Will Chris Trotter give up his table?

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 pm, October 23rd, 2014 - 64 comments
Categories: david parker - Tags: ,

GalbraithsFor many decades Galbraiths has been a local watering hole for some of the unionists, academics, and commentariat on Friday night. I have been known to go along to stir participate in the bemoaning lofty debate and to  spend a few coppers (well, quite a few coppers sometimes) on their excellent IPA.  It is within rolling walking distance of home on the other side of Newton Gully.
Last weekend Mr Trotter went to observe the Gracinda pairing down the road at the Kings Arms in bright daylight (a experience that many there had never expected to see). But now he will have to share the Friday watering hole with a campaigning politician.
I received this in the morning email.

Dear Lynn —

 


Two opportunities to talk with David Parker this weekend

Labour_Day_Event.jpg

Join David for a drink at
Galbraiths Alehouse
top of Mt Eden Rd
Friday 24 October 6pm

Join David and celebrate Labour Day Monday 26th
October 10am at the
Michael Joseph Savage Memorial
on Bastion Point

Help shape the future. Join the conversation on where the Labour Party is headed in the next 100 years Bring the kids, there will be kite flying.

>kite.jpg

If you need any more information email David at davidparker@labourfor2017nz

NOTE: This paid advertisement was prepared by David Parker and is sent out to New Zealand Labour Party members in accordance with Rule 3.6.2 of the New Zealand Labour Party Leadership Election Rules (current).

It is a service offered to all candidates and should not be seen as an endorsement from the Returning Officer or the New Zealand Labour Party. Authorised by David Parker, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

I might wander along to observe… I have to say that it is probably an inspired move as there are a lot of the chattering Auckland left go there to test the beer regularly on Friday evening.

64 comments on “Will Chris Trotter give up his table? ”

  1. Chris 1

    So a bunch of Labour faithful talking about doing what will keep them in opposition? Certainly worth going along to because listening to these people is a never-ending source of entertainment. In the meantime we pray for a true left party to replace these plonkers.

    • AmaKiwi 1.1

      No, I work (not pray) for victory in 2017 because I prefer any of the four candidates to Key, English, etc.

  2. Red delusion 2

    the champaign socialist pontificating on how they can save the working masses in leafy Mt Eden, why are they not out drinking in South auckland with the working class and the down trodden masses, same reason I guesse goff and cunliff don’t live in their electorate

    • Chris 2.1

      wankers

    • Mark 2.2

      Hit the nail completely and squarely on the head with that comment.

    • lprent 2.3

      I currently live and work in the missing suburb of Newton – drilled through by a motorway. And my very first house 56 years ago after hospital was in Fleet Street. That was when the whole of Newton and Ponsonby was the Auckland slum.

      For me home tends to outrank ideological jerks like yourself.

      Chris catches the bus along Mt Eden road. Tell me have either of you shallow and unthinking fools ever caught a bus to South Auckland from Three Kings? It is an arduous journey.

      It is the same with most of the unionists, their offices are based on transport routes. So they tend to be around the CBD transport hub. Ditto the universities…

      Tell me, have you been recently watching The Young Ones? For some reason you remind me of a certain character in there. The fool child that the late Rik Mayal rather neatly over acted so effectively.

    • Tracey 2.4

      I thought you and your ilk were always berating labour for preaching tot he converted. South Auckland would qualify, largely as converted (since Michael Jones and Inga stopped pimping for Nats campaigns)

    • left for deadshark 2.5

      I’ve worked for that deaf bastard down here(before you get on your high horse,Richards a mate)I have mouthed that to him many times in the past.Anyway,Galbraiths is a fine establishment,best beer in Auckland,although their was a place in Browns Bay selling Youngs SLA or was it LSA on tap,another good debating spot.Lynn,if you do make it,give Trotter a clip around the ear from me.

      • lprent 2.5.1

        More fun having a go at him for some of these strange conservative concepts that he seems to have brought up from the deep south and still carries around with him. Our ‘discussions’ on operation 8 tended towards the fiery.

        I like southlanders (Lyn is one as well). They really have some odd notions about how things should be.

        • alwyn 2.5.1.1

          I hope you are not talking about Chris Trotter when you refer to “I like southlanders”
          Chris is from Otago. See the description of Bowalley Road that he gives on his website.

          “It takes its name from Bowalley Road, which runs past the North Otago farm where he spent the first nine years of his life.”

          What sort of education in Geography do they give in Auckland schools? (If you don’t come from Auckland I apologise to all the teachers in the metropolis).

          • lprent 2.5.1.1.1

            Very much south Otago though. But I consider a southlander is pretty much anywhere in the lower SI… But hey, I’m an Aucklander who went to a small town called Dunedin to do a second degree.

            Trotter got his table.

            • alwyn 2.5.1.1.1.1

              I suppose we can be grateful that you at least think “But I consider a southlander is pretty much anywhere in the lower SI…”. Alternatively we can be grateful to your wife for educating you a bit.
              My experience seems to be that the average Auckland resident considers the “deep south” to be anywhere south of Hamilton and in the more extreme cases anywhere south of the Bombay hills.
              As someone whose father came from Dunedin and his mother from Gore I learnt the distinction between Southland and Otago at a very young age.
              Particularly if they were playing a rugby match.

    • greywarshark 2.6

      red delusion
      You are so caustic you will burn through your keyboard. Try diluting it a bit will you, the occasional shaft of pessimism would be bearable but too much is too corrosive and if you actually care about getting better polity, you aren’t leading us towards it.

  3. North 3

    Been racking my brain to come up with a publishable reason why, putting aside my 280 kilometres remoteness from Galbraiths, I wouldn’t turn up on Labour Day. In short it’s this – for myself I feel it’s all about ‘them’. I need a bloody rest from the ‘them’. Politics is a career nowadays……not a drive. And the ‘mainchance’ ain’t confined to the real estate agents, flash harrys, and earnest creeps of the National Party back bench.

    Tell me I’m wrong…….fine. My “Left’ comes from my heart and my guts and my bones. The feeling I report comes from there too. Daresay I’ll get over it but that’s me for the moment.

    Red Delusion – Get Fucked. Painfully.

    • AmaKiwi 3.1

      “I feel it’s all about ‘them’.”

      You are delusional if you think politics is an easy profession. At times I’ve been asked to stand for an elective office. I wouldn’t go near it with a barge poll. If good people stop standing for election we can end up with the really dangerous scum.

      • lprent 3.1.1

        That is my view as well. It is why I tend to pick the politicians to support and I routinely mute my criticism of them.

        It is a pain of a job…

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.1

          How to pick a politician: figure out which is the worst one apart from all the other ones.

      • Tracey 3.1.2

        plus 1

        meeting on labour day is a hellova lot more inclusive than a march at 230pm on a weekday…

  4. Red delusion 4

    North your right to save yourself a trip, you seem like a real lefty thus deluded but deserving of respect in contrast to that lot masquerading at Galbraith buying pints at 10.50 a pop

    • vto 4.1

      10.50 a pint? Sheesh. Try the home of the Labour Party where you can get a whole jug for less than that.

      You are clearly living in the wrong part of the world.

      • greywarshark 4.1.1

        vto
        Or probably if you mix with the Greens they would make their own beer at a very reasonable cost, and sustaining the party spirit too.

  5. felix 5

    ” I have been known to go along to stir participate in the bemoaning lofty debate”

    I believe the word you’re looking for is “trool” 😉

  6. Tom Gould 6

    Has Parker put out an ’email statement’ like the ones from Nanaia and Andrew that have appeared on the Standard?

    • Te Reo Putake 6.1

      Hi, Tom,

      this was emailed from David Parker a couple of days ago:

      I am writing to you to ask you to vote for me as your Leader of the Labour Party.

      My experience as a senior Minister and in law, accounting and business gives me the conviction, real life experience and steel in my backbone to do the job.

      I am standing because I want to lead Labour forward to once again share the hopes and aspirations of working New Zealanders – to lead a party we can all be proud of and one New Zealanders will be proud to vote for. We must look outwards not inwards.

      Right now big structural problems face NZ. Our economy isn’t fair. The problems we face nationally are not going to go away. That why it’s vital we have a strong opposition over the next three years and a united Labour Party. I can stand up to John Key and I have a plan to lead Labour to win in 2017.

      We must unite caucus and the party around our common goal of fair economic outcomes for everyone.

      We must start fresh conversations that focus on the priorities of working New Zealanders.

      We must focus on answering the tough questions in a way that unites the country toward a better future.

      We must live up to our responsibilities so New Zealanders feel proud to vote Labour.

      Put simply, I believe in a fair go and a fair share. I have the experience, the smarts and the passion to lead that change. I know how to build a better New Zealand – have no doubt about it.

      Help me to deliver fair economic outcomes for all New Zealanders by entrusting me with your vote. Labour people are ambitious and optimistic. We know what we need to do. It’s time to get started.

      I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.

      Regards,
      David Parker

      • Tom Gould 6.1.1

        Thank you. Any reason why this email has failed to appear on the Standard like the others, I wonder? The message itself seems okay.

        • Te Reo Putake 6.1.1.1

          Dunno. Maybe he has no fans among the Standard authorship?

        • lprent 6.1.1.2

          Not particularly. If you finally get around to actually reading read the about you would realise that this is not a Labour party site. You will find that what goes up on this site is whatever the authors get around to putting up.

          In this case these two showed up in my email box when I had time to read them and to post them. Since I seem to be the only author wanting to put them up, they go up after my other tasks are done. Have a read of my paragraph at the top of Nanianas letter and try to stop acting so much like a pompous dickhead. While I am sure that you can’t help your nature, I really can’t waste time on you explaining the blindingly obvious.

          I am sure that if you go to a Labour party site, there will be copies there. Otherwise I saw that Patrick Leyland had posted them on his site.

          • Tom Gould 6.1.1.2.1

            Putting the personal abuse to one side, thanks for the explanation. I was simply looking for balance and even handedness. I kind-of admire your William Randolph Hearst style approach to editorial, the old ‘it’s my paper and I’ll publish what I like’. Fair enough. Roger Douglas had the same approach to politics.

            • wekarawshark 6.1.1.2.1.1

              I think you are missing the essential kaupapa of the standard. It’s run by volunteers, and is a hybrid anarchy/benign dictatorship. There is no requirement for it to be anything other than what the authors and admin want on a day to day basis. AFAIK there is no overarching vision other than to be a voice for the labour movement and offer space for the left to hash things out ie balance isn’t the point and authors/admin don’t have an obligation to provide it.

              If YOU want something in particular done to provide ‘balance’, then organise it. Either contact Labour and ask them to request a guest post, or write it yourself and email it in and ask for it to be put up as a guest post. I would guess that’s pretty much what stargazer did (it pays to provide a title btw, and an intro, unless you want Lynn to write it :twisted:).

            • lprent 6.1.1.2.1.2

              We’re not a newspaper or any other part of the news media, nor are we particularly interested in being politicians. What we are interested in is robust debate, preferably with someone who actually knows how to do it intelligently.

              So far that seems to exclude you because you appear to be too lazy to go and learn about how things actually work and are more interested in the way you’d like them to work. It expresses itself as ignorant intolerance. In short you appear to be a dumb bigot.

              FYI: I’m a computer programmer and a long time resident of the net. In fact ever since I first touched early local versions of it back in late 1979. I’ve been participating in its rapid evolution since. Your analogies appear to be quite flawed and only really demonstrate your abysmal ignorance of the mediums and the unique social societies and structures that have evolved within them.

              Perhaps you should read some history and catch up. Start at the bottom and work your way up.

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

      • phillip ure 6.1.2

        @ trp..

        ..i don’t think it is aspirational enough…eh..?

        • Te Reo Putake 6.1.2.1

          Yeah, it’s a bit woolly. As others have mentioned, Parker has actually showed signs of a shift leftwards in at least one major speech. But nothing to get excited about in that email. It’s great that he has a plan; perhaps he intends sharing the details at the membership meetings?

          • phillip ure 6.1.2.1.1

            why do none of them talk about the actual problems we have..

            ..and the concrete steps they wd take to fix them..?

            ..i have this deep fear that is because they have no real answers/solutions..

            ..and are just really offering just more of the same same..

            ..hence the aspirational-bullshit..

            ..to cover for the fact that they actually have s.f.a. on offer..

            ..just retain status quo..full steam ahead..!

            ..woo-fucken-hoo..!

          • greywarshark 6.1.2.1.2

            TRP
            Ah, but is it a cunning plan?

            • Te Reo Putake 6.1.2.1.2.1

              Could be, could be. Maybe a plan to get the deputy’s spot again? Little/Parker, perhaps? He could be Cullen to Little’s Clark.

              • woo-hoo..!..

                ..parker as cullen mk2..

                ..even more benefit raises tied to the rate of inflation..same as national/key do..?

                ..even more far-right parties actually offering more real help to the very poorest..than labour did/do..?

                ..the good ship s.s. neo-lib staying firmly on course..?

                ..i can hardly wait..

                ..labour..!..polling in the teens..awaits you..!

                • Te Reo Putake

                  Your pipe dreams versus 9 years of surpluses and the highest employment levels in a generation. No contest.

                  • all the more indictment of that ignoring/neglect/marginalising of the poorest for nine years..

                    ..the fact that clark/cullen/the country could afford it..

                    ..could afford to use just some of those surpluses to undo what richardson/shipley/neo-lib had wrought..

                    ..eh..?

                    ..but nah..!..eh..?

                    …neo-lib/fuck-the-poor! ideology over-rode any/all considerations like that..

                    ..a fucken pox on all of them..!

                    • Te Reo Putake

                      Man, your memory really is shot, isn’t it? Amongst other things, Clark/Cullen lifted benefit rates and indexed them to inflation, bought back income related rents in state housing, and reduced child poverty by around a half. They also lifted state pension incomes for older kiwis and linked the payments to the average wage.

                      But, Ok, they didn’t reduce the price of dope, so yeah, they were complete failures.

                    • wekarawshark

                      “Amongst other things, Clark/Cullen lifted benefit rates and indexed them to inflation”

                      Great, so poor people can be reassured that their poverty will keep up with inflation.

                      When you say they lifted benefit rates, what exactly to you mean? Because they certainly didn’t do anything like reverse the benefit cuts of the early 90s.

                      TRP, do you know what Special Benefit was, and the implications for beneficiaries of its removable and replacement with Temporary Additional Support?

                    • greywarshark

                      TRP and phillip u
                      Good effort phillip but TRP won. Try again.

                    • @trp..

                      ..they did not ‘raise benefit rates’..

                      ..(they fucken cut them..!..they removed special benefits/top-ups..in search of a ‘level playing field’..so..big fucken lie from you..eh..?..)

                      (yes..they restored income rents in state houses..)

                      ..they introduced working for (some) families..(which just strengthens my case of how they excluded/ignored the poorest..that was perhaps the most cruel/unkind ignoring..that some..that some families/poor-children were worthy of help..

                      ..but not the very poorest/those doing it hardest..

                      ..and raising the pension was not helping those i am talking about..

                      ..so that’s it..?..that’s yr rosy re-write of history/clark/cullen..?

                      ..and how they so fucked over the poorest..(during ‘nine years of surpluses’..as you mentioned..).?

                      ..all you have done is confirm what i said..

                      ..and interesting how you now try to dismiss those historical-facts as my ‘pipe-dreams’..eh..?

                      ..and what did labour 2014 offer the poorest..?

                      ..s.f.a…eh..?

                      ..nothing changed there..eh..?

                      ..how wd you rewrite/spin that one..?

                      ..into a ‘caring’-parker..?

                      ..(this is yr challenge..!..)

      • greywarshark 6.1.3

        On David Parker’s phrase ‘our economy isn’t fair’, I think that is a great useful statement to make for a purportedly left person. It means so many different things, it all depends on your place in the community.

        The wealthy think there is too much money being paid to the lazy buggers, and the druggies and the dropouts, and those females dropping kids (one guy in the news was the father of four illegimate babies to four different women) – why should I pay for them, they got themselves into that pathetic state.

        The poor think, he/she understands my plight and I can’t get enough to live on and get decent living conditions and a life no matter what I do. I can trust that pollie to alleviate the problem and make changes so I can better myself if I work harder and still have time left over for a life.

        Treasury and economists and business people are all dissatisfied with the economy because it doesn’t fit their theories, or they have big aspirations and some aspects of the economy don’t advance their personal desires. It’s not fair on them to suffer a let and hindrance to whatever trade they cling to.

  7. bruhaha 7

    I got one from Parker the other day.

  8. karol 8

    Oh (sorry to go a bit off topic) but isn’t that Gallbraiths’ place the old Grafton Public Library? I haven’t been inside it since it was a library. It doesn’t seem like that many decades ago. Always thought it was a great old building.

    Can’t say seeing Parker is any incentive to visit. I’ll wait to read the reviews.

    • felix 8.1

      Yep that’s the one. Beautiful building, pity about the change of use/ownership.

      • mac1 8.1.1

        I dunno, Felix. Auckland is a city I avoid if possible but Galbraith’s is a very good reason to visit, along with certain guitar and record stores nearby. ‘Twas there that I had a near religious experience when I tried Galbraith’s Resurrection Ale for the first time. I saw the Light with that one with all its trappings and Abbey ale became a habit.

    • lprent 8.2

      Yes it was. I have to tell you that old public libraries and banks make really great bars. Lots of headroom

      I wasn’t really suggesting that people come along. Hard enough to get seats immediately after work as it is.

  9. I will make up my mind after the meetings .However I must point out that so far David Parker is the only candidate that has mentioned working people.
    Im looking forward to our local meeting . Democracy in practice.

  10. Michael 10

    It’s not necessary for Parker (or any aspirant to the poisoned chalice that is Labour’s caucus leadership role these days) to be a “man” (or “person”) of the people. It is necessary for “him” (or “her”) to be a “man” (or “person”) for the people. I get the distinction and I hope everyone else does too.

    • Colonial Rawshark 10.1

      If you are not ‘of the people’ how are you to understand their fears, their hopes and their loves?

      If you are not ‘of the people’ how are you to understand what moves them and what leaves them cold?

      If you are not ‘of the people’ how will you convince them to stand with you, and not apart from you?

  11. Pat O'Dea 11

    “Join David and celebrate Labour Day Monday 26th
    October 10am at the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial on Bastion Point”

    Labour Day Monday is the 27th not the 26th.

    So should we turn up on Labour weekend Sunday the 26th or Labour weekend Monday the 27th?

    “Join the conversation on where the Labour Party is headed in the next 100 years Bring the kids, there will be kite flying.”

    With this sort of inattention to organisational detail, it might well be 100 years before Labour is headed into government.

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    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

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