They eat their own
Written By:
- Date published:
2:18 pm, March 28th, 2012 - 96 comments
Categories: ACC, national -
Tags: bronwyn pullar, cameron slater, judith collins, Michelle Boag, simon lusk
ACC denies leaking Bronwyn Pullar’s name. It’s not credible that they would act so high risk and so politically. Boag and Pullar clearly didn’t leak it. So, that leaves Collins and her office. Collins denied leaking the email to the media … but leaves a fair bit of wiggle room, doesn’t it? The tipline is, as they say, running hot – and the name on everyone’s lips is Lusk.
To understand why Collins would give Pullar’s name to Simon Lusk for passing on to the Herald, you need to understand some internal National Party dynamics.
The next National leader will be chosen this term or immediately after the next election. So the jockeying is starting now.
There are several groups of National MPs and money-men that will play a part in the post-Key leadership contest. Among them are Joyce and his allies, Boag and her people (she got Key into Parliament and many junior Nats owe their jobs to her for that), there’s the still powerful brat pack, and Collins’ team.
Collins has built up a little cadre of junior Nat MPs thanks to the efforts of Simon Lusk who runs campaigns (several new National MPs thanked him in their maiden speeches) and, with the help of Cameron Slater, also fixes nomination races by running smear campaigns against rivals of Collins’ proteges. Slater, or more likely it was Lusk ghost-writing, laid this strategy out in the open last year – $10,000 will buy you Lusk/Slater spin on your National Party nomination race. And you saw their handy work in Botany and Rodney, amongst other races. Lusk/Slater/Collins’ tactics are disliked by many in the party, particularly Boag’s faction. So, an opportunity to hurt Boag was always going to appeal to Collins.
The word is that Boag sent the now famous email to Collins with the understanding that it would be kept confidential and not passed to ACC. Sources say that, seeing her chance, Collins not only gave the email to ACC but to Lusk. Slater, or Lusk ghostwriting, almost immediately jumped into the then nascent ACC leak calling for prosecutions although Pullar’s name was not yet in the public arena. Lusk gave the Boag email to Fisher at the Herald, and that’s how Pullar’s name and Boag’s role as her support person became public (you’ll remember in that first article Boag seemed particularly incensed that the email had gotten out – now you know why). Fran O’Sullivan, who also strongly backed Lusk’s Brash coup of ACT, jumped on board with an unusually personal attack on Boag – count her in Collins’ camp too.
Now, we’re told that Collins didn’t mean for the leak to end in Nick Smith’s resignation. Her target was Boag. Smith’s resignation was just gravy. No sooner had he fallen on his sword than Slater/Lusk was promoting Collins’ acolytes Upston and Lotu-Iiga as replacements.
Unfortunately for Collins, Slater has a tendency to turn everything he touches to shit, and his contributions to this affair are one reason why our tip-line has been overflowing with details of how Collins attempted to screw over Boag with the email about Pullar and accidentally took out Smith as well.
The knives are sharpening for Collins over this. She’s a known backstabber but, in taking out the well-liked and experienced Smith as collateral damage in her jockeying for the leadership post-Key she has gone too far. The brat pack is out to get her along the Joyce and Boag factions. Even Nats who don’t know, until now, exactly how Collins leaked and to whom will tell you the obvious – the leak can only have come from her office.
The question now is whether Key acts, or looks weak.
96 comments on “They eat their own ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.
In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading ...4 hours ago - The cost of flying blind
Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...5 hours ago - Seymour vs The Clergy
For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...10 hours ago - Unstoppable Minister McKee
All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...12 hours ago - Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?
This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...13 hours ago - Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP
Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...14 hours ago - Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)
Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...15 hours ago - Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous
A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...16 hours ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...1 day ago - Time for a Change
You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...1 day ago - Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.
The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading ...1 day ago
- Buried deep
Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...2 days ago - Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.
Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading ...2 days ago
- Leadership for Dummies
If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...2 days ago - Home again
3 days ago - Dead even tie for hottest August ever
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...3 days ago
- The Hoon around the week to Sept 7
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...3 days ago
- Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?
An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...3 days ago - Councils reject racism
Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...3 days ago
- Homage to Simeon Brown
3 days ago
- Government of deceit
When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...3 days ago
- The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all
Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...3 days ago - Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024
Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...4 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.
Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading ...4 days ago
- A Hole In The River
There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...4 days ago - Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...
My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...4 days ago - Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis
As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...4 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024
Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...4 days ago
- Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.
I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading ...4 days ago
- How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?
Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...4 days ago - A missed opportunity
The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...4 days ago
- Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy
Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...4 days ago - Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies
The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...4 days ago - The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...5 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.
The notion of geopolitical “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading ...5 days ago
- Venus Hum
Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...5 days ago - I Went to a Creed Concert
Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...5 days ago - Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses
The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...5 days ago
- A Time For Unity.
Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...5 days ago - Climate Change: Failed again
National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...5 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.
A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading ...5 days ago
- Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation
Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...5 days ago - Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession
The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...6 days ago
- What if we freed up our streets, again?
This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...6 days ago
- No Alarms And No Surprises
A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...6 days ago - Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...6 days ago
- No new funding for cycling & walking
Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...6 days ago - 99
Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...6 days ago - Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership
One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...6 days ago
- Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.
This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading ...6 days ago
- Tea and Toast
When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...6 days ago - NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects
Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...7 days ago
- Can Brown deliver his roads
The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...7 days ago
- New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X
Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...1 week ago
- Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”
In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading ...1 week ago
- Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil
A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...1 week ago - Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?
On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...1 week ago
- Israeli Lives Matter
There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...1 week ago - Luxon Cries
Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...1 week ago
- Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland
A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...1 week ago - Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?
This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...1 week ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...1 week ago
- An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...
And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...1 week ago - Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears
I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...1 week ago - When Do We Look Away?
Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...1 week ago - The decades just fly by
You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...1 week ago - 2024 Reading Summary: August
Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...1 week ago - Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...1 week ago
- White Noise
Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...1 week ago - The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.
1 week ago
- Claims and Counter-Claims.
Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...1 week ago
-
1 week ago
- The Principles of the Treaty
Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...1 week ago - The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.
An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...1 week ago
- A Big F U to this Right Wing Government
Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...1 week ago
- Release: Cabinet should stop the Treaty Principles Bill
National Party Ministers have a majority in Cabinet and can stop David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, which even the Prime Minister has described as “divisive and unhelpful.” ...7 hours ago - Release: Staff gagged to keep fast track list secret
The National Government is so determined to hide the list of potential projects that will avoid environmental scrutiny it has gagged Ministry for the Environment staff from talking about it. ...7 hours ago
- Release: Labour challenges Te Whatu Ora gag orders
Labour has complained to the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission about the high number of non-disclosure agreements that have effectively gagged staff at Te Whatu Ora Health NZ from talking about anything relating to their work. ...11 hours ago
- Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders
The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped. ...16 hours ago - Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...2 days ago
- Vast majority of councils support Māori wards
Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government. ...3 days ago
- Release: Government on the wrong side of Māori wards
The National-led government has been given a clear message from the local government sector, as almost all councils reject the Government’s bid to treat Māori wards different to other wards. ...3 days ago
- Release: Labour congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
The Labour Party congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki on being crowned as the eighth Te Ariki Nui – head of Te Kiingitanga. ...4 days ago
- Green Party welcomes new Maaori Kuiini
The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae. ...4 days ago
- ECE teachers deserve better than this Government
The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. ...5 days ago
- Urgent intervention needed on supermarkets
The Green Party is calling on the Government to intervene in the supermarket duopoly dominating our supply of groceries following today’s report from the Commerce Commission. ...5 days ago
- Release: Rainbow youth neglected in mental health funding
Labour backs the call from The Rainbow Support Collective members for mental health funding specifically earmarked for grassroots and peer led community organisations to be set up in a way that they are able to access. ...6 days ago
- Release: Transport in NZ has to be more than just roads
As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads. ...6 days ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds Building Nations 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa, Thank you for your warm welcome and for having my colleagues and I here today. Earlier you heard from the Labour Leader, Chris Hipkins, on our vision for the future of infrastructure. I want to build on his comments and provide further detail on some key elements ...6 days ago
- Govt transport plan deepens fossil fuel fix
The Green Party says the Government’s new National Land Transport Programme marks another missed opportunity to take meaningful action to fight the climate crisis. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for public to back Wrybill in BOTY and beyond
The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction. ...1 week ago
- Building consents data bad news for construction
News that the annual number of building consents granted for new homes fell by more than 20 percent for the year ended July 2024, is bad news for the construction industry. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII
Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e. Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi ...1 week ago
- Release: Gaps still to be addressed in callouts response
The Government must guarantee New Zealanders will not be at risk after making changes to the way mental health callouts are handled. ...1 week ago
- Poroporoaki: Kiingi Tuheitia passing
Haere e te Kīngi o te kotahitangi Haere ki o nui, ki o rahi I te pō ...1 week ago
- Green Party pays respects to Kiingi Tuuheitia
The Green Party is paying tribute to the Māori King, Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero XVII, after he passed away earlier this morning. ...1 week ago
- Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees
Today’s Whakaata Māori announcement is yet another colossal failure from Minister Potaka, who has turned his back on te reo Māori, forcing a channel offline, putting whānau out of jobs, and cutting Māori content, says Te Pāti Māori. “A Senior Māori Minister has turned his back on Te Reo Māori. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National restricts access to disability care homes
With disability communities still reeling from the diminishing of Whaikaha, a leaked document now reveals another blow with National restricting access to residential care homes. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt must help save 230 manufacturing jobs
Labour is calling on the Government and Mercury Energy to find a solution to the proposed Winstone Pulp mill closure and save 230 manufacturing jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori
The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and programming cuts were announced at the broadcaster today. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Member’s Bill To Disestablish Auckland Transport
Today New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland City by disestablishing Auckland Transport (AT) and returning control to Auckland Council. The ‘Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill’ intends to restore democratic oversight, control, and accountability ...2 weeks ago - Release: PM fails in constitutional role and leadership
The failure of the Prime Minister to condemn his Minister for personally attacking the judiciary is another example of this Government riding roughshod over important constitutional rules. ...2 weeks ago
- Waititi urges Rotorua Lakes Council to immediately stop works at Lake Rotokākahi
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Member of Parliament for Waiariki, which includes Rotorua, has written to Rotorua Lakes Councillors requesting they immediately stop sewerage piping works at Lake Rotokākahi in Rotorua. “Mana whenua have been urging Rotorua Lakes Council to stop works and look at alternative plans to protect the ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Patient care at risk from redundancies
Patient care could suffer as a result of further cuts to the health system, which could lose thousands of staff who keep our hospitals and clinics running. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call on Govt to wake up on child poverty
The Green Party says the latest statistics on child poverty in this country highlight the callous approach that the Government is taking on this issue of national shame. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Police are off the beat under National
Foot patrols around the country have decreased 15 percent since National took office, despite National’s Mark Mitchell claiming otherwise. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Climate denial is an insult to Pacific leaders
Winston Peters’ climate denialism at the Pacific Islands’ Forum is an embarrassing new low. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must end solitary confinement
The Green Party is urging the Government to end the use of solitary confinement within our prisons after new research revealed some prisoners have been held in confinement for more than 900 days. ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuels never the answer in climate crisis
The Government’s moves to enable the import of Liquefied Natural Gas is another step away from the sustainable and affordable energy network that this country needs. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must respect Court’s Uber employee decision
Today’s court ruling upholding the rights of Uber drivers is a message to the Government that it must not tamper with employment protections. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uber court decision recognises workers’ rights
The Court of Appeal decision that Uber drivers are entitled to employee rights such as minimum wage, sick leave, holiday pay and collective bargaining is welcome news for the drivers involved and their unions. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to divest from illegal settlements
The Labour Party is calling on the Government to tell the two major wealth funds, the NZ Super Fund and ACC, to withdraw investments from companies listed by the United Nations as complicit in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt backtrack on fast-track still not enough
Labour welcomes news that the National Government is backing down on its reckless proposal to give Ministers final sign-off on significant projects, but it’s still not enough. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast track still on track to environmental destruction
Our environment remains at risk despite the Government's proposed changes to its controversial fast-track legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Ohinemuri River pollution highlights mining risks
The harrowing images of the severely polluted Ohinemuri River caused by an old mining shaft could become a more common occurrence under the mining regime the Government is looking to roll out. ...2 weeks ago
- Action to grow the rural health workforce
Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...6 hours ago - Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...7 hours ago
- Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians
Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris. “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...9 hours ago
- Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations
A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report. “It will have the mandate ...3 days ago
- Passport wait times back on-track
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...3 days ago
- New appointments to the FMA board
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...3 days ago
- District Court judges appointed
Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...3 days ago
- Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand
Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...3 days ago
- New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender
New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...4 days ago
- Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...4 days ago
- Improving access to finance for Kiwis
5 September 2024 The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia
As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...4 days ago
- Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations. “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...4 days ago
- More choice and competition in building products
A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...4 days ago
- Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul
On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...5 days ago
- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...5 days ago
- International tourism continuing to bounce back
Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...5 days ago
- Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency
The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. “That is ...5 days ago
- Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape
The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...5 days ago
- Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...6 days ago
- Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review
Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...6 days ago
- Government backs women in horticulture
“The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says. “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...6 days ago
- Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout
The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...6 days ago
- Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants. “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...6 days ago
- New priorities to protect future of conservation
Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...6 days ago
- Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti
A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...6 days ago
- IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand
The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...6 days ago
- Delivering priority connections for the West Coast
A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...1 week ago
- Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington
A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...1 week ago
- Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...1 week ago
- Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki
A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...1 week ago
- Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland
A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...1 week ago
- Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland
A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...1 week ago
- Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure
A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...1 week ago
- Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui
A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...1 week ago
- Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay
A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that ...1 week ago
- Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne
A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...1 week ago
- Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury
A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...1 week ago
- Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...1 week ago
- Getting transport back on track in Auckland
A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...1 week ago
- What is 3-phase power? And how do I know if my house needs it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asma Aziz, Senior Lecturer in Power Engineering, Edith Cowan University If you’re building, renovating or planning to install a solar battery, your builder or installer might ask whether you’ve considered upgrading from single-phase to three-phase power. This upgrade often comes with a ...2 hours ago - MSG is back. Is the idea it’s bad for us just a myth or food science?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia Dr. Victor Wong/Shutterstock MSG is making a comeback. The internet’s favourite cucumber salad recipe includes fish sauce, cucumber, garlic and – as the video’s creator ...2 hours ago
- South Australia is proposing a law to ban kids under 14 from social media. How would it work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University Artie Medvedev/Shutterstock The South Australian government is moving ahead with plans to ban children under 14 from social media. Under the proposal, teens aged 14 ...2 hours ago
- Australia’s construction industry needs more hands on deck – so why is it ignoring skilled migra...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Australia’s construction industry is facing a perfect storm: enormous targets for building – 1.2 million new homes and A$230 billion worth of infrastructure over the next five years – at ...3 hours ago
- At Melaka Art & Performance Festival I watched dancers overcome by a trance in the rain, and the...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan W. Marshall, Associate Professor & Postgraduate Research Coordinator, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University Feifei Liao performing in the village ruins. Photo by and courtesy of Teo Swee An. Melbourne-based Tony Yap is a leading figure in ...3 hours ago
- Google is facing another crucial court case in the US – and it could have major consequences for o...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbora Jedlickova, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, The University of Queensland One month after a US court ruled Google had illegally maintained its monopoly on internet search, the tech giant will this week face the start of yet another important antitrust case. ...4 hours ago
- Christopher Luxon refuses to speak about Treaty Principles Bill after it was handed to Cabinet
The Prime Minister says ACT leader David Seymour will have more to say on the Bill soon. ...4 hours ago - Jesus’s vision fulfilled: David Seymour restores unity to the church
The Christian church has had quite a few dust-ups with itself over the last 20 centuries. This week, the Act Party brought it together. Since Jesus prayed that his followers may all be one (John 17:20-21), Christians have barely stopped fighting. Yes, they’ve occasionally broken off to slaughter people in ...4 hours ago - PODCAST: The Politics of Desperation – Trump, Netanyahu, Maduro, Ortega
Podcast: A View from Afar with Paul G Buchanan and Selwyn Manning. Building upon recent episodes of A View from Afar, Political Scientist Paul G Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss The Politics of Desperation. This episode flows on from our discussions about long transitions and the moment ...5 hours ago
- Pope Francis’ visit to Timor-Leste is powerful and symbolic, but also political
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast Author provided, Author provided Timor-Leste has had much to celebrate recently. August 30 marked 25 years since the Popular Consultation – or “The Referendum”, as many call ...5 hours ago
- What’s the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? One’s about plumbing, the other...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Todorovic, Associate Professor of Medicine, Bond University Explode/Shutterstock In July 2023, rising US basketball star Bronny James collapsed on the court during practice and was sent to hospital. The 18-year-old athlete, son of famous LA Lakers’ veteran LeBron James, had ...5 hours ago
- If we truly want our Paralympic athletes to shine, their coaches need more support
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Bennie, Associate Professor, Health and Physical Education/Sport Development, Western Sydney University The 2024 Paris Paralympics delivered heightened attention and awareness of a pinnacle sporting event for para athletes. Australia has often set the standard for para sport, consistently achieving top ...6 hours ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love celebs out of their comfort zone: Celebrity Treasure Island (TVNZ+, starting September 9) We’re back on the beach for a new season of celebrity ...7 hours ago
- Harris’ lead dips in national US polls and it’s very close in the key states
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris ...8 hours ago
- Rewriting history: how the Treaty ‘principles’ evolved and why they don’t stand up to scrutiny
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images ACT Party leader David Seymour has said the goal of his Treaty Principles Bill is to stimulate an overdue conversation on te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi. ...8 hours ago
- Surge in non-disclosure agreements at Health NZ sparks Labour complaint
Nearly 70 staff at Te Whatu Ora have signed non-disclosure agreements since the end of November. ...8 hours ago
- ‘Numerous questions’, but Fiji govt sticks with new anti-corruption chief
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The Fiji government is backing the appointment of the country’s new anti-corruption chief who was under investigation by the office she now heads, which has left Fijians asking questions. Barbara Malimali — who was also the Electoral Commission chairperson — was revealed as the ...8 hours ago
- Pope Francis calls for end to tribal ‘spiral of violence’ in PNG visit
Inside PNG reports that Papua New Guinea is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, a proclamation even Pope Francis acknowledges. But Papua New Guinea is also challenged with socio-economic developments that do not reach the rural majority despite the presence of numerous extractive industries. The Pontiff in his remarks ...9 hours ago
- Anne Salmond: A Cabinet of principles?
The effrontery of David Seymour’s riposte to Church leaders over his Treaty Principles Bill is breathtaking. He accuses them of being undemocratic. When the Act Party took the idea of a referendum on Te Tiriti to a general election in 2023, it won just 8.6 percent of the vote. The other ...9 hours ago - Public feedback sought on new tolls for lower North Island
Consultation on the proposed tolling schemes for the Manawatū Tararua Highway and the Ōtaki to north of Levin highway is now open. ...9 hours ago
- A new festival celebrates the art of the picture book
Picture Me is a brand new book festival happening in Wellington and Christchurch between 11–28 September. Here’s the inside scoop on the international headliners and what they’ll be doing while in Aotearoa. A good picture book has a timeless quality: a story you don’t mind reading over, and over and ...9 hours ago
- Minister tried to hide NZDF criticism of boot camp comments
The criticism was revealed to RNZ in an official information act response, but new documents show Judith Collins asked for them to be redacted. ...9 hours ago
- LIVE@12:45pm – The Politics of Desperation – Trump, Netanyahu, Maduro, Ortega
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm September 9, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:45pm (USEDT). Building upon recent episodes of A View from Afar, Political Scientist Paul G Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning will discuss The Politics of Desperation. ...10 hours ago
- David Seymour hits out at church leaders over Treaty Principles Bill
The ACT leader says churches are abandoning their core beliefs, after 400 Christian leaders condemned his controversial Treaty Principles Bill. ...10 hours ago
- Some home truths about gene technologies
In response to criticism of proposed changes to our GM settings, scientist Revel Drummond says we should discuss the issue of regulatory change from a position of educated debate, not fear-mongering. New technologies often get pushback from sectors of society. In the 19th century people feared the unknown effects on ...10 hours ago
- Dane and Stacey on making travel a business, owning half a dog, and finding balance
Earning money while you travel sounds like a dream to many of us – so how hard is it to make the dream a reality? Travel content creators Dane and Stacey joined Kiwibank’s This is Kiwi podcast to talk about documenting their adventures online, and remembering to sometimes put the ...10 hours ago
- Councils’ credit ratings downgraded over debt, rising costs
A reduced rating will mean higher borrowing costs for two major city councils. ...10 hours ago
- Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University It’s the big question that has loomed over Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign from the start: is the United States ready for a Black woman president? I get ...12 hours ago
- Murdoch to Musk: how global media power has shifted from the moguls to the big tech bros
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Ricketson, Professor of Communication, Deakin University Until recently, Elon Musk was just a wildly successful electric car tycoon and space pioneer. Sure, he was erratic and outspoken, but his global influence was contained and seemingly under control. But add the ...12 hours ago
- Africa desperately needs mpox vaccines. But donations from rich countries won’t fix this or the ne...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Lexchin, Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, Canada Africa says it needs an estimated ten million doses of mpox vaccine to control this public health emergency. The situation is particularly concerning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ...12 hours ago
- Plot twist: how giving old graveyards new life as parks can improve our cities
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Stokes, Industry Professor, Environment and Sustainability, Macquarie University Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown, Sydney Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock Old graveyards are a forgotten land asset that can find new life as urban parks in crowded cities. As the density of our cities increases, efficient ...12 hours ago
- 91% of Australian teens have a phone – but many are not keeping their identity and location secure
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yeslam Al-Saggaf, Professor in Computing, Charles Sturt University Halfpoint/ Shutterstock , CC BY Most Australian teenagers have their own smartphone. According to a 2023 survey, 91% of young people between 14 and 17 owned a phone. At the same time, ...12 hours ago
- Pay-by-weight airfares are an ethical minefield. We asked travellers what they actually think
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Tolkach, Senior Lecturer, James Cook University Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock Imagine checking in for a flight with your two teenage children. At the counter, you are told that your youngest teenager’s suitcase is two kilograms over the limit. You get slapped with ...12 hours ago
- Popes were once confined to Rome. Now they travel the world – and Francis’ current journey is pa...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University Pope Francis is continuing the tradition of papal journeys, having embarked on the longest trip of his papacy yet to Asia and the Pacific. In recent decades, apostolic journeys have emerged as a powerful ...12 hours ago
- Inside the cold war between Live Nation and the Powerstation
Auckland’s best live music venue is feuding with the world’s biggest promoter. Only one side is willing to speak about what happened that fateful night in April. The artist is dressed in black, with a DJ and live drummer, and the crowd bobbing in unison to sinewy R&B. Footage from ...12 hours ago
- How well are NZ companies reporting their climate impacts? Our new tracker shows very mixed results
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Walton, Professor of Sustainable Business, University of Otago Interpreting corporate reports on carbon emissions can be challenging. The current, adhoc approach to how businesses share this information makes it difficult to see whether they have set the right targets, have realistic ...13 hours ago
- Air New Zealand braces for turbulence
In today’s extract from The Bulletin, Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the compounding pressures facing the national carrier. To receive The Bulletin in your inbox every weekday morning, sign up here. Diving profits A couple of months ago, we talked about the controversy over surging flight prices in New Zealand, with ...14 hours ago
- Labour, Greens praise church leaders for opposition to Treaty Principles Bill
Labour and the Greens are welcoming the move, but David Seymour says it's not for the church to decide. ...14 hours ago
- 80 percent chance of another Cyclone Gabrielle in next 50 years, Treasury says
There is an 80 percent chance of another Cyclone Gabrielle-scale weather disaster in the next 50 years, at a cost of up to $14.5 billion, Treasury officials warn. ...14 hours ago
- Big feeds set aside as Manukura power to national rugby title
The Manukura dynasty rolls on. The Feilding-based powerhouse have successfully defended the Hine Pounamu National First XV championship with a resounding 39-24 victory over first-time finalists Howick College.Howick enjoyed a slender 19-17 advantage at the interval, but the whirlpool wind at Arena Manawatū turned against the spirited east Aucklanders as Manukura ...14 hours ago
Now the PM steps in and says; I’m the PM and by definition I can’t leak. – Debate.
so, you’re arguing that Collins can’t have leaked Pullar’s information by definition but you’re conceding she gave her name to Lusk?
I’m doing noting of the sort, that’s absolutely putting words in my mouth. Lets hope lprent’s not angry today he hates that sort of shit.
I’m proposing what if the PM says the business of government is whatever government say it is and that he might have been to relaxed in a conversation with media…. but being the PM he can’t leak…
How the hell did you get to where you got to ?
[lprent: Diversion on a diversion. Should I just bump the whole thread to OpenMike as being off topic? Nah… Blighty brought it back on topic. You deal with it. 😈
I have to say that Blighty offers a pretty good explanation (1.1.1.1) about how he got from the post through your unacknowledged quote to his comment. His extrapolation makes about as much sense as your comment did in the context of the post.
And he did ask if that was what you meant? ]
I’m just trying to take what you’re saying and, you know, apply it to the subject in front of us, which is a leak from Collins’ office.
You’re quoting Clark who said she couldn’t leak – I’m not sure precisely what she was talking about because the only google hits are Nats talking about it.
So, naturally, you seem to be wanting to extend the logic of what Clark said to be that no minister can ever leak.
So you’re saying ‘yes, Collins gave the info to Lusk but that’s not a leak because Clark said ministers can’t leak, nah, nah, nah’
That’s the only way I can interpret what you’ve said in relation to the topic of the post.
Blighty,
This is a good explanation of that quote by Clark.
The only problem is that I can’t relate it to the topic at hand :-/
No Burt; lprent only hates it when RWNJ’s put words in people’s mouths…
[lprent: I look at it whenever I see someone complain or if people do it to an author (the latter is part of the general defence of the site).
Of course it doesn’t pay to cry wolf too often because that would be wasting my time. If it is unjustified and happens too often then I get irritated. Becomes a matter of luck about how irritated I am at the time. ]
or make accusations without any evidence to back it up. But a post stacked with unreferenced innuendo? GO FOR IT!
it’s not our blog though, is it? We’re guests here. When your mate invites you over, do you demand to be able to sleep with your mate’s wife in his bed?
That’s not really the right analogy, Dean.
It’s more like, your mate invites you over to their house because they’re having a party. Once you turn up, they’re polite to everyone who is wearing red clothes, and impolite and rude to everyone who is wearing blue clothes. But the invitation never stated anything about the dress code.
We make no promises about being fair in the sense that most of the blue tinged would view how the rules should operate. This is a very labour movement site. Read the about again.
The correct analogy would be that we run a meeting where the rules of behaviour are roughly set in advance and where most of the participants it was intended for are unionists and/or from the left. They have all worked under those limits in the past, tend to work effectively within them, and will cooperate within them while still having a lively argument.
Then some people ignorant of the ways of the left and most cooperative techniques amble in with a bit of a grudge and try to run the meeting their way because they can’t see why anyone else should limit what they want to do. But they all have a different way and are just loud and mostly dumb.
Needless to say trying to set their own rules doesn’t work too well with the organisers and the chairman starts getting the worst of the idiots ejected until the majority of the people it was intended for can have a say rather than having egotists shouting them down.
In other words it isn’t a public party with anyone invited. We don’t mind anyone being here provided they don’t get in the way of the people we set it up for originally. But it means you live with our standards of behaviour because we don’t intend to live with a standard of behaviour of the loudest and most ignorant.
Which is why the right sites tend to be different from the left sites. Gotcha of course is probably the most extreme example of that lack of ability to cooperate, and offhand I know of only only one vaguely multi-author right site around (and it has a leavening of lefties there to make it work). Many of the left sites are cooperatives.
People also amble in to have a bit of a look and a bit of a debate and get dumped on be a cooperative of commenters who’s aim often seems to be just to harrass people they choose to dislike off the blog. That behaviour appears to be supported at times by the moderators.
Yep, it’s your blog, do as you please. Obviously the aim is not to attract as many new commenters as possible with diverse views. It can only be guessed what the various aims are but some seem quite obvious.
Bloody hell you whinge a lot Pete George. When I first came here I pissed off loads of people. They ranted and abused me back and especially honed in becuase they thought I was a white middle class male, who come in for the most abuse – but after a bit of time and an adjustment of behaviour to suit this particular all-night party the ambience isn’t too bad and debates can be had. But you had better have decent arguments to support your position (I can give you some guidance there if you like)
But Pete, recently all you do is complain about being abused. You aint abused mate, you are just mildly harassed and in fact I suspect that harassment comes from your arguments and points generally being pretty weak rather than any desire for pure abuse. Sure, your points are your opinion and everyone is entitled to one but I’ll let you in on a secret – not all opinions are equal. Some people’s opinions are pretty crap, being based on knees and jerks and dinner table research and no long term thought.
So stop whingeing and put your arguments forward.
And some people amble in with the apparent aim of disrupting discussion from behind a veneer of politeness.
Easy to spot, they ask a lot of questions but never, ever answer any.
And when they’re exposed they say “Goodness, is that the time? Really must be off” and disappear to start a new line of questioning on another thread.
vto – I’ve got no argument with you having a big whinge about whinging.
There’s a lot of whinging here don’t you think? Many of the posts are whinges about Key and/or National. And for some variety a whinge about Collins or Brownlee. Or whover the resign of the day is.
But now you’ve got that whinge off your chest maybe you could put a good positive argument forward, and show everyone how to break the whinge cycle. Just remember to have those decent arguments ready.
felix – you’re presenting yourself as a good example of what you’re talking about?
Oh good, you’re back.
The questions from this morning are still waiting, as are the ones from yesterday.
Do let me know when you get around to addressing them. I can link to them (again) if you like.
ha ha, good one. I was really getting at your victim mentality.
And here is a positive thing – a positive move for the entire nation of four million people would be if its governing lot listened to its people and did what they want around asset sales. That would be an entirely positive thing – if a government, any recent government will do, actually listened to its people. As for the arguments in support – see al recent threads and posts on the subject. I am still waiting for somebody to explain the benefits of selling. out.
felix, said “Easy to spot, they ask a lot of questions”.
Just before launching into his question thing. Very funny.
Yes that’s very funny Pete.
So have you responded yet? Particularly I refer to the ones where you got caught out making incredibly stupid statements about Sue Bradford and then ran away.
Much like you did the day before with your incredibly stupid statements about hypocrisy.
Or is that all in the past now, no longer relevant in your liquid, plastic, labile world?
Bradford claimed “which will force sole parents with babies as young as one year out to work.” I think that’s dishonest or ignorant misrepresentation of the aims of the act. And commenters claiming that “we all know” what National are really going to do is pathetic.
You don’t like being called on your hypiocrisy, do you. Get over it.
You said (below):
They are not my team. I comment here independently. You are displaying your toxicity, not mine. Whay should I bother checking back where you may have left questions? I think your comments and questions, and manner of addressing, them will be judged by those who read them. Some may think you are a local hit squad. I’d bet others will see you as incessantly hissy too.
That’s very good Lath, very good indeed.
I’d pretty much given up on this blog lately and after the bitch fest about Cameron Slater et al yesterday – but the occasional gem from the likes of yourself makes it worthwhile visiting now and again.
As a moderator what I really want is an environment where interesting conversations and debates can take place. If you’re bringing something of value to the table you can get away with quite robust debate…and your track record counts. But you have to understand that inherently I judge these things from a left-wing perspective and that isn’t ever going to change.
Reading and understanding the Policy will keep things on track most of the time, but then again there are a bunch of tired old tricks we’ve seen over and again that people use to derail a debate when they’ve run out of ideas…. and eventually one of the mods will act to discourage them.
Oh fuck, Lanth! He’d nearly given up!
😆
Gosh you add so much so very often Felix.
lol, sorry felix :/
Mallard asked Collins, in suplementary questions today, if she gave the email to Lusk or discussed the contents with Lusk (can’t remember the exact questions, but Lusk was named). Collins said “no” to both questions.
She was very quick and curt on it too.
If she floats she’s a witch!
watch it, King Kong will get all upset about your sexism
Well she might, all the Nacts are super-full of hot air !
Here is the link to the question in the house. The questions about Lusk are the last two supplementaries.
Did she hold up a “no” sign? She may find that she will be subject to the same treatment as Winnie …
“the word” no doubt came from Trevor Mallard… It was of course sheer coincidence Trevor brought up Lusk’s name in QT today a short time after you posted.
Could also be that is what the rumour mill in Wellington has been rife with for days. Hell I’ve heard it in Auckland and I’m not connected with the beltway at all.
Just because Trevor Mallard alleges it, it doesn’t make it so. Mr Mallard seems to have a rather unnatural fixation on Mr Lusk.
Anyway; shouldn’t you have waited until AFTER Trevor’s speech in the General Debate, which he has yet to make? Otherwise it just looks like in insider hatchet job.
PS: Lalit Modi 🙂
Well, right now, in the general debate, Robertson has been talking about Lusk’s role.
Judith Collins apparently printed out a copy of the email. So now we know what happened. Collins printed the email and by some rmearkable coincidence, the Herald reporter broke into Collins’ office in the hope of finding something juicy and happened upon the printed email!
http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8442683/acc-minister-printed-leaked-email
She said repeatedly that she did not pass on the email to the Media.
But was she asked did she pass on a printed copy?
No. So her denial was about emails not paper copies. Tricky eh?
loling at the iTwins. Wellie is a small town, if Trevor’s heard stuff, lot’s of people have heard it.
Anyways http://bit.ly/HiPIQC
Privacy commissioner wants to do forensics on the computers. What fun.
It is small and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was talking to itself
I’m not sure forensics on the computers is going to achieve much. Collins isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer but I don’t think she’d be that stupid. Besides, she printed off details of the email and God knows who had access to those details.
More will be learnt from looking than from not though.
The commissioner could find out whether or not someone did something really stupid. Or it could be found that no-one Collins sent it to in ACC printed it out, or forwarded it, or copied it.
Last night’s debate was fascinating because of the appearance of the dynamic duo Slater and Cactus. One gets the feeling that Slater is on the receiving end of some fairly severe responses from friends of the brat pack.
National is starting to implode. This is great fun to watch.
+1 on both points. Re last night’s debate, it was intriguing to see the slithering and sliding, and the answers to your questions particularly once Lusk’s name arose. The dots are starting to join up.
Wonder whether Key will come back instead of enjoying his holiday in Paris?
Shonkey Gonkey is now going to grace us with his presence next week . The question is whether the chicken shit will dare to be present during question time . Clearly the vultures are circling . No doubt the now slightly postponed holiday with the family in Europe will be to discuss the exit strategy to Hawaii .
I had been wondering whether the exit strategy was on the agenda well before the events of the last week and today! Ever hopeful but the alternatives are not looking great!
Key must have been a great supporter of Monday-ising some of our holidays seeing how enthusiastically he is holiday-ising the odd few minutes he should be putting into turning up in the House for parliamentary question time?
I don’t think it’s “great fun to watch”.
Parliament is supposd to be the cream of democracy running the country. I think it’s very sad to see how so many keep trying to push as many others onto the track as possible in the hope they will cause a train wreck. Too bad about the good of the country/
It’s a real shame when the dirty deeds of politics take precedence (and sadly pride of place for some) over decent governance.
Of course you don’t like it, they’re on your team. Your nasty, dirty, toxic team.
The more of you that push each other onto the tracks, the better.
I don’t like it when whoever does it to whom. I didn’t like the overhyped furores when they happened to Labour either. I’ve had more arguments about speeeding and painting than I’ve had arguments with you.
“Your nasty, dirty, toxic team.” That”s a nasty dirty comment. Part of the whole toxic mess our politics sometimes descends to. It’s disgraceful really.
And it’s this sort of disgraceful behaviour that turns many people of participating in politics. So we keep ending up with our highest offices overwhelmed by political thuggery.
It’s like a baying crowd watching someone getting kicked to death in an alleyway. Our ‘civilised’ society is often far from civilised.
Politics would be better if a few MPs had ideals rather than just being willing to join any government that lets them have an associate minister warrant (with associated limo and free air travel).
Like the MP for deluded outer Wellington suburbia, for instance.
Ah that’s right, the “Calling me nasty is very nasty of you” gambit.
You never did get around to answering those questions the other day, did you? (‘Goodness is that the time? I really must be off!’)
Fancy a crack at them now? http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27032012/comment-page-1/#comment-451585
Take your time.
I think you should try and see the opportunity in this PG. National is imploding, which means people who vote for good hair will move away from Key and instead go for someone with the best hair of all…
LOL
PG is all for civilised government, civilised politics and civil politicians!!!
PG can you point to a time that actually happened? Nixon’s day? Napolean’s day? Caesar’s day?
I actually agree with your basic sentiment PG. This kind of politics doesn’t appeal anymore to me than it does you.
Yet if National was running a principled and ethical government they would either not have gotten into this mess in the first place, OR in the event someone had fallen short of the standard… they would come clean and step down until an investigation and natural justice had taken its course.
Failing that the Opposition has little recourse than to put the heat on… and sadly that gets ugly.
And I agree with what you’re saying here too. The two large parties are the biggest culprits both in government and in opposition. The standard of parliament (and MP behaviour) is pitiful at times, and that’s what really annoys a lot of people outside political circles.
But just despairing and letting the cycle continue isn’t going to change anything. Politicians themselves are going to do little to change bad habits and bad practices. Some would like to – I’ve had a reasonable amount of respect for the intentions of Clark, Key and now Shearer, but as Shearer is finding out now, criticisng “Gotcha” is virtually ignored even by his own.
The only way of pressuring them for change is from outside politics, by threatening them with vote losses. The challenge there is nudging enough people out of apathy to make a difference. Many of the wider public deal with politicians like they deal with the weather, they moan plenty about them but don’t do anything to stop being dumped on.
But it’s worth exploring ways to change. I know I’ll change few minds here, that’s not the main purpose of being here, it’s to learn what we’re dealing with.
“I don’t think it’s “great fun to watch”. – Of course it’s not for you Pete, you are part of the sytem, albeit only a fluffer. The system is broken, and this is what we all pay for curently. As long as those in the system do not server their country, this is the inevitable result!
“Parliament is supposd to be the cream of democracy running the country. I think it’s very sad to see how so many keep trying to push as many others onto the track as possible in the hope they will cause a train wreck. Too bad about the good of the country” – You really are deluded, was that a lame attempt to fluff your boss? Look at the state of those who crave the control of others, they are pushed into the postions they are in, and do not deserve to be there. Until NZ’ers redress this, then it can only decline further, and that is a very ugly thought!
“It’s a real shame when the dirty deeds of politics take precedence (and sadly pride of place for some) over decent governance.” – Is it time for an afternoon nap Pete, as that comment was of a tired old man, who has just realised his career in political fluffing has amounted to nothing more than a reality check!
I’m not part of the system, and I’m not in it to fluff. It was never going to be a quick and easy thing to achieve any change in.
I often get flak because I’m prepared to challenge status quo thinking in various forums. I’m from outside the system. People who feel they have long earned their status on ther inside tend to resent new voices.
That’s one reason Shearer was not readily accepted as Labour leader. If he’s strong enough to not get dragged down into business as usual he could yet make a real difference.
We don’t need a new system, we just need to change attitudes about how to best use the system, from within and from the outside.
If half the time and effort that went into negative politics was turned to positive, we would have major change for the better (of the country and it’s people) – and still leave plenty of space for robust contests.
Parliament is supposd to be the cream of democracy running the country.
sez who?
If we want a decent democracy and a decent country.
So when and where has such a decent democracy and country existed?
Who gets to decide who the cream is?
Sounds more like romantic idealised notions of aristocracy than democracy to me.
In a decent country, Peter Dunne wouldn’t supply the crucial vote to give the government a one-seat majority to sell state assets against the wishes of the vast majority of New Zealanders.
In a decent country.
should be out campaigning harder and leaving the wasting our lives on blogs to the fools then Pete
It’s about accountability.
Pointing out the disgusting manoeuvres undertaken by Nact MP’s and their lackeys is required to ensure accountability, and highlighting cases where the rules are breached must occur to ensure a viable political system. Any damage to the political system is entirely the fault of those abusing our democracy for their own ends.
If you truly believe in a decent democracy Pete George, you would not support the current government who have proven themselves unworthy of their positions. It’s obvious that they don’t have the best interest of our country and it’s people as a priority. They are in fact self serving narcissistic back stabbing capitalist running dogs… creaming our so-called democracy for their own benefit.
National have no comprehension of what morals, honour and accountability stand for… it’s a vague notion that does not register in their befuddled and bigoted minds. To quote Nick Smith, they should do us all a favour by throwing themselves under a train.
Muzza is absolutely correct when he/she says New Zealander’s must address the problem… and presently the National led government is the problem.
“The question now is whether Key acts, or looks weak.”
How about ….. John attempts a sideshow with new buffoonery.
Quickly covering his shrug and scowl with a quick smile, he announces he has assembled a new karaoke cabinet for Question Time and a new anthem for his government …..
Split Nats
singing*
Six months in a leaKey boat
*dissonant or off-Key, of course
🙂
Great stuff Micky S. Marvelous to see Tories wriggling like the worms they are. Do you think they are going to last three years . Mind you the money bags in Aotearoa will be demanding that this closes down , but it could be too late now.Lets watch with pleasure .
Great stuff Micky S. Marvelous to see Tories wriggling like the worms they are. Do you think they are going to last three years . Mind you the money bags in Aotearoa will be demanding that this closes down , but it could be too late now.Lets watch with pleasure .
MSD, with the help of benefitaries, can provide the taxpayer savings by given over their personal information and accepting money to amelirate the poverty goals of tax payers. This saves billions in blight, ghettos, diseases, social and physical. And as we are seeing the leaks of benefitaries and ACC clients information, that government cannot be trusted with the information, either in using to end poverty or in stopping others who should not be privy to information gathered by MSD. Think for a moment that citizens have the right to withdraw from welfare and the effect if many were to, are we not already seeing false and misleading who have failed to track and understand the numbers now migranting overseas. Given that in order for the economy to grow a price on personal information is essential, and National are protecting the open theft of information leaking to clouds that they undervalue.
Sicken would the word used by a free democracy, when given tax payers demand that poverty, social ills are removed, only then to find that lowlifes National ministers grandstand over the money as if those accepting it were giving nothing in return. Accepting money for the service of allowing government to collect information, and spending it properly as is the wish of taxpayers to allievate their poverty, is no different than witnesses in court, or juries, told they should ignore the benefit they get from the small pittence they receive, as they are bludgers?
The good civic order of our society is paid for by even the unpaid citizen on a benefit who routinely live lawful lives and help the state keep disease, keep crime down, keep communities civil, and this is even before the unpaided work they do just by passing on true information to government and accepting a pittiful benefit 40%? of the weekly wage. It may well help MSD remembering that they need citizens to show up at their offices, or they would not have a jobs and would have to work far hard and bridging trust with poor communities (as can be seen in third world countries who riot, who make no go areas, where fecaes fester on the side of the road is not a one off happy camper event but common practice).
bennett say she values benefitaries, they can work, but does she really value their contribution, how can she when she gets it so wrong.
Peseta Sam Lotu Iiga(known in our house as Sam Ligature LOL) used the word “burden” today in Parliament in reference to beneficiaries. Really? What should we call the recipients of taxpayers money for the South Canterbury Finance payout? What should we call visitors who use our hospitals and don’t pay? Why are beneficiaries labelled as a burden? What about retired MP’s who move into jobs provided by their parliamentary cronies and on top get superannuation generously contributed to by the taxpayer with taxpayer funded flights for their vacation every year? Doug Graham, remember how he crowed about taking it all from the taxpayer? Who is really the burden here? Every person with a child at school or uni, every person who has entered a hospital or doctors clinic, all are beneficiaries of taxpayer dollars being spent on them! People on super cost much more than beneficiaries so why are they exempt from being called a “burden” on society? What about all the voluntary work done by beneficiaries? And why are women told they shouldn’t “breed” while on the DPB (Maggie Barry today in Parliament). Doesn’t a man usually have to be involved in some way too? The fathers are often invisible and so escape the wrath! At least the mothers are actually looking after their children.
Hami Shearlie…….is that truly what Maggie Marigold said today……..bennies shouldn’t be breeding ?
What a dirty minded thing she is………this fascination with the damp, cheap duveted, polyester sheeted bedrooms of South Auckland (not being Clevedon) ?
No more puke-making I guess than her response to the question….”Maggie……why are you standing for Parliament ?”
“Well (patronising smile to the little TV hack), I believe I have something to offer…….”.
Right………a nothing-arse self promoter planted in whatever Auckland based minister’s BMW on the way to Wellington Airport round 4.30 most Fridays. “Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah…….”
God Save Us From Jolly Gal Wannabees Turned Vicious For The Dear Leader !
Smith went spilling crocodile tears in resignation over His wee indiscretions as Minister, We dare say that should Slippery Key force Crusher Collins to walk it, the plank that is, Collins will go spilling the blood of the present Government as She does,
Slippery resides in damned if He does and damned if He dont land with what to do about Her so He wont, its as sure as hell though that the Slippery one aint exactly got a lot of confidence in His Minister if He has to ask Her twice if She has taken to peeing outside of the tent,
The damage done though either from action or inaction should have Slippery digging in the closet for His best New York bankers suit to send off for a good dry cleaning…
Would that be the greenstone washed one?
Whoa! Go, Andrew (Little)!
The video from today’s general debate to look for when it comes online! A tour de force on the shabby little government we now have got and all the stench coming from the ACC issue… and all the questions it raises.
Video’s up
Yes, that was very impressive.
Andrew Little had a clarity of purpose and grasp of the ethical dimensions. No qualifications or ambivalence in the rhetoric – reminded me of Rodney Hide’s speech on the surveillance bill (was it?).
The real scandal, as he identified, was that these internecine machinations of National Party personnel and ‘apparatchiks’ will inevitably be interfering with the work of ACC – certainly at upper management levels.
Hekia would no doubt think that an “apparatchik” is a young woman terribly interested in fashion! And people actually suggested she could be the Nats next leader if Collins implodes? I lolled long and loud when I read that!
Hekia is plenty smart; it won’t do to underestimate her or her supporters.
Agreed CV, smart and really shallow – a female Key perhaps! No substance there, but able to blind everyone with the overwhitened teeth perhaps?
The amount of infighting in National, you’d think they got some coaching from Labour. Maybe at one of their little inter-party discussion groups…
Time for the Nats to slowly bleed.
The 53.000 that have left nz for a ‘brighter future’ obviously not contained in bennetts figures,
is bennett saying none of those were on some sort of benefit,she claims that approx 6000 or
so have gone off the unemployment benefit and into work,when she excitedly says in parliament that she is working hard to get them into work,no ms bennett,they have gone to aussie for a ‘brighter future’because national are taking ‘a brighter future’ for themselves.
The rat traps are poised and waiting for the acc debacle to head in their direction,the rats
will scatter in all directions but the odds are there will be some that will be caught.
If there was a large container for the paper work associated with the rorts,the lies,the
corruption,the back room deals,the sweet heart deals,then that container would surely
sink in no time at all.
The privacy review,which i predicted would happen,will curtail and suppress freedom
of speech in nz,that will be a guarantee,in the light of the tea pot tapes.
The only hope for democracy in nz is if all the rats are trapped in the rat trap.
Hasn’t a recent Act meant that journalists can be forced to disclose their sources? Ironic or what!
Collins would not of been aware of Smith breaching the cabinet manual as I doubt Boag raised Smith in the email to Collins. When Smith being connected to Pullar was discovered by Key, Key seemed to dismiss Smith breaching cabinet rules as he did not even stand him down.
Whoever leaked the email did not realise that Smith would be collateral damage. ACC would have known that Smith breached the cabinet manual, so I do not think that ACC was the source of breaching Pullars privacy regarding Boags email.
Aerobubble, have I understood you correctly ? Beneficiaries contribute by helping “maintain good civic order of our society”, by enabling others to work in paid jobs in the MSD and by forming a group of people in poverty that can make available to Government information useful in formulating policies that aim to alleviate that poverty ?
Do you think beneficiaries in New Zealand would be better off without benefits (forget for the moment the MSD employees and Government information gatherers) ?
If beneficiaries thought they would be better off without a benefit, they would surely, as you suggest, not accept the benefit. But what alternative do they have at the moment ?
It boils down to your getting a paying job to cover your expenses or you go on a benefit.
The New Zealand Labour Party needs to put forward a programme that will provide adequately payed jobs for all, tell people about it and ask to be voted in at the next election.
Basically its historical, poverty was understood to be a blight, ghettos, disease vectors that began in incubated weaken poor immune systems would lay waste to the gentified. Governments in order to save money from the collateral damage (that we can still see in third world countries) realized that businesses would actually do better if there were more customers, bureaucrats would get jobs, as Adam Smith pointed out the poor still made choices, with more more making choices (because they have a benefit) they would contribute to the growth of a free market and diminish the effects of the class system. As we move into the information age, and the needs of capialists to exchange value, the value of information becomes more pronounced, and needs to be protected, like any property right needs to be before a free market can be produced. Now its note worthy that benefitaries have worked, and the welfare system rewards them with lowered risk when they are laid off, they don’t lose their homes, they can use the time to retrain, and as we enter the information economy we need to have much more flexibility between up time and down time, so employees even in work can access benefits to help them retrain, My point is that the myopic view of welfare, that benefitaries contribute nothing, despite them having had jobs and paid for others to be on welfare, despite having saved and pay taxes while getting a benefit thus cross subsiding those who spent all their savings, a tsunami of denial of facts about citizens who happen to find their circumstances at odds with the sanctimonious sainted louses of the right wing looking to tax employees by removing a safety net and increase the pressure to lower wages. As we are all told we should be raise medium wages.
So to sum up, its a fraud on us when the lousy government declare benefitaries are no good, in fact they provide a wealth of information to government that government could be using to prevent many of the social malaise caused by poverty. But its easier to kick the weak than to kick the managers of society into actively creating jobs, into actively sacking unnecessarily employment of middle class social parasitical managers. As we all know people who can make a living peeling off the souls and spirits of benefitaries love the National party, and why would they, attacks on the weakest in society by some formally who were weak. Look everyone and anyone can become ministers of the crown and millionarie PM, yes, we all can. No, fact is we don’t live in a Randian utopia, when the super human minister can be replayed easily, there is no essential super human ability to fawn over.
We need an honest debate, we need Ministers with morals and ethics who realize that beatup on on the weakest in society actually is a personal risk, they start to justified leaking information about the poor worthless scum all bludgers to a man and solo mum. Well we know how that turns out, the thugs are investugated by the privacy commissioner and have to say sorry, even fall on their swords and lose their job. So actually, if politicians stop taking the low road, they might actually not look like such shallow arses.
We need to give citizens the wealth from their own information, and shifting for example the information into the giant database of Google is the opposite of good governance. How are we to trade information when we give it away. Like that gold mine who pay no royaleties.
As for the notion that jobs just appear without the consent of a lawful civic populace, that’s just absurd, we cannot produce a free market without socialists pushing for a level playing field, history shows this, when we didn’t have socialists we have class stratification and royals. Only when the monopolies of the church, and landed gentry were removed did we get efficiency gains. So it follows that we have to be vigilent less we reintroduce a invisible aristocracy, as we fail to tax the rich, who use their wealth to push politicians to kick the poorest and pander to the lowest commonness.
yes we need jobs and its as easy as lowering working hours, and taxing the vast wealth of NZ properly. We have such a high currency because we’ve sold our productive core to foriegn absent landlords and are being turned into a serf class in our own land, by our own governemtn.
Phew, what a nightmare!
As a mere part-time political geek the ACC-Smith-Pullar-Boag-Collins-Lusk-Joyce scandal is getting a little too hot to handle!
Too many names, too many accusations, too many denials!
Would someone on the know, perhaps on Standard editorial like to to produce a flow diagram of sorts? Just like a simple mind map showing who is in bed with who, and who is accusing who of what. Too many names for a single article, if it was done graphically it might be easier for the average person to understand.
We also need to come up with an appropriate portmanteau to refer to this case. Something snappy that the media can pick up, and obviously ending in gate.
Any suggestions?
Boagate? Natagate?
How about ‘openthegate’ quick they are all commin thru.
Starlight, priceless. Still laughing!
It would appear that the Herald on Sunday gained its information on Fullar from a well known political commentator with connections on high with various factions from within the Party,
We know who garnered the 30 pieces of silver from the destruction of the former Minister,s career, and, just what the hell that particular individual was masquerading as a fully functioning Minister of the Crown future anthropologists will likely have much to ponder over, us mere mortals however can but breathe a sigh of relief and have a quiet laugh at the demise (for the moment at least) of something that we seen as a reasonably ugly blight upon our political landscape,
We tho digress,Collins in the House today gave emphatic answers of NO to any and all questions over Her involvement in the contents of Boag,s email finding its way into the hands of the Herald on Sunday,
Perhaps Trev and others asking the questions of Crusher havnt quite got the tangent quite on target, it might be more profitable to ask the ”latest” ACC Minister if the 1 hard copy She apparently had cause to make of this email didnt happen to find itself climbing the tiers of power to the 9th floor,
Crusher didnt make that 1 hard copy for no reason,in fact into who,s sticky wee paws that copy of that email was passed from where we sit would give every appearance of having as a next stop the sticky wee fingers of a well known political commentator with connections on high with various factions of the Party…
Though it now looks like Collins could be off the hook:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6655745/ACC-worker-re-viewed-leaked-Smith-letter
not the same letter I think. that’s the email to ACC from Pullar with Smith’s letter attached.
Collins is suspected of leaking the Boag letter
Thanks. Though if I’m confused between the letters, it is good spin to the wider population.
In default of something better (and giving Nick Smith due credit), how about “Lettergate” ?
Prescient of “Litigate” perhaps ?
I’m talking excitedly of Wellington District Court Criminal List here of course. Not your dry as civil suit. Which one of those hubristic mongrels wouldn’t richly deserve it ?
Talking excitement I’m dying to see JuhnKey eventually front up in the House. What are the odds he mincingly shuffles in wrapped in a kimono he picked up in Seoul ?
The master Crosby Textor distraction plan…….
Even I have to admit if some thing smells as bad as this.Normally there is some shite hanging round some where. Collins may have hung herself it doesnt add up that she would not have known who it was who released the emails
This link from Tv3 yesterday.
http://www.3news.co.nz/ACC-Minister-printed-leaked-email/tabid/1607/articleID/248388/Default.aspx
In particular,
However Ms Collins’ office revealed today to RadioLive that she had printed a copy of the email.
Asked repeatedly to confirm whether she printed the email, Ms Collins refused to answer questions, saying: “Look, I’ve made it very clear that there was no leak from my office on this matter.
“There has been an email, the email was copied in my office when we came back into the office because we were in recess when it [was received],” she said.
Ms Collins would not elaborate on what she meant by “copied”.
She said the Privacy Commission inquiry, to be carried out by former Australian Federal Privacy Commissioner Malcolm Crompton, may involve the forensic examination of computers.
So, we have collins office saying that she (Collins) printed a copy of the email but we also have Collins refusing to confirm or deny that it was printed, but admitting that it was copied in her office.
The thing is though a printed copy would be mutch more difficult to trace than a electronic one and stop a computer forensic examination dead in its tracks.