Shop til we all drop

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:46 am, December 27th, 2013 - 90 comments
Categories: benefits, brand key, class war, democracy under attack, election 2014, news, political alternatives, poverty, spin - Tags:

First came the consumerist perversion of an (allegedly) Christian festival, leading up to the 25th December. During this period, the original *Christian message related to the birth of Jesus (“peace and good will to all men”) was marginalised.

As Wednesday approached, the MSM kept tally of how well the retail sector of society was doing – such meaningless stats based on turn over of resources, whether or not that contributes to the well being of our society.

The MSM, as usual, focused on the very good work of those administering foodbanks and City Mission Christmas meals, in order to ease any sense of guilt some may have at the excess of consumerism during the (alleged) season of “good will”. A window on charity during a few days of the year, while the underlying causes and solutions to soul-destroying poverty barely get a look in.

Then, once that day was over, we had all the news reports on how well the Boxing Day sales were going, with triumphant reports of record sales – except for in Lower Hutt, where the failings of another branch of the corporate wealth-extractors resulted in the day of sales being (unintentionally) sabotaged.

Retailers were fuming after a Vodafone glitch shut down eftpos for hours on the busiest shopping day of the year.

A broadband server problem with Vodafone crashed eftpos at some Lower Hutt shops from about 10.30am yesterday, with some experiencing problems through till late afternoon.

Many shops, including a number in the packed Westfield Queensgate Shopping Centre, were unable to process transactions because of the outage.

Oh, the outrage!

How can so many dance to the tune of the wealthy corporates, with the uncritical echo chambers in the MSM acting as cheerleaders?! Queue for some quotes from a very pertinent Guardian article, as linked to on open mike yesterday by Paul: ‘Brainwashed by the cult of the super rich” by Priyamvada Gopal.

Last week, Tory MP Esther McVey, Iain Duncan Smith’s deputy, insisted it was “right” that half a million Britons be dependent on food banks in “tough times”. Around the same time, the motor racing heiress Tamara Ecclestone totted up a champagne bill of £30,000 in one evening. A rich teenager in Texas has just got away with probation for drunkenly running over and killing four people because his lawyers argued successfully that he suffered from “affluenza”, which rendered him unable to handle a car responsibly. What we’ve been realising for some time now is that, for all the team sport rhetoric, only two sides are really at play in Britain and beyond: Team Super-Rich and Team Everyone Else.

The rich are not merely different: they’ve become a cult which drafts us as members. We are invited to deceive ourselves into believing we are playing for the same stakes while worshipping the same ideals, a process labelled “aspiration”. Reaching its zenith at this time of year, our participation in cult rituals – buy, consume, accumulate beyond need – helps mute our criticism and diffuse anger at systemic exploitation.

And this cult of the rich is being actively promoted by such shows as Downton Abbey and, while damaging inequalities, and socially-destructive poverty are dismissed through a nasty, Dickensian meanness of spirit. This meanness of spirit is personified by NZ’s bennie-bashing, poverty-policing minister, Paula Bennett. And she is enabled in doing this by the smile-and-wave front John Key presents to the MSM, while performing his nasty, sneering stand-up routine to the minority of Kiwis who watch Question Time in the House.

Bennett and Key – the two faces of the cult of the rich: one who went from social security state house to wealth extracting millionaire, the other from state supported single motherhood to minister of austere poverty. (Or is it more than two faces of the cult, given Key shows at least two faces at various times?)

Gopal ends her article:

Cultish thinking means that the stupendously rich who throw small slivers of their fortunes at charity, or merely grace lavish fundraisers – like Prince William’s Winter Whites gala for the homeless at his taxpayer-funded Kensington Palace home – with their presence, become instant saints. The poor and the less well-off, subject to austerity and exploitation, their “excesses” constantly policed and criminalised, are turned into objects of patronage, grateful canvasses against which the generosity of wealth can be stirringly displayed. The cult of the rich propounds the idea that vast economic inequalities are both natural and just: the winner who takes most is, like any cult hero, just more intelligent and deserving, even when inherited affluence gives them a head start.

We are mildly baffled rather than galvanised into righteous indignation when told that the rich are being persecuted – bullied for taxes and lynched for bonuses. The demonising of the poor is the flip side of the cult of the rich or, as a friend puts it, together they comprise the yin and yang of maintaining a dismal status quo. It is time to change it through reality checks, not reality shows.

Several important months coming up folks, as we get closer to the election date. These are the realities that need to be understood, discussed and circulated.

*[I’m not a Christian, though was brought up in that religion].

90 comments on “Shop til we all drop ”

Comments are now closed

Paul 1

27 December 2013 at 9:54 am

Thanks Carol for picking up on this story. I tend to note stories at the end of the day and put them on Open Mike too late for most of the discussion.

Connected to my comment yesterday, I have just noted the Herald’s obsession with the wealthy in this online article. It really is a tawdry sad little rag if this grovelling load of garbage is all it can muster.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11178384
- Paul 1.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 9:56 am
  
  And this ….
  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11178396
  
  Just imagine the Guardian reporting on a sports player landing at Heathrow Airport for Wimbledon as their 3rd headline!
  - Paul 1.1.1
    
    27 December 2013 at 9:58 am
    
    And this!
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11177831
    
    Celebrity historians???
    What on earth are they talking about?!
    - mac1 1.1.1.1
      
      27 December 2013 at 10:30 am
      
      Celebrity refers to the subject of historical research, (I hope), and describes their field rather than their status. Historians can of course have a focus on recent events. Such commentary as is happening here would be the stuff of research into the place of the celebrity in culture.
      
      Celebrity status/stardom/famous people is not new. Used correctly it provides us with models of behaviour and examples for living properly. In today’s Press is an article on the top students of ChCh schools- partly there to celebrate their achievement and also to encourage the rest of us.
      
      And it’s here that I part company with the reasons above. The media-driven, celebrity status stuff is there as a distraction from the meanness of life for many people; and the offering of an American style dream where each of us can, with the proper application of Randian individualism, attain the stars, is a cynical, condescending and cancerous corruption.
      
      It fits alongside “the freedom to shop” or, for historians, the Roman manipulation of the masses in the concept of “bread and circuses.”
      
      I do sometimes despair.
  - alwyn 1.1.2
    
    27 December 2013 at 2:07 pm
    
    I just had a quick look at what the Guardian is reporting today. It is difficult to tell what the real sequence of their stories would be but at the very beginning of the web-site we have a story
    “Breaking News: President Obama’s Hawaii vacation Day 6”
    I’m not really sure which of them really is the least important. At least the Herald story is something happening in the home country of the paper, and isn’t labelled with the portentious description of “Breaking News”
    - karol 1.1.2.1
      
      27 December 2013 at 2:16 pm
      
      Yes, the Guardian website front page is all about international news. But it is actually focused on news of import, especially political news.
      
      The top of NZ Herald online’s front page is dominated by local stories, it’s true – stories largely about crime
      
      PS: one of the main top of the page Guardian articles is this one:
      
      The research, which explores the reasons behind the precipitous drop in voter turnout – particularly among under-30s – finds that it is anger with the political class and broken promises made by high-profile figures that most rile voters, rather than boredom with Westminster.
      
      Asked for the single word best describing “how or what you instinctively feel” about politics and politicians in general, 47% of respondents answered “angry”, against 25% who said they were chiefly “bored”.
      - Zorr 1.1.2.1.1
        
        27 December 2013 at 4:16 pm
        
        I think I fall in to that 47% category too easily and it makes communicating the anger I feel towards the ruling class difficult because such sentiment, almost by necessity, devolves towards the violent and irrational all too easily. I almost brought this up on the post regarding the Sex Pistols in response to MrSmith because it feels like the time for senseless anger has passed.
        
        That was then, this is now.
        
        The modern counter-culture, from my perspective, is a growing sense of disconnection with the traditional media narrative combined with the desire to take direct responsibility for our own outcomes. We want to own the beginning, middle and end of our initiatives because when we leave them up to those that traditionally hold the power, they become perverted by conflicting interests. Principles of democracy, inclusiveness and progressiveness are often very central to these initiatives BUT they remove themselves from the current implementations maintained by society at large.
        
        Anyway, ramble over. It is a long December 27th at work with nobody else around… >_<
    - phillip ure 1.1.2.2
      
      28 December 2013 at 4:33 pm
      
      alwyn sneers @ the guardian…in a comparison to the herald..?.?..!..!..
      
      ..wow..!
      
      ..where to start..?
      
      phillip ure..
      - alwyn 1.1.2.2.1
        
        28 December 2013 at 5:15 pm
        
        But Phil, you really should read the whole of the comment stream.
        Paul sneered at the Herald and claimed that the Guardian would never cover a story like a tennis player arriving for the country’s most important tournament. It only covered important stories.
        I merely proposed that he may be being a bit optimistic in his views of the type of story the Guardian does cover, given that they regarded as “breaking news” a description of the sixth day of Obama’s holiday. For crying out loud Phil. How much less significant can a story be?
        Incidentally I suggest you get as much out of the Guardian as you can in the next few years. The paper is losing money and the trust that finances it doesn’t have that much left. There is only money for about five years if my memory is correct.
        
        alwyn 1.1.2.2.1.1
        
        28 December 2013 at 6:12 pm
        
        If you are interested in the topic there is an interesting, if rather long, article at
        http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/ideas/tim-de-lisle/can-guardian-survive/
        The magazine is an offshoot of The Economist
Tracey 2

27 December 2013 at 9:55 am

Hear hear!

The myth that if some people are spending shitloads everyones life will get better is tiresome.

are there any journalists or editors who think they reflect and dont shape society?
- rich the other 2.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 10:14 am
  
  Spot on Tracey,
  we should all spend less , it only creates employment and provides a reasonable standard of living for most of us, we don’t need that when the govt provides so generously for us.
  - karol 2.1.1
    
    27 December 2013 at 10:21 am
    
    Way to misunderstand, rto.
    
    It’s about spending less on the things that are not necessary. It’s about the mis-direction of focusing on spending of any kind, rather than on what is produced and how. It is about the lack of focus on production that will be the basis of a sustainable economy, and a living income for all. It’s about the focus on celebrating the lifestyle of the wealth extraction by a few, via consumerist excess: the wealth of the few that contributes little to a sustainable economy and misleadingly claims that the excessive wealth of the few is beneficial to the many.
    - weka 2.1.1.1
      
      27 December 2013 at 10:59 am
      
      “we should all spend less , it only creates employment and provides a reasonable standard of living for most of us, we don’t need that when the govt provides so generously for us.”
      
      rich also lies. Before the consumer boom in NZ post-neoliberal revolution, we had full employment for many decades, a reasonable standard of living for many of us, and a smaller gap between rich and poor. It wasn’t paradise by any means, esp for those directly affected by colonisation, but to imply that the only way we can have national wellbeing is by buying into the consumerist ethic is disingenuous, selfish crap.
      - BM 2.1.1.1.1
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:16 am
        
        NZ was a mono cultural back water who relied on Mummy Britain to survive.
        
        It’s only the old fogeys that pine for those days, every one else has embraced modern NZ and all it has to offer.
        
        New New Zealand is a great place to live.
        
        Macro 2.1.1.1.1.1
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:35 am
        
        New New Zealand is a great place to live for the uber rich
        
        FIFY
        
        Tim 2.1.1.1.1.2
        
        27 December 2013 at 3:39 pm
        
        “NZ was a mono cultural back water who relied on Mummy Britain to survive”
        
        – that is, for those that identified and engaged with mono-culturalism and Mummy Britain with a media – even then – that was constructed to service just that cohort (predominantly Aunty NZBC, a few residents of Burnell Ave in Wellington and others elsewhere) propped up with a bit of ‘old money’: those whose offspring today probably couldn’t establish anything of use without thinking about their inheritance and what mummy and daddy might leave them should things go tits up. (Many are still around today – others dead and buried, AND very quickly forgotten – even by their own)
        
        Meanwhile …. there were always those who considered all that entirely irrelevant – usually progressives, protesters, celebrants of diversity, challengers of the status quo who invested their time and efforts engaging in alternative cultures sans what we now think of “MSM”.
        But …
        -Some of them today battle on with those with the closed minds: the ideologically-driven, often the mono-cultural and stereo-cultural nasties (people such as yourself BM, and your idol – the Phil Stein, a Pulla Bent or two, the Krus (I saw the light) Finlayson, a fair few Uncle Thomases and Clutch Cargo’s, an (Oim so Broit – SPECTACULARLY handsome, eligible, mandated – with a tick in a box qualification from a highly respected ‘djacassional stute’ – but in reality thick as PIGSHIT) member fer tRANga called Soimon) – all legitimised by the daily Mora noicest man on Earth media pump and its enterage (Can I offer my condolences to that nicest man’s wife in advance of the inevitable, though she probably ‘wears the pants’ anyway).
        
        -Some at least have the decency to admit they’re self serving egotistical new age Masters and Mistresses of the Universe, and comfortable with the supposedly ONLY alternative ideology (as in those TINA adherents – in NZ’s case driven by a failed pig farmer and an RRL who had the gaul to attempt spreading her ego around South America not so long ago – her butch arrogance STILL astounds me to the extent I’d also LERV her to ekshly go live there without the aid of any sort of bodyguard or welfare of ANY description). All comfortable with their greed, propped up with bought lerv, the short term treats and trinkets bestowed on their offspring at Xmas time and, more often daily. Amongst those I know, and know of – generally their kids (kuds if their really really kinektid) have offspring that are now TOTAL fuckups.
        
        -Others are still pretending (perhaps also a bit like yourself BM). In this connected world, dropping your ideological spin, troll feeding, squeeling, spin meistering, (meedja) training and prop up artistry seems to be your intent.
        
        You do seem to overestimate the value of your intelligence and ego, and underestimate that of those you oppose. Indeed – you even reduce what you seek to achieve as an ideological battle.
        
        I fear I’m beginning to rave, and I’m loathe to get into a pointless battle with you with uphill shit-pushing – which in your case is an inevitable outcome of any sort of discussion (I mean I saw a thread yesterday where your obfuscation and attempts at diversion were spectacular to the extent that I was even beginning to feel embarrassed for you).
        
        And lest you think this is left/right or party politically based – there are still a number of ABCers that fit into the above crapolla.
        Stick a hat on them and label them “troughers” if you like.
        They ALL still ARE, or are going to become utterly irrelevant for a vast majority – whether its 2014, or whether their aspirations, or masochism mean it’s 2017.
        Sooner the better though really.
        
        Tim …
        
        27 December 2013 at 3:52 pm
        
        Oops @ Macro – that comment/rave was in response to the gorgeous, the spectacular, the sage known in here as BM – not you.
        The size of his dick got in the way of my seeing the numbering scheme and I think I replied to you rather than him.
        
        [No problem. If you look closely you’re in the right spot. RL]
        
        Will@Welly …
        
        27 December 2013 at 8:12 pm
        
        Don’t get suckered in by the likes of B.M., rich the little, Naki Man or the other time wasters, their “job” is to drain the left of the moral superiority and to distract from what is actually happening in society. Getting caught up in their crap will only see the initiative handed over to the morally corrupt right.
        
        BM …
        
        27 December 2013 at 4:47 pm
        
        Good bit of old Man ranting there, you truly are a master.
        
        You do seem to overestimate the value of your intelligence and ego, and underestimate that of those you oppose.
        
        Not at all, the majority of posters here are very intelligent and well read, I consider myself an absolute thickey in matters political when compared to many who post here.
        
        Doesn’t stop me throwing in my 5 cents worth though, just don’t expect me to write pages and pages of waffle to back up my position, that’s not how I roll.
        
        RedLogix …
        
        27 December 2013 at 5:16 pm
        
        just don’t expect me to write pages and pages of waffle to back up my position, that’s not how I roll.
        
        As felix would say … that’s not how you spell troll.
        
        Will@Welly …
        
        27 December 2013 at 8:14 pm
        
        Thus spoke the intellectual pygmy we all know as B.M.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        28 December 2013 at 1:46 pm
        
        just don’t expect me to write pages and pages of waffle to back up my position
        
        We don’t as we know you can’t back up your position at all.
        
        Beryl Streep …
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:15 pm
        
        Tim, I realise you said “Uncle Thomas” instead of “Uncle Tom” so you could claim it as a Thomas the Tank Engine reference or something else if you were called on it.
        
        “Uncle Tom” is one of the most vile, condescending and racist terms in leftist politics. Can I ask why you chose to use it? I stopped reading your rant after that, so apologies if you’ve already explained it.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        28 December 2013 at 12:10 am
        
        Don’t be so sensitive. And dont be such a PC language police.
        
        [lprent: It always is in any of its handles. ]
        
        Beryl Streep …
        
        28 December 2013 at 1:16 am
        
        I don’t think I am being sensitive. The definition of an “Uncle Tom” is a black person who is regarded as being humiliatingly subservient or deferential to white people.
        
        In a New Zealand context it’s used flippantly to describe Maori, Pacific Islander and other non-white citizens who don’t vote for parties on the left. This attitude dehumanises people and is a form of racism that seems to be prevalent and excusable in leftist politics.
        
        One Anonymous Knucklehead …
        
        28 December 2013 at 7:13 am
        
        “prevalent and excusable” [citations needed]
        
        On the other hand, it seems that the problem may be between Beryl’s ears.
        
        Tim …
        
        28 December 2013 at 8:18 am
        
        @Beryl
        I’m sorry for you that you feel offended.
        I use it in the context of the Wiki definition – i.e.:
        “The phrase “Uncle Tom” has also become an epithet for a person who is slavish and excessively subservient to perceived authority figures, particularly a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people”.
        
        It’s in common use by members of my extended family who, after giving support and campaigning for politicians they felt were going to represent them felt both surprised and utterly betrayed by decisions made post 2008 election. Betrayed because those politicians misrepresented their positions, were party to worsening of housing, education and financial situations and who seem unconcerned over issues of sovereignty, self-determination and sustainable use of natural resources – especially when they had the ‘deal breaker’ power to actually make a difference.
        I also hear it in use by policy analysts and others in regional offices of the Ministry of Maori Development and given their recent predicament, I’m surprised their language is as mild as it is.
        As I said, I feel sorry for you if you are offended – that was not my intention however I am also aware of how offended many of my family and friends are by the dog-whistling, bene-bashing, ‘ladder pulling’, othering and punitive policies that are characteristic of this government and its support partners.
      - rich the other 2.1.1.1.2
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:31 am
        
        Weka,
        in those days we had at least a couple of million less people to provide for and still plenty of poverty.
        Perhaps you’re correct , in the good old days , no D P B , women in the kitchen etc etc, sounds ok , let’s go back to the ”good old days”.
        
        Macro 2.1.1.1.2.1
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:37 am
        
        “in those days we had at least a couple of million less people to provide for and still plenty of poverty.”
        
        Bullshit!!
        
        RedLogix 2.1.1.1.2.2
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:51 am
        
        rto:
        
        That’s nothing more than a particularly stupid false dichotomy – that the only choices are ‘the current state of NZ’ or the ‘previous state of NZ 40 years ago’.
        
        It’s reveals a desperate lack of imagination that you cannot think of any other alternatives.
        
        rich the other …
        
        27 December 2013 at 12:05 pm
        
        Plenty of NZers are very happy with the current state and can see a good future ahead with National , I am happy with the current state and have no desire to turn back the clock, that’s what green/labour policy.
        
        weka …
        
        27 December 2013 at 12:21 pm
        
        That’s fine, just stop inventing untruthful arguments to support your selfishness. Try honesty and see how that works.
        
        RedLogix …
        
        27 December 2013 at 1:45 pm
        
        rto,
        
        Again you reveal a complete lack of imagination when you make the leap from “plenty of New Zealanders are happy” to an implication that this should be good enough for all of us.
        
        Presumably your “plenty of New Zealanders” does not include the 260,000 odd children growing up in poverty, or the 2,000,000 adults trying to live on a median income around $25k or less.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        27 December 2013 at 2:46 pm
        
        Plenty of NZers are very happy with the current state and can see a good future ahead with National
        
        I’m sure there are but I’m also sure that there’s a lot more who are unhappy with it and only see more hard grind while going backwards.
        
        Mel …
        
        28 December 2013 at 5:23 pm
        
        Extrapolating from your own personal viewpoint does not counter the facts of child poverty in New Zealand, our current unemployment nor our low wage economy, which results in many families struggling to survive. The logical fallacy of this sort of thinking from groups of people can lead to some very inequitable outcomes for others. I call it the – ‘ Let them eat Cake’ type of thinking.
        
        Its time to acknowledge the level of inequity in New Zealand and work as a community to ensure all of us have adequate housing, food and education if we want a healthier democracy.
        
        weka 2.1.1.1.2.3
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:52 am
        
        “in those days we had at least a couple of million less people to provide for and still plenty of poverty.
        Perhaps you’re correct , in the good old days , no D P B , women in the kitchen etc etc, sounds ok , let’s go back to the ”good old days”.”
        
        You either didn’t read my comment properly, or are incapable of easy comprehension. See the bit where I said it wasn’t paradise? That was my shorthand for let’s not put up faux ‘good ole days’ arguments. Address the issues dude. You say a high consumption society provides jobs and a good standard of living for most people. I pointed out that prior to our shift to high consumption we had full employment and less disparity between rich and poor. Someone with better stats can argue if there is more or less poverty overall now than then, but my money is on there being more poverty now than prior to the 80s (allowing for the different kinds of poverty that exist in different times).
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        27 December 2013 at 2:12 pm
        
        Speaking of addressing the issues.. The Left can have the things they want as can the Right but unfortunately not under the current system. The current system has two completely opposing views on how to bring about the well being of society. Both L&R do this through the redistribution of wealth.
        Whilst this remains the basis of L wing policy there will always be those to the right of centre that will always vote against it. (and vice versa for R wing policy)
        Thus neither the left or the right will ever get their desired outcomes under the current system.
        Change the focus to having a system designed to fulfill peoples needs and wants and doing so without the need to redistribute wealth and not only will you solve the problems of the Left but also the problems of the Right a the same time.
        
        One Anonymous Knucklehead …
        
        27 December 2013 at 2:24 pm
        
        …and Tinky Winky and all the little elves lived happily ever after.
        
        karol …
        
        27 December 2013 at 2:26 pm
        
        And what sort of system would that be, PP? Be more specific.
        
        Because any system that fulfills needs and wants of all as the priority, would seem to be a left wing system.
        
        The right largely want a system that enriches and benefits the few.
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        27 December 2013 at 5:01 pm
        
        “The right largely want a system that enriches and benefits the few.”
        
        It is in fact vitally important that people understand what it is the R and the L want and why they think the way they do? in order to come to a solution for both
        
        Left and Right is not about The caring Left and the Greedy Rightwing Capitalist Bastards.. Nor is it about the Sensible Right versus a bunch of Commie pricks and a bunch of tree hugging hippies.
        
        Left and the Right are just ways of thinking. They are two ends of a spectrum upon which everybody in the world falls somewhere depending on how exactly they see the world
        Neither are right or wrong, they simply just are.
        
        Someone on the Left views the world very externally. Sees things they want to change, they see people suffering, they see inadequacies within the system and want to change the system to address those problems for people.
        example: They see families not having enough money and from their position in the system they would like to help those families but cannot (the system does not give them the resources to do this) in understanding this they then want the system to provide. This is currently actioned through various types of welfare.
        
        Someone on the Right views the world with an internal view of their world. They understand the system, They understand the supposed rules of the game. Their focus is on them and their family within the system, and doing what they need to do to be successful….within the system.
        They see taxes as being something that, although necessary, takes away from them and makes it just that little more difficult for them to achieve what they need to or want to in the system.
        They see these taxes spent on welfare and unnecessary political activities, govt departments.
        Both focuses are noble in their own right
        The person on the left just wants to look after others who they think need help.
        The person on the right simply wants to look after their family.
        
        It is only through a solution that meets the needs and desires of both sides will you solve the problems we face today and have always faced as a society.
        
        The system is the Resource Based Economy with a system designed to meet the needs and wants of the people. Where the goal of society is not maximum employment. Instead it has a goal of freeing as many people as possible through the use of technology and automation.
        
        Clearly if I say Capitalism isn’t the way forward here I am preaching to the converted but neither is democratic Socialism as it still deals with money and limited resources. Neither system is designed to meet the true needs and wants of man.
        A system for man should be designed to work for man. Man working for the system is like Henry Ford inventing the Model T but then having to push it everywhere he wants to go. Its ridiculous. Yet this is exactly what we do with our system now.
        
        If a system were to be designed for Man what should that system look like, What does everyone want……?
        
        To be happy?
        
        Everyone is different so how can we determine what is required to make every one happy?
        
        Maslows Hierarchy of needs is fairly widely accepted in Economics as benchmark for what a person needs to be happy.
        How does Capitalism stack up on Maslows?
        How does the Resource Based Economy stack up?
        Can a Resource Based Economy be structured to meet the needs and wants of mankind and still have an abundance of resources?
        
        Through removal of the profit motive and planned obsolescence and through active management and technological and scientific solutions to problems untainted by profit but for Man – arguably Yes
        
        karol …
        
        27 December 2013 at 5:24 pm
        
        All very theoretical, PP. But you have a very generalised and reductive view of the difference between left and right – like someone sitting on a cloud, trying to be an eye of god, but without any strong commitment to a set of values – other than perhaps some enlightenment ideal of being “objective” and “balanced”.
        
        Your view of the left is that of welfare capitalism – itself a compromise with capitalism or the right.
        
        It is rather common place to say that left and right have a different view – more importantly, underlying any political position are some core values. And you articulate some as if they were opposite sides of the same “noble” and “correct” coin, which can be somehow resolved by dropping underlying values….I think, although it is not totally clear how you think that can happen, other than maybe expecting people to be “balanced” and “objective” like yourself.
        
        The person on the left just wants to look after others who they think need help.
        The person on the right simply wants to look after their family.
        
        Well describes a quite paternalistic left – actually, the left is more about an inclusive, fair and just society for all, especially when it involves grass roots participatory democracy.
        
        And righties may or may not care about their families – some see no responsibilities to anyone bu themselves. Nevertheless, what do you call it when people are so focus on themselves and those nearest to them that the rest don’t matter? I’d call it lack of compassion, empathy and understanding of, or concern for how we all operate within society. Ultimately it’s a pretty narrow self-interested view of life from where I’m sitting.
        
        This – I don’t know where to start with this muddle:
        
        Clearly if I say Capitalism isn’t the way forward here I am preaching to the converted but neither is democratic Socialism as it still deals with money and limited resources. Neither system is designed to meet the true needs and wants of man.
        A system for man should be designed to work for man. Man working for the system is like Henry Ford inventing the Model T but then having to push it everywhere he wants to go. Its ridiculous. Yet this is exactly what we do with our system now.
        
        Goodness me – that’s a pretty skewed characterisation of democratic socialism. And I would say socialism IS about meeting the true needs and wants of humanity/society within the context of the environment, resources, etc.
        
        Through removal of the profit motive and planned obsolescence and through active management and technological and scientific solutions to problems untainted by profit but for Man – arguably Yes
        
        Sounds like socialism to me. And I can’t see how you will get any rightie to agree – one of their underlying values IS the belief in the profit motive as a way to incentivise human endeavour within a competitive system.
        
        RedLogix …
        
        27 December 2013 at 5:24 pm
        
        Where the goal of society is not maximum employment. Instead it has a goal of freeing as many people as possible through the use of technology and automation.
        
        I strongly recommend you look at this graph:
        
        http://www.alternet.org/files/styles/large/public/screen_shot_2013-12-20_at_3.12.44_pm.png
        
        Look at the date of the break-point. 1973. Forty Christmases ago.
        
        It’s also the date when industrial automation became mainstream. I know this personally – I’ve met the two key people involved Dick Morely and Odo Struger both of whom are credited with the invention of the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) between 1969 and 1972.
        
        However what is also plain from the rest of the article is that technology was used to capture and concentrate wealth. And that I would argue is a political question that actually has relatively little to do with the traditional demarcations between left and right.
        
        http://www.alternet.org/economy/how-fix-economy-13-easy-charts?paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        27 December 2013 at 7:08 pm
        
        RedLogix
        
        Under a Resource Based Economy money is taken from the equation. Money was originally used as a simpler and more portable method of exchange. It has become a barrier to getting the things done we need to. Remove it and the barrier is no more.
        Think of the things use in your everyday life. Think of the things you want. Those things are things you still either need or want if money is removed from the equation.
        Goods are produced to excess in the current system because of the need to make a profit continuously in order to pay people be they investors or workers. Everyone needs to obtain money somehow through System in order to fulfill wants and needs
        
        Remove the money and without the drive for profit a system can be transitioned too that is designed to meet the needs and wants of everyone in a sustainable manner.
        
        Auckland has a transport problem. It can be resolved a number of ways, more motorways, rail and so on.
        Why isn’t it being built?
        We have the knowledge of how to do it..
        we have the resources..
        We have the manpower so why isn’t it being done…
        Money – not enough of it. This mechanism for exchange has come to the point where it has become a barrier for many.
        Remove money and you could build maglev trains or monorails or whatever the best solution was. Why? because your not constrained by lack of it
        
        Removing money and changing the design of the system to work for man, to meet our needs and wants and ensures that what happened with the industrial revolution can’t happen again.
        The goal of society also becomes to design technological solutions to free people from having to work where possible.
        Just by removing money and all of the jobs that come with it. Banking, Accountancy, Share trading, Insurance, you free a large number of people from having to work. A redistribution of jobs resulting in job sharing and ongoing automation could result in people needing to work half the time to the system going.
        Would you switch to a system where the goal of the system is happiness through meeting peoples needs and wants?
        you only need to work half the time you do now and meets your needs and wants are met as the goal of society.
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        27 December 2013 at 7:37 pm
        
        No Carol instead of merely holding your values up as right and theirs as wrong, you should instead be focusing on trying to find a solution that meets and enables both sets of values to be upheld.
        
        “Your view of the left is that of welfare capitalism.”
        Nope but my view of Left does not matter one little bit. What matters is that what the Left want cannot be achieved through the current system. This is because of the role of money and everything that comes with it. Nor can the Right for that matter.
        
        No-one actually needs money.. they need the things that money can buy.
        
        it comes down to one question: What should goal of the system should be to do.
        To enable Man to be happy.
        Designing the system to work for Man, not having Man enslaved by it.
        
        “the left is more about an inclusive, fair and just society for all, especially when it involves grass roots participatory democracy.”
        
        Great a Resource Based Economy has all of that.
        
        “And righties may or may not care about their families – some see no responsibilities to anyone bu themselves. Nevertheless, what do you call it when people are so focus on themselves and those nearest to them that the rest don’t matter? I’d call it lack of compassion, empathy and understanding of, or concern for how we all operate within society. Ultimately it’s a pretty narrow self-interested view of life from where I’m sitting.”
        
        What you’d call it unfortunately doesn’t matter.. the fact that people do value and focus on those nearest to them to the point where the rest don’t matter does matter. Provide a way for both sets of values to be met and both are happy.
        The Resource Based Economy enables the primary values of both L and R to be met at the same time.
        
        Unfortunately the current system will always fail both sets of ideals as they continue to vote against one another.
        
        “Sounds like socialism to me. And I can’t see how you will get any rightie to agree – one of their underlying values IS the belief in the profit motive as a way to incentivise human endeavour within a competitive system.”
        
        Call it what you like but unless Socialism is a Gift Economy with no money then we are talking different systems.
        The only question is does a Resource Based Economy uphold your ideals and provide what you want in a system for everyone.
        
        As for those righties. Show them a way that they can have their needs and wants met, be able to work less that does not require continuously taking from them (their view) in the form of taxation and they will agree as well.
        Again show them that it is not actually money that they need the the things and experiences that money can buy. Those things still exist with or without money.
        
        karol …
        
        27 December 2013 at 9:35 pm
        
        PP, I have no problem with a system where money is taken out of the equation, nor, i think, would quite a few people who lean left, once that is fully explained to them.
        
        However, I think you are being naive to think that a lot of righties can just be talked into excepting such a system – too many live for money and what they hope it can do….. it’s quite basic to their value system. And I also think you are naive that the powerful elite will willingly give up their power and advantages by explaining a n alternative system nicely – just not going to happen.
        
        infused …
        
        27 December 2013 at 11:02 pm
        
        Polish Pride actually makes a lot of sense.
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        28 December 2013 at 12:37 pm
        
        Karol no offense but I think I have a better grasp of what the right want. I have been cleaning the floor with Right wing Capitalists with this stuff for a few years now. Not all but many are quite interested in this way of thinking and want to know more.
        
        “However, I think you are being naive to think that a lot of righties can just be talked into excepting such a system – too many live for money and what they hope it can do….. it’s quite basic to their value system.”
        
        Don’t be lulled into thinking that a Right winger is your stereotypical loves money above all else. They are not and just like those on the Left they come in all shapes and forms. I’m sure the stereotype exists but it would only be as a very small minority in the bigger scheme of things. Most are just trying to do the best they can within the system for themselves and their family.
        It isn’t quite basic to their value system at all. It is however the most key component in the current system and as such it can be argued that they are simply behaving accordingly. It is also easy to misconstrue their value system to being exactly what you think it is. I can assure you that for the vast majority it is not. It (money) is simply the mechanism under the current system that they need in order to obtain their goals. Provide them an alternative that enables them to obtain their goals without money and without taking from them and their family to give to others and they will look at it. Many have and many actually want to know more and start to ask a lot of questions.
        There is skepticism sure, but there is genuine interest and that’s what matters most.
        
        The thing is that the goals of the left and the right will never be fully met under the current system. Under the one I am talking about both sides would have their goals met due to the very nature of the system.
        
        As for the global elite well you have two choices as I see it. Continue to play their game as you are now and see how far that continues to get you. Or change the rules of the game right out from under them….. and a system that meets the needs and values of both sides has the ability to do just that.
        All you have to do is start changing the narrative.
        Capitalism as an ideal is easy to destroy but only if you can replace it with something better for both Left and Right.
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        28 December 2013 at 1:34 pm
        
        “too many live for money and what they hope it can do”
        
        Sorry Karol I reread your post again. For many this on some level is true. But this is the nature of the current system. (Human behaviour is often determined by the system they are placed into. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_San_Fernando_massacre)
        It is the last part that is key though – what they hope it can do.
        Give them an alternative that enables them to achieve this and eliminates the need to tax them and redistribute their wealth to others and they will be open to change.
        
        The Global Elite use “problem, reaction solution” to get what they want. The same mechanism can be used to change the system.
        I’m not saying it will be different tomorrow but its either doing something designed to meet the needs and wants of man …..or continuing with the same system we have now and expecting a different result which is just simply never going to materialize….
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        28 December 2013 at 1:59 pm
        
        Left and the Right are just ways of thinking. They are two ends of a spectrum upon which everybody in the world falls somewhere depending on how exactly they see the world
        Neither are right or wrong, they simply just are.
        
        That’s a load of baloney. The political right are, more often than not, provably wrong. The left can also be wrong but they tend to make an effort to correct while the political right will deny the physical evidence of them being wrong.
        
        It is only through a solution that meets the needs and desires of both sides will you solve the problems we face today and have always faced as a society.
        
        And yet, according to what you wrote, those needs and desires directly contradict each other.
        
        Polish Pride …
        
        28 December 2013 at 3:14 pm
        
        No DTB at the most fundamental level those needs and wants don’t contradict each other at all. They only contradict so far as the way they would be provided for within the structure of the current system. This is because in the current system, regardless of whether you are on the Left or the Right you need money to be able to do what you want. Remove the money and the needs and wants start to align quite nicely.
        The reasons remain different but both can be satisfied under a different system. One not focused on money. One instead focused on meeting the true needs and wants of those in society.
        
        You and many on here have a perception of those on the right which is stereotypical yet largely inaccurate.
        If you want to win a war it helps to understand your enemy…. Reading what I have here you guys have unfortunately failed to do that
        
        “”Left and the Right are just ways of thinking. They are two ends of a spectrum upon which everybody in the world falls somewhere depending on how exactly they see the world
        Neither are right or wrong, they simply just are.””
        
        “That’s a load of baloney. The political right are, more often than not, provably wrong. The left can also be wrong but they tend to make an effort to correct while the political right will deny the physical evidence of them being wrong.”
        
        What is a load of baloney? Left and Right and the spectrum that exists in politics? No that exists. The only thing I can understand you saying is a load of baloney is me saying that neither are right or wrong, they simply just are. This would be because it simply differs from your opinion and your view.
        If there is something that you think is baloney state what it is and why?
        Even if they are provably wrong the exact same is being said about the Left by the Right. But you know what who’s right and who’s wrong in the bigger scheme of things doesn’t matter, not one little bit.
        What matters is being able to deliver what each side wants.
        That’s unfortunately not possible under the current system by its very nature.
        A system designed for Mankind the the goal of enabling Man to be happy does this. It by its very design is set up to meet the needs and wants of Man. It’s goal is to free man from the system or to have the system work for Man rather than Man working for it.
        Its at this point you have a choice. You can continue to argue over who’s right and who’s wrong. Whether that’s you or me or the right vs the Left. Or you can start looking at solutions that will work for both sets of ideals and will at the same time fix the problems that we face in society today and in many cases have always faced. The choice is yours.
        
        But I’ll tell you what go and spend a couple of years posting on Whaleoil and hanging out with Right wingers rather than spending your time on here preaching to the converted. Do that and you will quickly come to the realisation that The system cannot deliver what either side wants. (I am pretty sure you already know that part though). Determine what each side wants and see if there is a system that can provide it.
        There is. It is called a Resource Based Economy.
        
        In fact you don’t even have to worry about the Right. All you need to be concerned about is if the system could or would meet or surpass your values and the values on the left. If it doesn’t what changes would be required to enable it too.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        29 December 2013 at 6:38 pm
        
        The only thing I can understand you saying is a load of baloney is me saying that neither are right or wrong, they simply just are. This would be because it simply differs from your opinion and your view.
        
        Nope. I said it because being wrong really is actually being wrong. It’s not just an opinion but a physical fact. Same applies to being right.
        
        But you know what who’s right and who’s wrong in the bigger scheme of things doesn’t matter, not one little bit.
        
        Actually, it does matter quite a lot because if we keep doing things wrong then we will never be able to correct those things.
        
        What matters is being able to deliver what each side wants.
        
        Which is impossible as one side wants lots of personal riches and the poverty that goes with it (Yes, they actually want the poverty to improve their own status) while the other side wants to eliminate the poverty which must get rid of the vast personal wealth that the other side wants.
        
        That’s unfortunately not possible under the current system by its very nature.
        
        Correct and so the system needs to be changed. Problem: The RWNJs don’t want to change the system because they’re quite happy with it.
        
        So, how do we change the system? My solution there is democracy and bypassing the so called leaders. I really, really, really don’t like representative democracy especially as I know it was put in place to prevent democracy.
        
        karol …
        
        27 December 2013 at 6:50 pm
        
        1973
        
        was also the year
        
        of the “oil crisis.”
      - Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.3
        
        27 December 2013 at 2:44 pm
        
        +1
  - Draco T Bastard 2.1.2
    
    27 December 2013 at 2:43 pm
    
    Yes, we should spend less because our actual economy is severely limited and using up all those resources as fast as we can will end up with a) everyone being poor and b) the collapse of society. All the RWNJs advocate irrational economic policies that result in us being worse off in the long run for short term monetary gain of the rich.
Tiny Tom 3

27 December 2013 at 10:07 am

For an article along similar lines I recommend “Was Scrooge a neoliberal?”:

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/12/scrooge-neoliberal.html

While one can rant that consumerism has perverted the original Christian message, it should not be forgotten that Christianity itself stole and perverted the original Pagan midwinter festival marking the turn of the solar calendar with its promise of the return of Spring and Summer.

Personally, growing up and living half my life so far in the UK I very much enjoyed the Pagan aspects of Christmas – the lights in the longest nights, the warmth and cheer in midwinter, the recogniton that the days were getting longer again – while doing my best to ignore the mawkish religious nonsense clinging to its coat-tails. Here in the southern hemisphere celebrating Christmas in mid-summer strips away even the legitimate Pagan elements making the whole event ridiculous so I treat it the way I do the idiots selling religion on my door-step – ignore it in the hope it will go away.
- Paul 3.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 10:42 am
  
  The obvious NZ choice
  http://www.whatdate.co.nz/matariki/2014/
  - weka 3.1.1
    
    27 December 2013 at 11:59 am
    
    “Here in the southern hemisphere celebrating Christmas in mid-summer strips away even the legitimate Pagan elements making the whole event ridiculous…”
    
    lolz. Kiwis on a beach in summer, or getting uber-pissed at NY strikes me as relatively pagan 😉
    
    Pre-Christian Pagans celebrated the year in a wheel – the two solstices and the two equinoxes. No reason why we can’t keep Christmas, and have Matariki, plus Easter (needs to change to an Autumn fesival though). That just leaves the Spring Equinox.
    
    Then there are the cross-quarter dates/festivals which lie at the midpoint between the solstices and equinoxes. Matariki is interesting because it spans the cross-quarter before winter solstice and the winter solstice.
    
    I feel way more annoyed by Northern hemisphere expressions of Halloween (cross-quarter date) in NZ than I do with Christmas (and Halloween is following the same crass consumerist path). I think NZ is making a fair transition away from winter themes at Christmas. Would love to see Halloween transformed in the more appropriate Beltane bone fire festival.
    
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane
Sacha 4

27 December 2013 at 10:16 am

“the original *Christian message”

the original Pagan festival
- karol 4.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 10:22 am
  
  Yes, which is why I said:
  
  an (allegedly) Christian festival
Steve Wrathall 5

27 December 2013 at 10:16 am

Oh no, the Labour/Green/Mana decision to go into election year as a bunch of sour Sadies claiming there is a manufacturing crisis and no jobs is collapsing before their eyes. What now? Go after John Key? It’s worked so wonderfully before eh?
- karol 5.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 10:30 am
  
  is that the best you can do Steve? the post is about so much more than John Key: it’s about the whole big, international neo-liberal scam and the way it is expressed in relation to “Christmas”, as promoted by the MSM.
  
  It is about a whole discourse that creates a myth of the benevolence of the super wealthy celebrities, on behalf of the corporate elites.
  
  Of course, I know righties just want the debate to be only about John Key – he’s all they’ve got going for them in maintaining this slowly collapsing house of cards.
Tracey 6

27 December 2013 at 10:22 am

Rich the other

whoooooooooooooosh
Philj 7

27 December 2013 at 10:31 am

Xox
And people pay money to purchase this ‘newspaper’? Is this tragedy or comedy, or just modem day life? Haha.
aerobubble 8

27 December 2013 at 10:38 am

Non-religious now make up majority in census, could this have anything to do with Christmas themes of winter being so out of place in summer NZ? When it doesn’t make sense to dress up in winter clothes, eat too much in swelting heat, and sing about song, then it follows quite naturally that the whole Jesus thing is fake too.
Will@Welly 9

27 December 2013 at 11:20 am

Since the economic crisis of 2008/09, the dominance of the banking/financial sector now take seems to precedence over everything else. The only way people seem to want to reward themselves is with a bit of blanket commercial retail therapy -i.e. overspending at Xmas/the Boxing Day sales.
My “retail therapy” consisted of buying some milk.
As a nation we appear to have lost the ability to enjoy life without it costing a fortune. Everyone either appears to want to “clip the ticket” thereby inflating the actual cost, or others are out to prove, regardless how cheap or expensive things are, they have pockets deep enough to pay whatever, just to let everyone know that they are important. Bulls**t.
If you’ve ever watched little children open presents, sometimes its the most incongruous present that holds a child spell-bound the most. This rampant commercialism that we’ve fostered on the world is just so out of place.
- aerobubble 9.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 12:09 pm
  
  I think a lot of people have heard that interest rates will rise, and have been saving, they realize that now’s a good time to buy, have a party after a few years of belt tightening.
  
  Key has delayed the ChCh rebuild to peak next year, the question is will voter notice that instead of having built up the economy Key has stymied it. Key consistently oppose endeavors to deepen the economy, inject long term plans into the fabric of the economy, (commuter trains lines in the plans for ChCh!!! etc, etc). Key’s willing to interfere but not in any positive way that supports long term NZ growth.
  - Paul 9.1.1
    
    27 December 2013 at 12:13 pm
    
    I imagine there’s quite a few people maxed to the hilt who will be in real trouble if rates increase.
red rattler 10

27 December 2013 at 11:30 am

Good thing about consumption as fetish is that it is the height of alienation and in direct contradiction with the collapse of capitalist production.

We go from commodities that we need to consume to work, to commodities as the embodiment of value to be accumulated, only because we don’t see that the only commodity that produces value is the commodity labour-power.

But as capitalism destroys the natural base of its productive system and makes living labour-power more and more redundant, the inability to consume to work will explode the fetish to buy to live.

The image of zombie consumers will be replaced by mass uprisings.

http://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/marx-is-right-again.html
- red rattler 10.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 9:28 pm
  
  “To be sure, Marx did not himself follow out the full ramifications of this distortion of use value (and of labor’s own usefulness). Although he raised the question of the qualitative, use-value structure of the commodity economy he was to leave it largely unexamined in his critique of political economy.55 It was generally assumed in the context of mid-nineteenth-century capitalism that those use values that were produced—outside of the relatively insignificant realm of luxury production—conformed to genuine human needs. Under monopoly capitalism, beginning in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, and with the emergence more recently of the phase of globalized monopoly-finance capital, this all changed. The system increasingly demands, simply to keep going under conditions of chronic overaccumulation, the production of negative use values and the non-fulfillment of human needs.56 This entails the absolute alienation of the labor process, i.e., of the metabolic relation between human beings and nature, turning it predominantly into a form of waste.”
  http://monthlyreview.org/2013/12/01/marx-rift-universal-metabolism-nature:
captain hook 11

27 December 2013 at 11:41 am

why dont you try a little kindness
and take away the blindness
of the narrow minded people
in their narrow minded streets.
- Rogue Trooper 11.1
  
  29 December 2013 at 1:09 pm
  
  =1
chrissy 12

27 December 2013 at 11:45 am

Saw a bright young thing being interviewed on telly last night at one of the malls having sale. She was so excited because she had bought al of this STUFF for $10.00 each and was off to another mall to carry on buying more STUFF. Loaded down with bags and I bet she didn’t have a clue what was in them. Thing is if these are all bought on credit cards doesn’t the interest on the cards cancel out a lot of this so called saving on purchases. Pretty sure most of them will be maxed out and if you have the money to pay it off in next month or so why are they buying cheap crap that can be sold at $10.00 each with the shops still making a profit.
Also, I was going to go to Briscoe’s to buy a cake mixer but was put off with their over the top advertising. So, won’t be going there. My own silent little protest.
- rich the other 12.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 11:57 am
  
  A sign of the times,
  Shame on you chrissy ,even thinking about buying a cake mixer at Briscoe’s ,you’re obviously the idle rich , what’s wrong with the ware house , a wooden spoon and a bowl for less than $5.
  - Paul 12.1.1
    
    27 December 2013 at 12:05 pm
    
    You have nothing constructive to add.
    - rich the other 12.1.1.1
      
      27 December 2013 at 12:16 pm
      
      Yes , here’s something constructive,
      repent ,beg for forgiveness , recognise the error of your ways and then vote NATIONAL.
      - Will@Welly 12.1.1.1.1
        
        27 December 2013 at 12:55 pm
        
        Well we all know where the wooden spoon dangles from at your place rto, and certainly, no one other than you would ever be lining up to lick it, that’s for sure.
      - Tracey 12.1.1.1.2
        
        27 December 2013 at 1:16 pm
        
        kind of like the mafia, kill opponents, sleep with women, kill anyone who sleeps with your women, then go to church and confess and do it all again next week.
      - Draco T Bastard 12.1.1.1.3
        
        27 December 2013 at 3:18 pm
        
        That’s not constructive but destructive as National works to destroy our economy for the benefit of the rich.
        
        rich the other 12.1.1.1.3.1
        
        27 December 2013 at 5:40 pm
        
        Mixed message there draco,
        
        ”National works to destroy economy” according to the left it’s already destroyed.
        And the logic of destroying the economy ??
        No one will ever make money from people who have no money, benificiary’s are a cost , not an opportunity to make money.
        
        I suppose if you are prepared to vote green/labour then you are obviously not logical..
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        28 December 2013 at 2:27 pm
        
        No one will ever make money from people who have no money, benificiary’s are a cost , not an opportunity to make money.
        
        According to the right, so are employees.
        
        The real cost is profit.
        
        I suppose if you are prepared to vote National/Act/CP then you are obviously not rational.
        
        FTFY
  - chrissy 12.1.2
    
    27 December 2013 at 1:24 pm
    
    rto. Do you have a cake mixer, or any other appliances that make life easier? Do you have a stove or do you cook over a campfire? Do you have a washing machine or do you wash in the local stream? Do you have a camera, or do you do rapid sketching? Of course I’m one of the idle rich, that’s why my husband needs a cake mixer because he has a shoulder injury and can no longer use the wooden spoon and bowl. I’m far too rich to do my own baking.!
- Macro 12.2
  
  27 December 2013 at 3:40 pm
  
  There are other places… but their advertising is just as invasive. (sometimes you just have to hold your nose and go ahead and do it) -and I understand the need for these devices too having had a shoulder injury as well.- I just wonder if those produced these days last as long as the ones 40 xmas’s ago?
karol 13

27 December 2013 at 1:30 pm

A pertinent press release from the Uni of Canterbury: “Inequality keeps rising, says UC social research expert”

Inequality continues to rise in New Zealand and many families will struggle to cope over the holidays, a University of Canterbury (UC) social research expert says.

Dr Annabel Taylor says research shows that reliance on voluntary help is not nearly enough to help families that are struggling.
[…]
“This means that every dollar counts when given to food banks and the like. At the same time, we need to pause and ponder on what needs to be done to reduce inequalities in our communities.”

“The problem with relying on well-meaning voluntary support is that it cannot possibly replace the population-based health, education and social support necessary to ensure healthy New Zealanders.

Violence continues to be the driving challenge for New Zealand communities with nearly half of all homicides in New Zealand resulting from family violence, Dr Taylor says.
weka 14

27 December 2013 at 1:31 pm

There are currently 1509 listings in Trademe’s post-Christmas ‘regifting’ promotion. Funny use of the word ‘regifting’.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/unwanted-christmas-gifts?utm_source=TradeMe&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TM_Regifting
- Will@Welly 14.1
  
  27 December 2013 at 1:43 pm
  
  First heard this back on Seinfield. “Regifting” was a no-no, then. It’s what you did with presents you couldn’t return/didn’t want. Now thanks to Trade Me and E-Bay, people just flog them off.
  Talk about commercialism gone wrong.
  - The Pink Postman 14.1.1
    
    27 December 2013 at 2:30 pm
    
    Well quite a lot finish up in the local Op shop .
    My wife accurately forecasts to me just what will be among the latest “must haves” that will,turn up each week at the one she works at. Top of the list at the moment is exercise machines and teddy bears ,
infused 15

27 December 2013 at 10:51 pm

Someone buy Karol a present.
BEATINGTHEBOKS 16

29 December 2013 at 1:10 pm

The reality is people like a bargain and if they have good fortune to have the money then go to it. Now if you compared NZ with communist Russia at boxing day you would see some interesting things, the lack of anything useful to buy would be one of them, and very high prices. Boxing day sales are and hopefully will always be a fun day out for some. If Labour want to win the next election the middle class working person needs to be wooed, nonsensical ideas that normal people wont buy bargains if they are educated about the suffering of poor people will not impress anyone. People want to be rewarded for their hard work. People don’t want to have to work an extra 10 hours a week to feed someone else’s children. Just talking about the average swing voter here not the uber rich, whose vote will be blue no matter what measures are taken.
- Murray Olsen 16.1
  
  29 December 2013 at 10:46 pm
  
  “If Labour want to win the next election the middle class working person needs to be wooed, nonsensical ideas that normal people wont buy bargains if they are educated about the suffering of poor people will not impress anyone.”
  
  I don’t see anyone putting that idea forward except yourself.
  
  “People don’t want to have to work an extra 10 hours a week to feed someone else’s children.”
  
  Did you read that one on WhaleSpew? Where does the 10 hour figure come from?

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4 days ago

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Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
NZ First Press Release
1 week ago

Release: Support for climate adaptation inquiry
Labour supports a Notice of Motion in the House today to move the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct an inquiry on climate adaptation. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptation
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACC
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdown
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Minister of Finance reheats austerity politics
This morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...
Greens
1 week ago

A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housing
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kids
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford Union
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscations
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
Greens
1 week ago

TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
NZ First Press Release
1 week ago

Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgrade
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be released
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 hours ago

District Court Judges appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 hours ago

Unions should put learning ahead of ideology
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools.    “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
8 hours ago

Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMA
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
8 hours ago

Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguard
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
10 hours ago

New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationship
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New Caledonia
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of State
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card funding
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Further sanctions against Russia
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

One year on from Loafers Lodge
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaboration
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Penk travels to Peru for trade meetings
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Minister attends global education conferences
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA Chair
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Panel announced for review into disability services
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Minister welcomes Police gang unit
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

New Chief of Defence Force appointed
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Government puts children first by repealing 7AA
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, Italy
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Charter schools to lift educational outcomes
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlook
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely together
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Driving ahead with Roads of Regional Significance
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands government
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

$571 million for Defence pay and projects
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Accelerating Social Investment
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Getting Back on Track
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Threatened species have declined 2% a year since 2000. Nature positive? Far from it.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, School of Business, UNSW Sydney Martin Tobias Aakesson/Shutterstock Our government has great aspirations. It has committed to end extinctions and expand our protected areas to cover 30% of every Australian ecosystem by 2030. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
55 mins ago

Rugby league in Perth and Papua New Guinea? Here’s what could be next for the NRL
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

The budget has earmarked $8.6 million for live music. Is it enough to save the flailing industry?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

The Week in Politics: Charter schools, special police units and a tricky problem for the government
The Week in Politics: ACT brings back a signature policy, while NZ First mulls how to fulfil a promise. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 hours ago

There’s $110 million for Indigenous education in the budget. But where’s the evidence it will wo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
4 hours ago

Cameras reveal wombat burrows can be safe havens after fire and waterholes after rain
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

ChatGPT is now better than ever at faking human emotion and behaviour
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o. OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

Menopause can bring increased cholesterol levels and other heart risks. Here’s why and what to do ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

The Friday Poem: ‘Xiāng’ by Hannah Patterson
A new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...
The SpinoffBy Hannah Patterson
5 hours ago

Cycle lanes are good for business, actually
‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...
The SpinoffBy Ellen Rykers
5 hours ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 17
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40) Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
5 hours ago

Nuclear subs are coming to Australia. Now the Coalition wants reactors, too. We’re not ready for i...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anaesthesia works in the brain
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research fellow, Queensland University of Technology Sergey Mironov/Shutterstock Over 350 million surgeries are performed globally each year. For most of us, it’s likely at some point in our lives we’ll have to undergo a procedure that needs general ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
6 hours ago

'I can do much better': Green MP Julie Anne Genter promises to improve conduct
"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...
Radio NZ – political
6 hours ago

Call to protect asylum seekers who may arrive in New Zealand by boat
A group of more than 40 refugees, charities and advocates want better protections for asylum seekers arriving by boat. ...
Radio NZ – political
6 hours ago

Homo Pentecostus: on queer intimacies, religion, ancestry and the human need for connection
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Want to be buried on your own land, at sea or in a forest? A guide to unconventional send-offs
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Vanuatu, MSG chief reaffirms support for FLNKS, blames France over unrest
Asia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
7 hours ago

Blazing a trail: the Leonard family legacy in Māori television
Producer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders. My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...
The SpinoffBy Susan Leonard
7 hours ago

Home detention for New Caledonia’s unrest ringleaders, Tiktok banned
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
8 hours ago

Review finds big increase in multi-year government spends, use not always justified
Multi-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

$63.6m for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024
"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

Dr. Eric Chuah Standing For Mayor Of Tauranga
Dr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

How to enjoy a comedy festival in your own lounge
If you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
9 hours ago

Poll Shows Three Quarters Of Wellingtonians Oppose Airport Sale
A new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

$63.6m boost for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024
"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

Nearly 1300 homes on hold amid government review
Newly released documents show building has been paused on 690 KiwiBuild homes and 593 market homes. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

At the heart of the budget is the sad truth the economy is weak. That’s one reason inflation will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Denser housing can be greener too – here’s how NZ can build better for biodiversity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Getty Images Cities across Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to solve a housing crisis, with increasing residential density a key solution. But not everyone is happy about the resulting loss of natural ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Clean energy slump – why Australia’s renewables revolution is behind schedule, and how to fix it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute WDG Photo/Shutterstock For years, the electricity sector has been the poster child for emissions cuts in Australia. The sector achieved a stunning 26% drop in emissions over the past 15 ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

It’s OK to ask a loved one if they’re feeling suicidal
It’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...
The SpinoffBy Gráinne Patterson
10 hours ago

Watch live: Transport Minister makes pre-Budget announcement
Simeon Brown and Matt Doocey are set to reveal another bit of next week's budget. ...
Radio NZ – political
10 hours ago

We mapped a lost branch of the Nile River – which may be the key to a longstanding mystery of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Ralph, Associate Professor, Macquarie University The pyramids at Giza, like dozens of others, are located several kilometres west of the current path of the Nile. Alex Cimbal / Shutterstock The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

If I’m diagnosed with one cancer, am I likely to get another?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing and can cause a range of concerns about ongoing health. Fear of cancer returning is one ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 hours ago

All options being considered to help New Zealanders in New Caledonia – Winston Peters
Government looking at all options for helping New Zealanders who want to leave New Caledonia as death toll rises. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

Rebuke issued in stoush over volume of on-bus announcements for blind passengers
And how a union boss ruined a regional councillor's morning. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

Nearly 1300 Kāinga Ora homes on hold amid government review
Newly released documents show building has been paused on 690 KiwiBuild homes and 593 market homes. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

What’s happening in New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and why it matters to NZ
Winston Peters has been on tour around the Pacific while two unrelated crises unfolded, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Two separate ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
12 hours ago

Charter schools might increase government costs, deliver only marginal benefits, Cabinet papers show
Charter schools will likely get higher per-student funding than most state schools, and evidence of their efficacy is mixed. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

Charter schools might increase government costs, deliver marginal benefits – Cabinet papers
Charter schools will likely get higher per-student funding than most state schools, and evidence of their efficacy is mixed. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

Fake bacon, ranked from worst to best
This is the Mount Everest of artificial meatcraft. Ah, bacon. Pig’s gold. Toast’s consolation. Dawn’s savoury embrace. If meat was a currency, bacon would be the Benjamin Franklin. Or if you’re feeling patriotic, the Lord Rutherford. When it comes to fake bacon, the obvious question is: why bother? In the ...
The SpinoffBy Hera Lindsay Bird
14 hours ago

Milking it: The man behind New Zealand’s weirdest legal cases
From illegal milk to sprinkler bans and airplane ticket scams, Tyrone Barugh is on a one-man mission through New Zealand’s most obscure legal loopholes. I’m deep undercover, investigating Wellington’s criminal underworld. Inside this store, I’ve been told there is a million-dollar trade in illicit substances. A man dressed in black ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
14 hours ago

Raw Politics: Crime and (perceptions of) conflict
It’s been a recess week at Parliament, which might indicate slim pickings for conversation topics for the Raw Politics team. But things are never dull in politics, especially with a new Government keen to follow through on its law and order promises, and a NZ First minister who wants to ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
14 hours ago

Desperately seeking political maturity on electricity supply
Opinion: Party politics are no substitute for moving toward an electricity resilience policy that will survive elections The post Desperately seeking political maturity on electricity supply appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Dr Earl Bardsley
14 hours ago

Daily crossword, Friday 17 May
The post Daily crossword, Friday 17 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
14 hours ago

Dear minister, military families need your help
Dear Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Defence, and Hon Christopher Penk, Associate Minister of Defence I have written to you, to attempt to give you an insight into the incredible hardship of being an NZDF family. Whilst I cannot speak on behalf of serving personnel, I can speak from my ...
NewsroomBy Erin Speedy
14 hours ago

Wayne Brown, a man with a plan
Analysis: What a difference a year makes. In mid 2023, Wayne Brown the Auckland Mayor was a politician diminished by a calamitous response to the region’s Anniversary Weekend storm emergency and later forced against his preference into a half sale only of the city’s airport shares. His demeanour among his ...
NewsroomBy Tim Murphy
14 hours ago

Ohakea base upgrades delayed amid defence estate concerns
Work to replace ‘not fit-for-purpose’ living quarters at one critical air base faces further delays The post Ohakea base upgrades delayed amid defence estate concerns appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva
14 hours ago

Iwi pledges to use only te reo Māori to communicate with Govt
The move comes after the government departments began to prioritise their English names and the finance minister questioned agencies funding te reo lessons for staff The post Iwi pledges to use only te reo Māori to communicate with Govt appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
14 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 17 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 17 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
14 hours ago

A bold call from experts on drug legalisation
New Zealand’s drug legislation hasn’t been overhauled in nearly 50 years, in spite of a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2011 to do so. Our Misuse of Drugs Act was passed in 1975 and is based on a United Nations framework set in 1961. Now a new organisation, Harm ...
NewsroomBy Davina Zimmer
14 hours ago

This week’s bestselling books – May 17
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) A free copy of this amazing story of a woman who operated behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France was up for grabs this past fortnight. Readers were asked to share a story of wartime bravery, ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
14 hours ago

Commerce Commission slaps wrists over possible bandwidth collusion
Spectrum rights are highly contested – the Commerce Commission has had to deal with two bandwidth cases this year The post Commerce Commission slaps wrists over possible bandwidth collusion appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
14 hours ago

Open letter challenges Zionist advert missing Gaza ‘injustices’ in Herald
Asia Pacific Report An open letter to The New Zealand Herald has challenged a full page Zionist advertisement this week for failing to acknowledge the “terrible injustices” suffered by the Palestinian people in Israel’s seven-month genocidal war on Gaza. In the latest of several international reports that have condemned genocide ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
17 hours ago

Grattan on Friday: Peter Dutton’s alternative – lower migration, more homes, and a populist swip...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When he was opposition leader, Bill Shorten faced Coalition criticism for attacking “the top end of town”, a phrase he used in his 2019 budget reply. Now Peter Dutton is finding the line “billions of ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

NZ families worried as loved ones shelter from violent unrest in New Caledonia
By Adam Burns, RNZ News reporter Worried New Caledonian expats in Aotearoa admit they are “terrified” for friends and family amid ongoing violence and civil unrest in the French Pacific territory. The death toll remained at four tonight, and hundreds have been injured after electoral changes sparked widespread rioting by ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
21 hours ago

‘Deadly spiral’ – state of emergency in Kanaky New Caledonia and the Paris vote that sparked r...
French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia after several days of civil unrest in the capital. Four people are dead due to the unrest and violence in the capital, Nouméa. France TV reports that a 22-year-old gendarme who had been seriously wounded has become ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
22 hours ago

Operation Burnham: Defence Force failed to share info crucial to investigation
Peter Boshier says the information gap undermined his initial investigation, and meant the NZDF avoided being accountable. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

It’s time to give Labor’s first term a scorecard – have we actually seen any transformative vi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland This week’s budget was Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ third and – for practical purposes – final for the current parliamentary term. Even if the 2025 election is delayed long enough to give ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Rally Condemns Zionism And The State Of Israel For Ongoing Genocide
They held a noisy but peaceful demonstration against the ongoing genocide being carried out by the State of Israel, condemning the Israeli ambassador who was hosting an invitation-only event to celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Winston Peters expresses concern over New Caledonia unrest
The Minister of Foreign Affairs says the escalating situation is of serious concern across the Pacific region. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

PrEP was earmarked $26m in the budget. What is it? Will it stop me getting HIV?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bridget Haire, Senior lecturer, public health ethics, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Bowonpat Sakaew/Shutterstock HIV prevention was allocated A$43.9 million over three years in this week’s federal budget. Some $26m of this is for “PrEP” for people without access to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Children's Minister wants to work with Māori – despite working to scrap Treaty obligatio...
Karen Chhour wants Oranga Tamiriki to establish more partnerships with Māori, despite introducing a bill to Parliament removing their obligation to do so. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

What is PrEP for HIV? Will it stop me getting infected?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bridget Haire, Senior lecturer, public health ethics, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Bowonpat Sakaew/Shutterstock HIV prevention was allocated A$43.9 million over three years in this week’s federal budget. Some $26m of this is for “PrEP” for people without access to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Why is New Caledonia on fire? According to local women, the deadly riots are about more than voting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole George, Associate Professor in Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Queensland New Caledonia’s capital city, Noumea, has endured widespread violent rioting over the past 48 hours. This crisis intensified rapidly, taking local authorities by surprise. Peaceful protests had been ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana on full pay misses half Parliament's 2024 sitting days
Darleen Tana was stood down in March after Stuff reported allegations of migrant exploitation relating to her husband's e-bike company. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Mayor calls for 'slow down' of fast-track law
Although his council supports the intent of the legislation, it's called on the government to reconsider its approach. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Risk of ‘genetic discrimination’ by insurance companies is ruining people’s trust in vital med...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brad Elphinstone, Lecturer in psychology., Swinburne University of Technology A DNA sequence. Gio.tto/Shutterstock Should you be denied life insurance or have to pay extra if you have a genetic risk for certain diseases? Should insurance companies even have access to your genetic ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Investigating social media harm is a good idea, but parliament is about to see how complicated it is...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior research associate, University of Sydney Barely a day has gone by this month without politicians or commentators talking about online harms. There have been multiple high-profile examples spurring on the conversation. There was the circulation of videos of Bishop ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Popeyes battle shows how big businesses protect their trademarks – even when they have no plans to...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Allen-Franks, Lecturer and Co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Human Rights Law, Policy and Practice, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Robert Gauthier/Getty Images At first sight, the battle between a Manawatū fish-and-chip shop and a Louisiana-based chicken joint ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Trump vs Biden round two: The 2024 US presidential election, explained
With less than six months to go, it’s time to start paying attention to what could be the most consequential election of our lifetimes. It’s less than half a year until election day in the United States, which makes this a good opportunity to review what’s happened thus far in ...
The SpinoffBy Catherine McGregor
1 day ago

Sports are supposed to be for all – but new research reveals just how few LGBTQI+ people play spor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Storr, Research fellow, Swinburne University of Technology The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players. These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

‘Too difficult to work out’ – new research reveals just how few LGBTQI+ people play sport
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Storr, Research fellow, Swinburne University of Technology The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players. These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Explainer: What sparked New Caledonia's deadly civil unrest?
At least four people are dead and hundreds are injured amid widespread fires, armed clashes with police and mass looting. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

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