Williams sues Craig and Bomber takes on Police

Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, August 14th, 2015 - 44 comments
Categories: colin craig, conservative party, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: ,

Colin Craig

So much for this being a quiet news day.

In the first of two blog related news events Jordan Williams has gone on the front foot and commenced defamation proceedings against Colin Craig as well as former Conservative Party office holders Nathaniel Heslop, Kevin Stitt and Angela Storr.  Williams is seeking damages totalling $900,000 for comments made during Craig’s recent media conference and for comments made in Colin Craig’s dirty politics leaflet.

The value of popcorn producing companies’ shares have soared at the news.

And Bomber Bradbury has been spoken to by Police and has apparently been asked to take down or censor this blog post written by John Minto which talks about civil disobedience against Talleys.  Obviously the police have never heard about the Streisand effect.

Bomber Bradbury is staying staunch.  And you have to wonder about the decision.  Use of police resources in this way really makes you wonder about if they will do anything about the complaint concerning the attempted hack of the Standard.

 

44 comments on “Williams sues Craig and Bomber takes on Police ”

  1. tc 1

    Dirty politics alive and well as the players give their MSM puppets an attack line to align with.

    As for the Police I’d suggest they may be polishing up the long batons, watching youtube taser clips along with some footage of the ’81 tour to get in the mood for what comes next.

  2. Anne 2

    The police are showing their true colours. I hope TS will be prepared to support Bomber on this one. John Minto’s post is provocative, but no more so than the many inflammatory Slater posts over the years.

    Slater has done far more ‘inciting to commit violence’ plus other law breaking activities, yet the police turn a blind eye and refuse to conduct investigations. It still leaves me speechless they did not conduct a search of Slater’s work and home premises at the start of the DP affair. Yet within a few weeks they were pounding on Hager’s door – at a time they knew he was absent – and took away his life’s work.

    And regular commentators here – and on other left of centre blog sites – can be rest assured the police have made inquiries about them. If they choose to do so, they also have ways and means of letting you know they are ‘keeping an eye on you’ and plenty of people can testify to that – including me. It only served to amuse me and ensure my determination to say exactly what I want to say and when and where I want to say it. 🙂

    • Tracey 2.1

      ditto

      how does slater avoid police visits?

    • lprent 2.2

      I hope TS will be prepared to support Bomber on this one.

      You know the answer to that. The Standard is a machine…

      However I will be. Bomber might be a bit of a git sometimes. However….

      That post was an incitement to economic sabotage.

      I can’t think of any act outside of some of the more outrageous union-bashing legislation that would cause issues. But TDB isn’t a union site apart from getting some money from them, and we haven’t even done that.

      In the end it is each persons decision about what they are prepared to do, and the police can prosecute individual offences when they have proof according to actual laws (which is why I won’t pierce the products).

      As far as I am aware I don’t buy any Talley’s products. However I’m perfectly happy photographing them and putting them up on this site. I might even add some signage at the site. Supermarkets can trespass me – but there are a *lot* of supermarkets.

      Quite frankly Talleys appear to have been deliberately acting like money hungry arseholes. As far as I am concerned that is how they should be treated – by me. That is what I am allowed to do, just as I am allowed to break laws if I desire.

      If the police choose to scapegoat bomber, then I will reluctantly support him.

      Hell I feel like enhancing the Streisand effect – I wonder how many blogs would reproduce that post of Mintos.

      • Anne 2.2.1

        You know the answer to that. The Standard is a machine…

        Yep. I picked it up and tried to remedy the error but the bloody machine wouldn’t let me edit!! 👿

      • Chooky 2.2.2

        +100 …”I don’t buy any Talley’s products”

    • Mike the Savage One 2.3

      Yep, the forces there are, they know who they support or persecute, there is sometimes a fine line, but any fair minded person with a good understanding of the law will see, there is a clear imbalance in “law enforcement”. In the end it is political, and it is time to stand up against this crap.

    • Chooky 2.4

      +100 Anne…”Slater has done far more ‘inciting to commit violence’ plus other law breaking activities, yet the police turn a blind eye and refuse to conduct investigations…Yet within a few weeks they were pounding on Hager’s door – at a time they knew he was absent – and took away his life’s work.”

      ( and ironically Hager is one investigative journalist that investigates corruption)

      They seem to have their priorities wrong…and maybe they are forgetting that this jonkey nact government …and its dirty trickster friends like Slater ….are on the way out

      What Minto has said is piffling in comparison with some other things that have been going on in this country and really do demand investigation

  3. tinfoilhat 3

    A pox on all their houses.

  4. Puckish Rogue 4

    Good, you need to stand up to bullies and thats exactly what Colin Craig is

    • Tracey 4.1

      as opposed to jordan williams
      🙄

      i note williams didnt issue defamation proceedings against hager so all hagers statements about williams must be true. that being the case it will be hard for him to show the quality of his reputation could be any further diminished. by craig or anyone else.

    • Anno1701 4.2

      your already badly damaged credibility was just given the final killer blow by that statement PR

      you really should pack up and leave before you embarrass yourself anymore !

      • Puckish Rogue 4.2.1

        Oh please spare me all your crocodile tears over Colin Craig, hes well known for threatening court proceedings against others (whats it now, three weeks since he said he was going to sue Cameron Slater and still nothing…)

        Jordan Williams showed CC how its done, no press conference, no warning, no media coverage just straight to the court house and its done

        You may not like Jordan Williams but hes probably going to be the one to finally plunge the stake into the breast of the undead horror that is CC
        (I watched a documentary on Hammer Horror last night and it must have stuck in my mind)

        • Anno1701 4.2.1.1

          I have no love at all for colin craig PR

          but that has no bearing on my previous statement, you have shot WELL Over the mark on this one, did you have the BIG can of V with your lunch today ?

        • mac1 4.2.1.2

          “Hammer Horror”.

          Puckish Rogue, didn’t that star John Key in the leading role of election-hoarding-erection nail man? And you watch documentaries on that? 🙂

        • dukeofurl 4.2.1.3

          You mean CC showed how it was done, no obscure nancy blog, just pamphlets mailed to every household.

          CC was won the first battle of the dollars, I doubt JW could even pay a defamation lawyer the first instalment. Naturally as a lawyer himself he can file the papers. But I dont think his current job as ‘in house lawyer’ of NZ taxpayers Union pays all that well

  5. Tracey 5

    The statement you made must have been defamatory of the plaintiff. The courts have given a number of different definitions of “defamatory”, including a statement that tends to lower a person in the estimation of right-thinking members of society, or that tends to cause the person to be shunned or avoided, or that tends to cause the person to be exposed to hatred, contempt or ridicule

    do right thinking members of society know who jordan is? those that do probably also know that he aint pure as snow and how maybe he can show he is being shunned? and what damage has he suffered? still has his “job”.

  6. Mike the Savage One 6

    Some people have previously dismissed my concerns, that we do live in a kind of de-facto dictatorship. We actually do, it is the dictatorship of ruthless capitalism, and while the forces at the top do not need to use police, military and so forth to keep people “in line”, they have the law and plenty of other systemic powers to they avail, to shut people up, that dare take things “too far”.

    Give this some thought, and tell me, how “free” are you, can you tell your boss what you think, and will you keep your job?

    Now we have some posts being censored, and I read it, which simply use some hard language, and the silent majority will nod, yep, that Bradbury Bomber, he is a “radical”, and he “asked for it”.

    The dictatorship is working, I observe.

  7. lprent 7

    Some people have previously dismissed my concerns…

    It happens. It is called people making up their own minds and disagreeing.

  8. Mike the Savage One 8

    Today or late yesterday a “volunteer” from Jordan Willams’ “Ratepayers’ Alliance” must have stuck a pamphlet in each of our letter boxes, where I live. They were strewn all over the grounds, as there was some wind last night.

    But he and a few associates are working over-time, to over-throw Len Brown and Auckland Council, and possibly organise a “rate payers’ revolt” against them.

    Now that is in brief, what it is all about, the pamphlet had a photo of Len Brown on the front, and asked residents, whether their rates had gone up. It contained untruths and half truths, and a lot of one sided misinformation. It is a cunning strategy to stir up dissent against a voted Council, for political goals. It is probably a little different from Colin Craig trying to defend his reputation by sending leaflets to letter boxes across New Zealand.

    But it is one thing to organise actions against a major business man (Talley) who runs operations with low safety standards, that have maimed and possibly killed workers, and another to organise actions against a disliked Mayor of Auckland, using perhaps borderline arguments. But we know, which actions the “law enforcers” will tolerate, and which they will not. It is also one thing to run a campaign to defend one’s reputation, and another to do what Jordan Williams does in Auckland.

    Here is what Jordan Williams and like minded are involved in now:
    http://www.ratepayers.nz/
    http://www.ratepayers.nz/volunteer
    http://www.ratepayers.nz/news

    There seems to be plenty of resources for such causes, but the progressive movements are struggling to survive, given lack of wider organisation, individualisation, low union membership, and most having been brainwashed into thinking, I can best look after my own interests, by doing it myself, and being an individual, no need to commit to anything.

    On this one, in Auckland, I am disgruntled with Len and what the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan is about, but I am NOT going to rush and support Jordan Williams and his apparatchiks.

    This shows, how well resourced players, funded by vested interest holders, all favouring the present central government, and a right wing, pro laissez faire, ruthless capitalist system, are having an easy game, while honest and concerned persons and groups are being marginalised.

  9. Mike the Savage One 9

    There is more happening, and I seem to be blocked from commenting on The Daily Blog, which cannot be due to them blocking my comments. It happened since yesterday, and I tried to comment then on what Martyn Bradbury mentioned in a post about the police wanting to talk to him. I am sure that the Daily Blog website is already being not only “monitored”, it is being compromised. They have their eyes on some of us, the cops, believe you me. I tried posting this only minutes ago, but all I get is “captcha expired”, right after just putting the details in (correctly). I dare say that people here should also be very mindful of what is going on!!!

    My blocked post on Martyn’s last post:

    “Stand your ground Martyn, if it comes to what the cops threaten, call upon us, and we will be there, to support you all the way.

    This stinks, I read John Minto’s post, it is a bit provocative, of course, but NOT illegal. That is showing us the cops are on thin ice, they are attempting to take intimidation of dissenters a step further.

    Let them go ahead and take you (and us) to court, I am sure, you will get out of it FINE, they have not got a leg to stand on.

    This is the first attempt to go further than the MSM bosses that are intimidating and getting rid of “troublesome” journalists, now they want to take on the blogs, that is the executive, the arm of one side of GOVERNMENT, to silence dissent, that is not welcome.

    It is time to stand up, to close the ranks, what was that song again, first they came for the so and so?

    I hope people will understand what this is all about, as if they do not, we are marching into new territory for this country. You do not need SA and SS march in your streets, these days subtle messages in an already rather authoritarian, in line system are all you need, to get the message “across”.

    Sadly most are little private cowards, indulging in their individual indulgences, or others, too scared to even be seen near a dissenter.

    Time to declare WAR, WAR on this rotten system!”

    Some still seem to be able to comment there, on this post:
    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/08/14/update-nz-police-request-minto-blog-be-removed-or-censored/

    • keyman 9.1

      Hollywood cant stop bi torrent sites mirrors pop up like whack a mole the police can stop the blogs they can be easily off shored

  10. Mike the Savage One 10

    Again, I tried commenting on TDB, from a different computer, again, it is blocked, that site has been seized by the cops, I bet, perhaps with GCSB assisting.

    All Progressives out there, this is damned SERIOUS, we are being ATTACKED by state authorities, this is NO joke!

    • The Fairy Godmother 10.1

      No comments on this topic on the DB since 2:53 so I guess the site may have stopped comments due to legal advice. That’s my pick.

    • Anne 10.2

      They have a technical problem MtSO. It’s been going on for about a week now. Comments are ending up somewhere in space.

  11. Chris 11

    How is taking your car keys shopping with you an act of protest? I asked on the post a while back but all I got was four thumbs down, no doubt punishment for being stupid.

    • Chooky 11.1

      yup…lol

    • ropata 11.2

      I don’t know either, the only thing I can think of is that perhaps Minto is hinting at food sabotage with sharp objects, and that’s why the cops are interested.

      If so that’s an unbelievably irresponsible form of protest

      • Chooky 11.2.1

        @ Chris and ropata…yes well I didnt understand it to begin with…but the imagination works wonders ( this is why humans and animals have imagination…unless they are morons or roboticised)….and I absolutely never leave my car keys in the car door when I shop…they are always in my bag or on my person …and I hope this will remain so…I really dont want alzheimers

        • Chris 11.2.1.1

          I think it’s about calling on everyone to join in and really make a stand. The key is that everyone has to do it together. The huge noise that a thousand sets of jangling keys would make in a supermarket must be debilitating. It would be so frightening but there’s nothing that can be done to stop it. The supermarket chain people then become so frustrated and annoyed they have absolutely no choice but to remove Talley’s products from the shelves.

      • Kevin 11.2.2

        From memory Minto wasn’t just hinting at it, he was telling people to do it. Also in the comments on the article one person suggested something that would put consumers at risk of food poisoning.

  12. keyman 12

    just shows how corrupt john key Nazi jack boot thugs are hell mintos article seemed mild boycotting a bag of peas only in new Zealand would a fucken bag of peas cause a visit from keys fuzz that detective was wasting our tax money hahahahah just wait to the open bank resolution policy gets enacted it wont be a fucken bag peas it will be bank runs and burning banks but as the economy approaches collapse governments resort to oppression to prop up the illusion or the delusion that all is well.

  13. Bomber 13

    Comrades – firstly thank you to The Standard for giving this issue profile, I think the only reason the Police will back down is if they think it will cause a backlash in the media, so my thanks to The Standard for their support.

    Yes we are having problems with comments being posted, and we are looking into it.

    Cheers

  14. Mike the Savage One 14

    All good Germans will just do the right thing, will they not?

  15. peterlepaysan 15

    Boycotting a company’s products is not civil disobedience (well not as yet in NZ).

    Civil disobedience (whatever that is) is not a crime.

    Why are our detectives being turned into defectives?

  16. Chooky 16

    re : the Minto post…it would be stupid to risk escalating the problem and have the whole ‘The Daily Blog ‘ at risk of being taken out …’The Daily Blog’ is essential to NZ’s democracy with some important voices/posters/articles/ points of view which must not be jeopardised

    ‘The Daily Blog’ could have a simple disclaimer in its heading the way they do on ‘RT’ at the beginning of the ‘Keiser Report’ stating:

    “The views and opinions expressed in the following programme do not necessarily coincide with those of RT”

    ( instead of “programme” insert “Posts”)

    http://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/312323-episode-max-keiser-796/

  17. JeevesPOnzi 17

    I remember- many moons ago, as a prank against a local supermarket owner who didn’t like us local kids hanging around outside his supermarket – a gang of us went in ( on Christmas eve) and filled our trolleys with his goods and lined up in the queue for the cashiers (there were about 10 checkouts available) – and just at the point that we were next in line-and had loaded all our wares up on the conveyor belt– we vanished into the crowd and went and got ourselves more trolleys- which we safely deposited next to the checkouts again- while gridlock ensued.

    So I’m certainly not advocating it- but just imagine if trolleys full of slowly thawing talleys products were just being ‘left’ in the aisles of supermarkets up and down the country….

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    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

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

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