Weapons of mass distraction

Written By: - Date published: 6:32 pm, April 15th, 2013 - 111 comments
Categories: brand key, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

I knew John Key was getting desperate, but really? Weapons of Mass Destruction? How stupid does he think we are?

Key’s claim that New Zealand websites have been hacked by terrorists looking for the secrets of WMDs is such an obvious beat-up that even Hillary Barry felt compelled to question whether Key was serious in her live cross to Paddy Gower.

Let me be clear, I have no doubt that there has been some incidental computer hacking stuff going on but frankly I think Key is lying about the gravity of the situation to distract from the rolling fiasco that his Prime Ministership has become. And given his form on leaving important stuff out I don’t think he should be given the benefit of the doubt.

I have to say though, I have a sneaking admiration for the shear gall he’s shown in trying to recycle the most notorious lie of the twenty-first century. I guess it’s like they say – if you’re gonna lie. Lie big.

111 comments on “Weapons of mass distraction ”

  1. ianmac 1

    For we ordinary folk the threat from Weapons of Mass Destruction sounds real scary so just as well that nice Mr Key is there to protect us. I mean who would want a big mushroom cloud messing up our town. And all that Labour Party can do is ask for an Enquiry and waste time talking and talking. We need action now! Go for it John Key.
    (Warning: sarcasm!)

  2. karol 2

    This intrusions line must have been on Key’s agenda for a while. Fletcher’s speech last month in Hamilton included mentions of cyber-intrusions. The speech was aimed at business.

    The WMD might have been a last minute panic exaggeration, now Key is on the back foot.

    • ghostrider888 2.1

      yep. only had the “politicking” line to roll out on te News, along with “all the measures Labour wanted to introduce” re #

    • Anne 2.2

      This intrusions line must have been on Key’s agenda for a while.

      I say it goes right back to before he officially appointed Fletcher to head the GCSB. Hence the reason for circumventing the proper process with such appointments.

      Note how it’s all about the supposed shambles at the GCSB – and Superman Key has stepped in to sort it out – and not about his despicable lying and cheating.

      Come on Kim Dotcom… if you know something spit it now!

    • outofbed 2.3

      Hold on, if If there is now a terrorist threat why would you put Fletcher a civilian in charge of th GCSB.
      Surely you would want someone with a defense force background.
      I call Bullshit!!!

      • TruthSeeker 2.3.1

        “Come on Kim Dotcom… if you know something spit it now!”

        Absolutely.

        Outofbed, what happened to those “secret meetings” in October 2011 that they couldn’t keep a lid on?

  3. ghostwhowalksnz 3

    Very good research on and definition and origin of the terms Weapons of Mass Destruction from National Defense University , US.

    http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/pdf/CSWMD-OccasionalPapers/CSWMD_OccationalPaper-8.pdf

  4. Pascal's bookie 4

    Not really sure how foreign terrorists hacking us to look for WMDs means we need to spy on kiwis but.

    • karol 4.1

      Key said:

      “There are people within our country who have links to offshore terrorist groups,” the prime minister said.

      That included cyber attacks and covert attempts to use science and technology for projects involving weapons of mass destruction, Key said.

      “I cannot tell New Zealanders everything our intelligence agencies are doing, or what the details of their operations are,” he said.

      As quoted in the Stuff article.

      I guess we’ve just got to take Key’s word for it.

      • marty mars 4.1.1

        I wonder which ethnic group/s will get the blame for ‘having links’ with terrorists.

        • Pascal's bookie 4.1.1.1

          Irish. To be fair, I wouldn’t trust me either.

        • frances louis 4.1.1.2

          The Muslims, they always used by Protestant America, to take the blame.

        • Well Mighty.M/There is an old saying regarding a USA assassinations It’s the one time the Synagogues are full .”Please God don’t let it be a Jew”

          I would presume the same thing now applies to the Muslims .The red necks will be out in force .
          How they will cope if its some Right-Wing group will be interesting..

    • felix 4.2

      Jesus man what’s wrong with you, didn’t you hear what he said? TERRORISTS!!!

    • AmaKiwi 4.3

      The plot was to strap biological weapons to Hector dolphins, who are resident in NZ territorial waters.

  5. prism 5

    Perhaps the Korean Peninsula will provide the distractions from our badly run, empty policy damned country? Sort of like the Falklands did for Thatcher.

  6. Rhinocrates 6

    Great. Now I can expect those defenders of freedom, Labour, to respond thus: Robertson will issue fourteen press releases that no-one will read raising an objection about an umlaut in paragraph fourteen, no a comma in three, ah, maybe a hyphen in number twelve, Trevor Mallard will post a boob joke on his facebook page, Goff will think “Cool…” and then, feeling neglected, Shearer will struggle out of his straitjacket, take a deep breath and intone mightily:

    “As someone said, possibly someone… it might have been me. It probably was, I mean me, friends, Romans, countrymen, I come not to…. um… where’s my bit of paper? Oh… here it is… I mean… Eggs. Cheese. Milk… Two loaves of bread (white, sliced)… I have, I agree, Weapons of Mass Destruction…. Mass has been destroyed in this country, and I… um, well, yes, the destruction of mass might affect gravity. The earth is losing mass and there should be an enquiry, so, um, yes, to be reasonable…. um, I think that I might indeed, and I mean to hold the government to account on this because I’m always holding the government to account. I said that. People are destroying mass and there’s not enough gravity, I mean, Labour, um, I stand for gravity. I mean I have to stand because of gravity. If there wasn’t gravity, I wouldn’t be standing, I’d be floating… um, what I mean is… raspberry jam… peanut butter, toilet paper (triple-ply, scented), I mean Labour, my party – and I’m sure my followers agree, that absolutely, I am a place for weapons of mass destruction, so I must, I mean I might… um, zucchinis, Brut 33, frozen peas, dishwashing liquid… corn flakes… and yes, assertively, I mean, um, Bell tea bags, I think that we should indeed, um, I mean subject to some sort of, um, clover honey, baked beans, allow some sort of expansion of surveillance powers, taking into account the threat of Brasso and this week’s Listener.”

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 6.1

      Laugh all you want. I can reveal that dirty foreigners have accessed the National Party’s website and right now are seeking to copy the government’s education policy, assett sales and economic management program in an effort to export them and destabilise their own countries the way we have this one.

      • Rhinocrates 6.1.1

        Actually, I think it’s the other way around – Key’s copying Thatcher and her vapid successor, Cameron. I’m lambasting Shearer for cravenly failing to oppose that.

        … sorry, did I miss your irony in thinking that you’d missed my irony?

        🙂

        Oh, what a maze of mirrors we have wandered into under this administration!

      • prism 6.1.2

        OneAK
        Did you mean ‘ansett’ sales?

    • prism 6.2

      Rhinocrates
      Something to watch out for – try full gain bread, white is supposed to be like pure calories. Just to help you keep your priorities right.

  7. Bill 7

    So, hang the fuck on a minute…Key is saying that WMD technology is developed in NZ. I’d like to know what that technology is – I mean does it pertain to chemical weapons, biological weapons – what is it? And why?

    • freedom 7.1

      Reality is we have numerous hi-tech companies in NZ who do create specialized componentry for I dare not imagine what or for whom or for how much.

      e.g. These guys sound like they are doing an increasingly private job, good lawyers they have too.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palantir_Technologies

      and just a couple of months ago another kiwi business was in the media for securing a new contract worth tens of millions supplying some boards or something or other to a US tech company. Then there is the cutting edge Bio-Tech stuff we do at various public and not so public locations. In a world where Finance and IP are the most traded weapons of mass destruction on the planet, these threats are more real than we would care to admit.

      Fact is NZ, when it comes to international reputations for being straight shooting peace loving supporters of freedom, ours is not so shiny and has not been for a long time.

      • ghostrider888 7.1.1

        well dug up freedom

      • Bill 7.1.2

        Reality is we have numerous hi-tech companies in NZ who do create specialized componentry for I dare not imagine what or for whom or for how much

        So shouldn’t somebody be bombing them? (edit – Oh, and us by association.) I mean, that’s what teh WoT be all about, no? Or are these guys all guys with pink skin making shit for other guys with pink skin or mates of guys with pink skin? ‘Cause that’d be totally different and legit like.

      • QoT 7.1.3

        Oh my god, they have a product called Palantir Gotham. Can you literally try any harder?

    • KJT 7.2

      Financial WMD, of course! Like the reserve bank act.

    • Murray Olsen 7.3

      Douglas touted Rogernomics all around Eastern Europe and Fonterra milk powder killed a few Chinese babies. Maybe those are the WMDs he means?

    • David H 7.4

      Yep everytime Key opens his mouth it’s a Whinge of Massive Desperation.

  8. Anne 8

    You’re as mean as hell Rhinocrates but so clever and funny with it. Thanks for the much needed laughs. 😀

    • Red Rosa 8.1

      +1

    • Rhinocrates 8.2

      Really, I’ve got to laugh, otherwise I’ll never stop crying. An utterly awful, corrupt government and the so-called major opposition party that won’t even oppose. The Prozac isn’t enough.

      • freedom 8.2.1

        ” The Prozac isn’t enough.” (even if it was said in jest) don’t rely on the pretty candies Rhinocrates. IMHO always talk honestly and directly with any doctor prescribing medication that alters your brain chemistry.

        SSRI’s and the ever growing busloads of pharma friends they have invited do not help you get better, they just help the symptoms to be masked, primarily for the comfort and the benefit of others. Look at it this way, if the meds stopped being dispensed, for whatever reason, would you be able to say it does not matter and you know enough about how to stay well without their help? SSRI’s might be clever pharma, but they are tourists at a carnival. And when the tourists go home, you are left with one hell of a mess to sort out.

        tourists never stay to clean up a carnival, that’s what friends are for

        • Anne 8.2.1.1

          It was said as part of the humorous take on the matter freedom. I’m sure there was no intention to be flippant about a serious problem. Lighten up a little…

        • Rhinocrates 8.2.1.2

          Thanks for your sincere concern, Freedom, I do appreciate it – but don’t worry, that was a bit ironic… All the best.

  9. Tim 9

    Expect Puller to dream up something very soon – but I think she’s probably running low on ideas

  10. gobsmacked 10

    Helen Clark had nine years to deal with the WMDs hidden inside New Zealand websites and what did she do about them? NOTHING!!11!!!

    Thank goodness John Key is here to protect us – I mean, to protect the people who spy on us. If I hadn’t done anything wrong then I wouldn’t be getting spied on, would I? So logically, I must have WMDs. Arrest me now!

    *waves to spies visiting the Standard*

    • karol 10.1

      These terr-ist are bloody clever with their computer stuff. They probably have devised 3-D printers, that automatically download info sent to them. The printers will then create WMDs right at your physical address.

      PS: reply to outofbed below.

  11. outofbed 11

    Hold on, if If there is now a terrorist threat why would you put Fletcher a civilian in charge of th GCSB.
    Surely you would want someone with a defense force background.
    I call Bullshit!!!

  12. One Anonymous Knucklehead 12

    This is ridiculous.

    OK, so the SIS and police need the ability to read some emails. Here’s how you do it. A GCSB staff member is seconded to the appropriate department for the duration of the operation. Paid through their pay-roll, officially their employee.

    Job done, surveillance achieved whilst remaining within the law (which can remain unchanged) and no warrantless surveillance. Separation of powers maintained.

    • Tim 12.1

      well ekshly, it’s easier than that, and doesn’t need that fullsome expertise of the Joy Soy Ess Boy.
      We’re being fed a crcok.
      Never mind – If KdC doesn’t blow their shit out of the water, someone else will before too long.

  13. Steve 13

    I’m not sure Mr Key is remembering this right. And if anyone is really hoodwinked by his constant BS, including today’s howler – predictably lapped up by MSM – then I fear for the future of our brilliant country.

  14. emergency mike 14

    Dear John, using ‘terrorism’ and WMDs to rip up your citizen’s civil rights is so last decade.

    Seriously, did anyone else get a major GW Bush flashback watching Key deliver that statement? This speaks to the blithe arrogance of the man, that he can pull this one out after the way the very same line was used as propaganda in the US.

    It also speaks to his desperation, he must be truly worried about this whole mess to pull this card out.

    • felix 14.1

      Yep, and next he gets Coleman to stand in front of an aerial photo and point with a stick at blurry rectangles.

      • emergency mike 14.1.1

        You have to admit though, they were quite troublingly rectangular.

        I wonder who Key would get to point at blurry rectangles?

        Brownlee: “These are terrorist camps. I’ll punch anyone that says different.”

        Bennett: “Yes and we also believe that some beneficiaries are hiding out in these buildings, we need to drug test them ASAP.”

        Parata: “After we close down what are clearly rectangular chemical weapons labs, we will close all schools in New Zealand and relocate all pupils to this area. Actually we are not closing any schools. But we will merge most of them. I’m just about to email the schools that will close. Most schools will be closed.”

        Banks: “Look, these terrorists are brown skinned people who want to burglarise your house looking for Sudafed. Maybe the Green Party is ok with that but I’m not going to put up with it.”

        John Key: “Ackshully, the reality is, at the end of the day, and I’m being honest and up front here, this is is absolutely evidence of a photo. Labour can’t deny that, as much as they try. Besides, Helen Clarke did it too. David Shearer’s hidden bank accounts.”

    • karol 14.2

      So last decade/

      Well that’s what happens when Key hires an ex-Alexander Turnbull pvte secretary to run the GCSB.

      He probably has the Iraq misinformation dossier saved on a hard drive somewhere.

      • emergency mike 14.2.1

        Yes good one Karol.

        Fletcher: “Hey John, do you care about your credibility or your legacy?”

        Key: “Of course not, once I sell everything off I’m outski. Why?”

        Fletcher: “Terrorists and WMDs. It worked for Bush and Blair.”

        Key: “Those guys are my heros…”

        Fletcher: “Bingo.”

  15. Rodel 15

    Jeesus John! .WMPs… or in the revision of Tony Blair WMD ‘programmes’. Is it something to do with 1080?…and I thought John Banks was, and aims at low intellect…Oh No John No John… No

    John… No .That’s so stooooopid. I’d ask Crosby Textor for my money back.. Sh*t in fact can you ask them for MY money back?
    Isn’t is time for Steven and Paula or watsername Collins to implement a coup…….Even for a lefty New Zealander you are becoming embarrassing.

    Oh dear…No… Now I remember..I had a dream that Paula became prime minister. …woke up sweating… Stay there John !

    But seriously John dubja do you really think NZers are as thick as Americans..maybe 47% are.
    I hope its not Romney’s 53%.Hey anyway I guess its better than channel 15!

    Dear God I wish we had a Jon Stewart… we have enough poltico wingnuts to keep him employed , don’t we?

  16. Kevin Welsh 16

    Surely, finally, even the most dyed-in-the-wool National supporter is going ‘what the fuck?”

    • Pascal's bookie 16.1

      *laugh* Turn it up.

      You watch. By ten am tomorrow at the latest they’ll be popping up here saying that anyone who doesn’t support rewarding the GCSB for their transgressions hates NZ and loves the terrorists and blah blah freedom isn’t free and you can spy on my shit because nothing to fear nothing to hide but you’ll never take my Freeeeedom because I AM SPARTA and wolverines! and you can take my showerhead from my cold dead hands or some shit I don’t know.

    • Murray Olsen 16.2

      I think you are misoverestimating the intelligence and credulity if the average National supporter, let alone dyed in the wool Tories. As sure as most imports come from overseas, enough of them will swallow it.

      • Colonial Viper 16.2.1

        Nah, a fair number of old school Tories will see through this clumsy distraction easily. They still won’t vote for Labour though.

        • Don't worry be happy 16.2.1.1

          Good Lord CV Labour supporters don’t vote Labour! That’s the problem…..

          • Colonial Viper 16.2.1.1.1

            There’s that, but that’s partially a result of Labour being uninterested in the Labour non-vote. Instead, the real chase and effort is for ‘the middle’ and for ‘soft National’ voters.

      • Colonial Viper 16.2.2

        Also National vs Labour vs Left supporters – it’s not so much a matter of intelligence, it’s a matter of world view, values, and also elements of tribal/clan identity.

  17. ghostrider888 17

    wait, John, i’m picking up a communique, Mars Needs Women, angry red women,
    Hijack what you’re wanting
    Not afraid to use it
    Strip and abuse it
    New Gods a moving
    Miracles are losing…

    *thigh

  18. Pascal's bookie 18

    Here’s this stuff on the SIS page see:

    http://t.co/Z3QQMkYDmA

    link on there, SIS report about WMD.

    notice anything?

    Looks like the Terrorists have stolen it already :0

    aiieee, run fer the hills

  19. Tim 19

    A mate of mine and I once considered doing a risk analysis of Wellington’s “infrastructure” a few years ago.
    You know, like pointing out just how vulnerable Datacom was to loss of communications or severe degradation – let alone gubbamint departments; the Brooklyn substation; Wellington Airport, etc.

    Then we thought …… nah fuck it! Some consultant will come along charge a few hundred grand to point out the bleeding obvious.

    Though there have been one or two improvements since we had that idea (like Datacom shoving its fibre in metal conduit), not a lot has changed (walk 100 metres down the raod, and pretty much the same shit could be achieved).

    Just as well we aren’t terrorists. A roll of number 8, mal-intent, a wintery night and it could STILL all turn to custard.
    Weapons of Mass Distraction ffs!

    It reminds me of that Jeremy Paxman Empire series recently screened. They survive and replicate themselves on the basis of bluff, weaponry and the knowledge there is a compliant public. The latter of course is the Key – pardon the pun.
    When you oppress an increasing number, that compliance can’t last, and I’ve no doubt it won’t

  20. Dan1 20

    I was fascinated the way he read the announcement about the weapons of mass destruction. It was as if he was reading a script at rehearsal for a Monty Python show.

    Maybe it was?!

  21. North 21

    My God – Maxwell Smart returns.

    Chief, check that man’s shoes !

    Agent 99 – Hek Yeh Parasite ?

    Nah. 99 was cool.

    She knew Max was a fuckwit.

  22. outofbed 22

    Are you fed up with the local political machine? Are you tired of going to the same boring job every day? Is school getting you down? If you are suffering from any of these afflictions, this is for you!

    Making a thermonuclear device is quite simple. It can be done on a lazy summer weekend when there isn’t much on television anyway…

  23. BLiP 24

    John Key: What are we going to tell them?

    Ian Fletcher: Ummm . . .

    John Key: C’mon, mate, you gotta have some idea.

    Ian Fletcher: Well, last time I was involved in this sort of thing it was all about WMD.

    John Key: Brilliant. Lets do that then.

    Ian Fletcher: Sounds good to me, mate.

    (EDIT: Emergency Mike beat me to it. Note to self: read all the comments before adding 2 cents)

    • ghostrider888 24.1

      your “2 Cents” appreciated beyond face value. au revoir and moore BLiP

    • David H 24.2

      “Ian Fletcher: Well, last time I was involved in this sort of thing it was all about WMD”

      So in other words, he is one of the ones that knew that the reason for invading Iraq was a fallacy?

      • BLiP 24.2.1

        Yes.

        . . . Documents released in the inquiry into the Iraq war show Mr Fletcher was privy to “extremely sensitive” and secret documents forecasting the march to war.

        Mr Fletcher saw early military planning and advice stating “US military planning is in full swing” in July 2002 – eight months before the invasion began and before Britain had committed to join the attack.

        Sir Andrew’s tenure ended in 2005, as did Mr Fletcher’s role. Sir Andrew later revealed Britain had gone to war on legal advice which was one page long – and substantially different to advice which had been given 10 days earlier . . .

  24. outofbed 25

    You couldn’t make this shit up
    Yet they have
    But it sort of makes sense
    So Key is caught out lying, people are starting to suspect
    Why not come out with the biggest fucking whopper one can
    Safety of NZ wmd blah blah
    I would not possibly lie over this
    And I can’t be proved to be a lie cos its oh so secret

    Fucking ballsy move if you ask me
    It should be his undoing
    It probably won’t though
    God, if only we had a strong opposition

  25. peterlepaysan 26

    Who, or where, is Shearer?

    • Colonial Viper 26.1

      Putting out a sharp retort to Key’s stupidity, maybe something along the lines of

      “the PM does the nation a dis-service by casually politicising WMD and using them as a convenient, unverifiable political excuse”

      or, maybe not.

  26. RedBaronCV 27

    WMD could be arriving on this site soon. The Pundit has been down for about 24 hours.

  27. ianmac 28

    We had better have a closer look at why the WMD angle is put in the front of us. These guys in Cabinet are not stupid, much as we like to mock them. The WMD are unprovable but no doubt there is some electronic componentry used in making say a trigger or guidance item. The WMD is almost certainly a ploy to agitate the naysayers and conspiracy folk, like us because we could never disprove the WMD.

    So what can we do instead? All I can think of so far is demand a full Enquiry before a Bill is posed.
    Or ummm….

    • Colonial Viper 28.1

      Same pattern as the USA. Promote the ever present threat of terrorists and terrorist agents right here amongst us, as well as the ongoing shadow of WMD, to institute political cover for the intelligence and surveillance initiatives you want to run against your own people.

    • rosy 28.2

      “These guys in Cabinet are not stupid, much as we like to mock them”

      Maybe not. But they’re not using their own words either. A politician talking to the masses and using words like ‘exfiltrating’? GCSB wrote that little talk for him.

  28. Adrian 29

    I have waited for this day for 4 1/2 years and this is it, he’s finally jumped the shark. To quote the great David Lange, he’s going to be dogtucker.

    • Colonial Viper 29.1

      His political judgement has gone seriously out the window in the last 6 months. Who knows what the fuck is going on, but there have got to be some in his inner circle who are rolling their eyes right now.

      • muzza 29.1.1

        Come on CV – what political judgement did Key ever have, in reality to anyone with an IQ above 60!

        Edit – Make that to anyone who can hear and/or see!

  29. Gruntie 30

    From NZ Herald , 30 May, 2006

    Guidance systems such as JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) – for which Rakon has supplied a key component for the past 10 years – are made as tail kits which are then attached to a bomb.

    In a statement released yesterday Rakon said: “We have not developed or supplied any products or technology for nuclear defence programmes. We have developed products for high shock applications. None of our product is specific to the munitions industry. They can be used by a range of industries from mining to aerospace.”

    [Leaving aside the fact that the JDAM isn’t a WMD, I seriously doubt that terrorists are looking for instructions on how to make the tail kits of smart-dumb bombs. Wouldn’t they need, you know, military aircraft to drop them from first? The more conventional weapons delivery system for these groups is the beat-up old Toyota. Eddie]

  30. Paul Campbell 31

    I suspect Key’s going on about this:

    http://www.interestingprojects.com/cruisemissile/

    don’t follow that link, expect a knock on the door in about an hour …..

    • Bill 31.1

      Pressed the big red button I did. Will report back in an hour – or not. 😉

      • Paul Campbell 31.1.1

        Bill? Bill?

        • Bill 31.1.1.1

          Maybe they’re having difficulty getting their heads around the non-sequential street numbers in these parts? As a good upstanding citizen I’m thinking I should maybe just phone them with directions.

          edit. Nah, won’t bother. Pretty sure they’ll be keeping loose tabs from the two previous occasions…

  31. Pascal's bookie 32

    Remember when Key pulled the SAS home for the Rubber Wool Cup?

    The ‘WMD’ the ‘Terrorists’ were trying steal was clearly the ABs lineout codes.

  32. Descendant Of Sssmith 33

    The national party is a weapon of mass destruction – it’s only logical to protect yourself.

    They have certainly destroyed a lot of this country since they have been in govt and look set to continue.

    Labour is a weapon of self-destruction.

  33. irascible 34

    Perhaps the GCSB is to be allowed to spy on the real weapons of mass destruction – KeY, Brownlee, English & Ryall whose arms are deep into the destruction of the NZ economy and asset base.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 34.1

      If they are to focus more on economic crimes I have been wondering what the potential consequences are for the National Party.

      I would like to see more aggressive oversight of political donations, for example, but the appropriate authorities are the SFO and the police, not the GCSB.

  34. One Anonymous Knucklehead 35

    Key is playing at being President of the USA. He’s already had his “I am not a crook” moment, and his brain fades mimic Reagan. Now he’s George W Bush.

  35. SpaceMonkey 36

    National’s 2014 election campaign slogan: “You’re either with us or against us!”

  36. remo 37

    George ‘WMD’ Key. Monkeysee. Monkeydoo. A Freedom-For-Security program.
    Imagine waking up to a prime minister seriously contending neocon WMD mantra for breakfast serial BS after all we have learned. oops…thats just happened. The Failure of Imagination. WMD/Iraq – over a million dead. Afghanistan hundreds more children and thousands of their parents laid out on alter of WMD imperatives already proven to have been built on the lies of 9 sorry..11 (years), but no jail for those illegalities; infact Bush/Blair etal making GOOD money out of their parts, and advantaging the security superstate.
    GCSB Law change is a tactical imperative. NSA USA – Whaihopi is NSA. Security superstate. Are we REALLY expected to think ‘oversight’ is going to grow any independence of THAT ownership model? Sure, John.
    Instead we get ‘law change’. Likened to ‘regime change’.
    Years of illegal intercepts practiced and proven, and we get ‘law change’ without due process. Where was the ‘oversight’ there, John? Bye bye democracy. Dotcom reported suing for property return rather than further confrontation with deep-state, so no breath holding for truth fatwah.

  37. Chris 38

    I have never thought that john key was funny until now.And not in a good way.

  38. JonL 39

    “How stupid does he think we are?” – he knows how stupid most of us are! That’s why he keeps coming out with this garbage! The 65% who obey and respond to perceived authority will buy it, even if they have misgivings……..
    and that’s all he needs……..

  39. Sonny 40

    This is obviously Leftist green Balderdash. Keep truckin John. Let the Polls decide.

  40. AC 41

    The only weapon off mass destruction is Gerry’s arse letting wind in a confined space.

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    Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    13 hours ago
  • Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
    National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    13 hours ago
  • Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    14 hours ago
  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    14 hours ago
  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    14 hours ago
  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    16 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    17 hours ago
  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    18 hours ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    1 day ago
  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    1 day ago
  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    1 day ago
  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    1 day ago
  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    1 day ago
  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    1 day ago
  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    1 day ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    3 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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 in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
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