them lessons – so that they can make better choices – and then do things all by themselves.
Mr Craig is certainly on to human dignity – and it’s virtues of self reliance, resourcefulness ect there!
Everyone is giving him the party vote as he’s different – he’s the counter culture – the cool one!
Oh dear you are reaching – or is that retching.
You also don’t appear to understand Christianity in the slightest while trying to pretend that you do.
As for trying to compare Colin Craig to Jesus Christ in the same sentence…congratulations for baking today’s outstanding What The Fuck cake on The Standard.
Don’t know what you are on about with here, Colin Craig doesn’t count but we sure could do with a few more politicians able to use the socratic method properly.
Which part of “mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem in hoc cognoscent omnes quia mei discipuli estis si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem” do you not understand?
“everyone”?
“..– he’s the counter culture – the cool one!..”
..but does he have a lava-lamp..?
With that big bulbous head he looks like a lava lamp rising up, just not half as animated. And a lava lamp that doesn’t move isn’t cool at all.
He shouldn’t have ditched the Jesus look alike goatee beard.
With that big bulbous head he looks like a lava lamp rising up, just not half as animated. And a lava lamp that doesn’t move isn’t cool at all.
He shouldn’t have ditched the Jesus look alike goatee beard.
Sounds like your Jesus had been tainted by the 20th century / 21st century neo-con vision that says that only those who have the wherewithall to help themselves are going to get any help from the heavens above! What a load of old cobblers! I remember stories about Jesus feeding multitudes and surely that was a parable resting on his desire to help and serve the masses. No Jesus was not a right wing nutter who declared a belief in self reliance what ever that may be in what is the community of man.
I suppose he made his money writing crappy songs for hillsongs. all la la la me me me and f*ck everyone else.
one is an actor playing jesus..
..the other is the body-double for e.t..?
That’s insulting. There is no evidence that ET was ever a fiscal or social conservative, and anyway, he looked far too much like Ronald Reagan, although less senile.
i did say just ‘body-double’..
..and i always thought that reagan looked like an anus stuck on a face..
..something to do with all those wrinkles..i think..
shouldn’t it be ‘son of moon-landings-deniers’..?
..with the slogan being:..’i dunno..!..i wasn’t there..were you…?’
could some clever person out there make a gif of him walking..?
..he has that unique gait..
..that elbow/arm action going on..
..that just screams for a soundtrack/to be gifed..
..and y’know..!..not everyone in national is a libertarian nihilist..(just key/joyce/collins etc etc..)
..and there must be many in that party internally screaming:..’no..!..f.f.s..!..he thinks the moon-landings were shot on a soundstage in the desert outside of phoenix..!..
..what are you thinking..?..
..we’d rather have peters than that clown..!..’..)’
.you’d think..?
Funny, before opening I tried to guess who, I picked moors murderer Ian Brady.
thats just creepy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man
I don’t believe it ! This isn’t a real poster, is it Mickey ? No-one would be so stupid as to put a poster like that out for electioneering, would they ? ? ?
I wondered this too JK. But currently it is on the front page of http://conservativeparty.org.nz
I thought it was a parody the first time it came up as well. It is freaking unbelievable.
Please voters. Realize it’s a psychiatric issue. We have enough unbalanced in our parliament already.
Well, Colin is (ahem) 🙂 a “committed Christian” 😉 :/
Jeebus, i assumed it was satire.
If craig had principles he would be choosing his electorate now but he is too scared he will choose the wrong one… No courage
His electorate is in heaven.
Unfortunately for him, few of the seraphim are enrolled and all of the cherubim are under age.
According to the bible heaven is not just inhabited by seraphim and cherubim but also good Christians who have died and then “ascended”. Unfortunately under New Zealand law the dead are not allowed to vote, and so poor ol’ Colin is out of luck there as well.
oops! error… In the last line substitute the word poor for rich
JK Surely the poster is Crosby Textor inspired satire, to make right leaning voters rush back to National.
How embarrassing having to admit to your children that you took this seriously let alone voting for it?
Hee hee – it’s the nose!
The insider trader election countdown has a smell of money about it.
I’d be quite happy to put up these posters next to John Key’s face all over Dunedin.
Son of National? Nah, I reckon Bride of National is closer to the mark.
With all that weight loss he’s so like Frank Spencer but without the kindness!
Looks like meth to me
but what does he mean by saying he will stop John Key becoming ‘son of Helen’ in smaller type ? just plain weird.
I didn’t see that. What a bunch of sickos.
Yeah I don’t get the Helen bit. Or the son of National bit either. Maybe they’re fundie cultural references.
The “son of Helen” allusion presumably means ‘we will put the breaks on any Nat/Key tendency toward moral liberalism’. Then again, maybe it’s a suggestion that Clark had dictatorial tendencies (a common Tory meme) and that Craig will ensure Key doesn’t move in the same direction (to which I’d say: Too Late).
“Son of National ?” seems to be a particularly vague and clumsy way of trying to differentiate Craig/the Cons from National. Presumably ties in with the idea of “serving” rather than “self” and of being truly conservative as opposed to Key – the “liberal” Son of Helen.
That’s the closest I can come to making any sense of it. But, a really poorly thought out poster.
he’s a millionaire..
..and he drives an old dell computer..
..sez it all really..
..colin craig..putting the ‘ass’ in de classe..
and phillip .. you so beautifully put the ‘ouch’ as in touche !
(sorry don’t now how the do the acute accent !)
heh..!..chrs..
Why does he want to portray himself as the son of national… And confuse some fundies that he is in the national party and give their party vote to the wrong party
So, Craig is hoping to pick up those National voters who have become unhappy with National. Then he’s going to enter into a partnership with… National… In doing so he will be able to prevent John Key from becoming Helen Clark’s… son… You can believe this because Colin Craig is National’s… son… maybe (question mark).
Oh or maybe The Christian party or whatever it’s called will be National’s ‘son’ when the enter into the coalition. And as the ‘son’ they will be able to keep John Key, the ‘father’ from becoming Helen Clark. (Myself I’m not so convinced that a) this might happen or b) that it would be a bad thing.) So what is the Holy Ghost then? This doesn’t seem clear in the poster, disappointing.
If someone has a better way to interpret this I’d like to hear it.
It’s only when you objectively try and deconstruct this troubling image that it becomes truly non-sensical…
Most of the electorate will just regard it as a ghoulish photograph it is.
And boy, their font/sizing/bold/italics policy for their posters is as whacky as ever…
Bizarre… At best wont people think he is comparing himself to jesus, and at worst?
Well I never ever did understand who or what the Holy Ghost was supposed to be, so in this case I’ll go for Helen Clark.
might be Peter Dunne ??
Ha! Pretty traditional form of marriage if ya ask me. I mean, what more than 1% can this party get?
Well, if he wants to be seen as a Christ-like figure then maybe we should just take him at his word and Nail him up !, Nail him up, I say !, Nail some sense into him !. Crucifixion ? Best thing the Romans ever did for us. And, if nothing else, IT’S TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT THE ROMANS !, AND IT’S TAUGHT ME THAT YOU’LL NEVER GET ANYWHERE IN THIS LIFE UNLESS YOU’RE PREPARED TO DO A FAIR DAY”S WORK FOR A FAIR DAY”S PAY !
Jeepers that poster gave me the creeps – what the hell does it even mean, the whole poster doesn’t make any sense at all. I looked for the parody tags and seriously I wanted to find them.
i think it’s his batshit-crazy eyes..that give the poster that ‘edge’..
..and it cracks me up how the national cabinet must be so looking forward to being buddies with ‘col’…
..they could debate if the moon-landing happened or not..
..good times..!..good people..!
..but what ministerial role should he have..?
..where would he fit..?
..maybe let him set up a special commission..that he could head..to investigate if the moon-landings really happened or not..
..and of course he would be a great minister of silly-walks..
According to my trusty doppelgänger field guide the likeness is a text book example of a spectral apparition.
Haha. Could be implausible trope. But spectral apparition has a religousity about it so seems good to me.
WO – and he who will not be named at YourNZ – now have up another unbelievably bizarre Conservative Party poster entitled “They’re OUT OF CONTROL running around as if THEY OWN THE PLACE”.
I won’t provide links, to WO or YourNZ on principle and cannot seem to copy the poster itself to provide a link. Hopefully someone here who is more tech-savvy will do so and post it here as it is definitely a Must See!
In brief it focusses on Key, English, Joyce and Charlie Wilson and presents them as cocks of the chicken variety with brief ‘notes’ on each – and a centre comment ” Let’s put them back in the coop September 20″.
How not to win friends and influence people. IMO, if this goes viral, it could be the end of any accommodation by National to the Conservatives.
Incidentially, the poster is not on the Conservatives’ website, but does bear a Conservative Party authorisation.
As I noted in the above comment, WO – and he who cannot be named in case he appears – have posted yet another bizarre Conservative Party poster that has to be seen to be believed.
Here it is (only the poster, not the YourNZ post)
https://yournz.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/conservative-back-in-the-coop.jpg
As I said above, it was not on the Conservative Party website when I checked earlier today. And I amend my final comment above to “does bear a Vote for the Conservative Party motto”, rather than authorisation.
Is it for real?
Two very odd and pointless posters. You have to wonder who the hell they think their target audience is.
And it does, in fact, seem to be an officially authorised poster.
Bottom-left corner says CONSERVATIVEPARTY.ORG.NZ”
And then immediately below: AUTHORISED BY (then indiscernible name) ALBANY, AUCKLAND
Then again, this authorisation could, I guess, be fake ? If you were a Conservative Party supporter you’d have to hope so.
What, even more so than Colin’s ruminations that he’s (ahem) ‘neither one way nor the other’ and has been seriously talking about crossbench occupation if the Nats are foolish enough to gift them a seat or help them over the MMP five percent threshold? I think that may have started the current distancing on the centre-right, as well as the Conservative Party’s continually basement level opinion polling. And Peter Dunne hates their guts for an obvious reason (spelt Gordon Copeland). It’s also difficult to see the Maori Party working with them, given the Conservatives radical anti-Treaty stance.
The arrogance very clear to me is that if McCully, professor of the darkest arts, relinquishes his East Coast Bays seat so late that National cannot/ will not nominate another candidate in his place, as suggested on Stuff this morning … by what polling/logic or insanity do they simply assume that National voters will be so easily manipulated to vote for batshit crazy Craig instead? How will voters be with this arrogant arrangement? Me? I would automatically be forced to vote Green or IMP !
Why would they vote Chemtrail Colin ? East Coast Bays ? My dahling boy, jesting you must be !!
link if you can bear it:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10156727/Bays-may-be-Craigs-best-hope-of-a-seat
if key does this..and the scenario is totally plausible..
..this will be his desperate-dan move..
..the polls will be telling him he is heading for certain defeat..
..and et-impersonator craig will be the last sheet-anchor he will try/use..
..and many of his cabinet ministers will be breathing deeply..and going:..’dear god..!..no..!’..
..and begging key to not do it..or as last resort as a last resort..
..but should it come about/to that..mccully will slither away to a promised new sinecure/well-feathered nest..if told to..
..bennett is too personally ambitious to take one for the team..
..and mitchell barely seems to know what day it is..
..he is like a concussed lock-forward who has wandered into the wrong place..
..so mccully it is..
but what about the voters, I hear a pitiful cry ! What about us ?? Don’t we matter ?
Of course not, says the nice honest Mr Key.
well..the seat..(of my semi-rural childhood) has become a centre of white-flight/a white sth african colony….
..kind of the nelson of the north..
..so they will likely look warmly on craigs’ maori-bashing policies..
..and fundamentalist-christians of the type open to messages of hate/bigotry..will be thicker upon the ground there..
..than in other parts of auckland..
..in some ways it is a match made in..dare i say it..?..heaven…
..or is that..hell..?
what is become of us Phillip ? 🙁
we are about to enter a period of major change..
..we have been in stasis..for the last 30 yrs..
..just the slow/steady grinding down from the randites/neo-libs in national and labour..
..and it is not only the environmental pressures forcing that upcoming change..
..it is the whole house of cards..
..when you have the pope coming out and saying the international financial system is in danger of collapsing..
..all while the richest are rich beyond their wildest dreams..
..inequality is thru the roof..etc..etc..
..you just know shit has to change..
It all comes down to whether mccully is prepared to end his behind the scenes napolleonic ways and be the ambassador to washington, or not.
Son of national
Son of helen
Son of satan?
Somebody earlier in the thread mentioned Ian Brady. Resemblance is greater imo to this identikit of Son of Sam.
the difference is that the tories only want money but craig wants to be God!
Expect Craig to get stranger as the campaign progresses. He is very risky for National. The Nats best option is to go hard against him and drive his vote down to limit the damage to the right to about half a percent. If they accommodate him they could easily lose half a percent anyway by association as his narcissism becomes more and more apparent. I don’t see real upside for the right in the Conservatives, only risk.
Sorry Micky, you can do better, this is a bit mischievous, cheeky and below the belt, I must say, hey, now I feel tempted to vote for Colin Craig, thanks for the “motivation”!
lol whut?
Look at the freaking poster.
So motivate. Such temptation.
‘I never thought I’d be writing to penthouse forum etc etc
Son of a National!
Rewind the enlightenment, it was all a big mistake.
memo to cc – your photos make you look creepy – no one wears a suit in the grass unless they are sneaking around and the pose is, well, better to take your shirt off to convey the pinup look more successfully.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10159390/No-easy-ride-on-the-Shore-for-Craig
that’s a brilliant photo…
..imagine walking along the beach..and that popping up out of the sandhills..
..you’d run like the wind..
..eh..?
..he looks like tony abbot in his ‘wink-wink’-moment..
And then you’d call the police.
whoever is doing Craig’s posters and photos, I hope they maintain these astonishing standards over the coming weeks 🙂
Separated at birth?
A twin?.
http://d2948ivoqgnz9i.cloudfront.net/photos/60980.jpg
I tried to make the image a bit silly, but I think I just made it much, much creepier.
It’s actually clever and daring. You all sound worried. CC is gaining traction.
“..You all sound worried. CC is gaining traction…”
nah..!..he’s a batshit-crazy loon…
..we are just laughing like drains at him..
..nothing more..nothing less..
..and if it happens..and craig is a minister in the new tory govt..
..what would he be minister of..?..d’yareckon..?..(u as a fan..)
..all i cd come up with was ‘minister for silly walks’..
..yr thoughts..?
..and wd he and chris finlayson be ‘buddies’..?
..they cd exchange playful jibes on the topic of moon-landings: did they really happen..?
..and chem-trails:..what’s the story..?..
..and..creationism:..of course..!
..gays:..should we stone them..?
..good times..!..good people..!
“..It’s actually clever and daring..”
i’ll concede the ‘daring’…’clever’..?..nah..!..eh..?
..dumb/intuitive as a sack of doorknobs..more like it..