Duncan I met you and your boy in Raro in the new year. You were awesome with your boy on the quad bike tour. I could tell you were close. It is tough for all solo parents and I admire anyone who can place their children first above their own feelings towards their ex. So many dont. They spend their lives being bitter; looking for every opportunity to put misery into the lives of their former spouse or partner. Good luck to you and your boy.
NZders get paid poorly so coming into the city say for brunch at Husk or Arizona or wherever is a treat for most of us with kids. Not having the benefit of a couple of hours of free parking is the difference between coming into the city or choosing Petone or elsewhere. Its does seem ridiculous that parking makes the difference but it does.
I jumped on the bandwagon of Netflix but frankly until they do live sport Im not getting rid of Sky. Netflix is a movie channel OnDemand with a handful of cool Series not available on Sky; but that doesnt make it better - just cheaper. If Sky could stop changing the damn channel numbers every other month, and stop adding new channels and asking us to pay $3 a month to view, theyd go along way to retaining customers. Why make it complex. It should just be $40 a month all you can eat, and you get every channel. Stop mucking around with stupid add this and that for $3. Or give every channel a fee or bundle â˜like channels and let us build our own subscription. Sport $20, Movies $5, Living, Bravo, HGTV, E bundle them for $10, News (Fox, CNN, BBC, RT, etc) bundles for $10, Disney and Nickolodian day $5 bundle, Etc.... I should be able to go into settings and just pick my bundles. If you cant do all you can eat at least let us build our channel bundles right from the app. Do away with all those peeps calling me to sell me the â˜Arts Channel.
Helen Clark; popular? Is this the same HC that got caned at her last election? The same one that NZ, generally, had had enough of. I actually admire HC because shes a no holds politician that gets her agenda through. I hated her agenda so she did not get my vote but I still admired her political savvy. But as for being popular I find that a real stretch. But then Auckland always surprises. Its a weird place where as long as it keeps importing low wage peeps itll always get strong Left Support.
WCC are absolute muppets. Where did they get their experience in urban design, planning, and economics? Clearly from a weetbix box. Their complete lack of ignorance speaks volumes for their competence and qualifications to hold their positions. But as they say; we deserve the council we voted for. Thankfully we can get rid of them next time around. Lester, you get one chance in life to make a real difference to your community. Youll be remembered for nothing. Came in. Blew a lot of air. Achieved nothing. No legacy other than a wasted term in office. Why did you even campaign for office?
Firstly CGT has done nothing to curb housing issues or prices anywhere in the world its been implemented. Its nothing more than a tax grab from the middle classes to distribute to the poor. As for companies selling for hundreds of millions or billions and not paying taxes Id like to know the name of one. If they made losses every year of existence they still delivered a product or a service that incurred GST. Even Xero; which has never made a profit has passed over, through its creation, hundreds of millions in GST and PAYE to NZ Inc.
âAs expected the TWG has recommended against changes to GST or offering small businesses a discounted rate of company taxâ - so no recommendation to drop GST on items we all need like milk, butter, and fresh vegetables. Cullen also Stars: .âOn the other hand, as everybody points out, capital income taxation is complicated, and the more you go into the details the more complicated it gets, he said. But if other developed economies can do it, why cant we? he added. Well a capital gains tax will get the lefties singing from the rafters but most of the countries that have one also limit the dole to x months - not a life time. So lets gets balance. The so-called Nordic experiment is starting to fail with its high taxes. Hong Kong has little social assistance and everyone manages to find a way to work and etch our a living. This country is cradle to grave hand outs. Its ridiculous.
If only the democrats had someone. Anyone. Just one decent person to put forward as a candidate. One person out of millions. But they dont. The saddest thing about the state of US politics is that if Trump loses it wont be because the left have anything at all to offer other than their typical liberal, lets all be one people rhetoric, but because Trump is clearly someone that people so despise and hate it will be an â˜anyone else but Trump election.
You can be ruthless and be sensitive at the same time. Ruthlessness is a trait in business where you are extremely focussed on your objective. I know several very ruthless company founders but that ruthlessness manifests itself in them overpaying (not underpaying) their staff. This creates a sense of loyalty to the founder. They work harder and staff churn is at zero. When negotiating contracts ruthlessness means they want a win win and theyll walk away if they dont get at least their minimum â˜must haves. They wont sacrifice long term strategic goals for a short term gain. Ruthlessness is a good trait when applied for positive outcomes. It doesnt mean screwing staff, screwing customers.
The tough calls he made were making the country sacrifice pay rises, reinvesting in infrastructure projects to employ people, and getting us through the GFC and a multi-billion dollar Chch quake. The sacrifice he made was gifting his entire salary for 9 years to charity. The sacrifice he made was he knew the decisions he made were good for the country if it was to get through the GFC and rebuild Chch but ultimately would be detrimental to his â˜likes from the taxpayers because we are, as has been proven during the last election, not interested in making sacrifice ourselves but are interested in having it all now. The left government offered us lollies and like kids on a Lolly diet, we put our hands out.
More people cared about giving the Nats the vote than any other party by a long long way. So yes we have MMP and that allowed Jacinda the second free ride in her Political life. The first was being gifted an assured Labour seat in the electorate after failing twice by herself and the 2nd was having Winnie save her butt and putting her into power. But when lefties make comments about who cares about Nats; its a sure sign of ignorance because it was close to half the country that voted.
I voted Nat and yes I cared and so did the Nat Party but paying for a multi billion dollar earthquake bill and getting through a global financial crisis were not things little NZ's tax base can achieve without sacrifice. And that sacrifice was some programmes could not be invested in to a level all NZders wanted; regardless of political leaning. We can't have our cake and eat it too unless you are a Labour supporter then you believe we can afford to pay nurses $80k, Police $90k, teachers $75k, we can have beautiful light rail in major cities, every NZder gets a home, we are all employed, the rivers are all clean, and we can do all of this without sacrificing anything at all we just have to tax the so called rich business owners another few cents in the dollar. Labour told us they would build 100,000 new homes but have not built a single new home that wasn't being built anyway and you and all the other Labour supporters actually believed that rubbish. The country is experiencing strike after strike because of the sacrifice made by government paid employees like teachers etc... and others but I don't blame the Nats for that; they had to do what they had to do to get the country through a tough spot. Labour have made many a political decision that hurt one side or the other for what they believe is right.
When the coach has Hansens record its hard to criticise his decisions but in NZ why do we need to put the worlds best fullback (Sorry Folau, you are great but Ben Smith delivers â˜every time he plays) on the wing. Surely we keep him at fullback and insert one if the many good wingers we have throughout NZ.
Well they would say we are now mere mortals. Just like they did â˜every other time we lose. Only for the ABs to learn, move on, and go another 1-2 year domination of the game. Its awesome the Boks fronted up.it makes the game more interesting and that return match on Oct 6. Tell me thats not about to be the game of the decade, outside of a RWC for our ABs.
Because the govt wants to impose as many costs on us as possible so that we cant reinvest in our existing staff or grow through investment. They hate business and believe once we are gone the world will be better.
Just ask Peter Ellis what it was like to be hung drawn and quartered on the basis of some quack social worker type interviews with little kids. Later when some retracted their statements once they were older got told they were in some b.s â˜denial syndrome.
Nah the next government can correct things in five mins. Lets get real they promised 100,000 homes in 10 years and they actually had the audacity to celebrate the cutting of the ribbon on the first 18 Kiwibuild ones the other day. 18! Its a joke. Shane Jones got given $1B a year to stimulate the regions but cant seem to find things to spend it on. Which means they had no idea from day one; other than we need more money. The next government will correct things quickly because there is nothing to unwind. This government has done nothing. Thrown a few dollars at nurses and teachers - a good thing mind you - but nothing else.
How NZ. Go cheap. Why it wasnt built out of concrete I dont know. Concrete roads are highly durable and more environmentally friendly as compared to asphalt roads. However asphalt paving costs far less than concrete paving but then asphalt costs more to maintain. Major roads should be concrete - it would mean we got a good 30+ years out of each km before repairs were needed. Not 10 mins.
Sounds like a completely made up story to me to further garner support for the #metoo pity the female narrative. So sick of this drivel. Yes I know there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands, hell maybe millions of real instances where some jerk of male was the lowest of the low. But there are billions of men who dont fit this social media pushed persona and Im sick of hearing about how you were asked on a date because some guy found you attractive.
How do you know it doesnt work. You just made that up. Thousands of obese people who have been fat-shamed (or simply told some home truths) have felt ashamed enough to change their ways and lose weight. A few home truths doesnt stop every person from continuing to eat themselves to death but if it does get a few off the pies then thats a few less we taxpayers have to pay for later. Bullying? Pffft. PC rubbish. â˜Your hair could do with a cutâ (oh stop bullying and hair-shaming me). âFor the 100th time stand up straightâ (oh stop bullying and posture-shaming me). âBefore you send that proposal out could I see a draft? Your last one was full of grammatical errorsâ (oh stop bullying and picking on me for being a dunce). People have got to stop being such a bunch of wowsers. Heaven help us if we ever had to fight again for our country. Most westerners would be holding microphones yelling at the enemy âstop bullying usâ while the bullets flew pass.
What I Stuff with is the fact we are low paid AND then have to pay a premium for everyday goods. You would understand a high wage high consumables correlation but we have low wages and high housing costs, high food costs, power costs and Petrol. We get killed on the essentials of life. How can NZ milk, fruit and meat be cheaper abroad.
Didums. In every other walk of life if you were caught doing illegal things in your job you are pretty much ruined in terms of returning to that profession. These losers get 12 months off to play in minor leagues, still make money, cry on TV to garner sympathy and tell us how hard it is in the kids etc... but this is no punishment. It's a 12 month holiday. It's not like money is an issue.
England has 1.9m registered players, Sth Africa 650,000, France 360,000, NZ 156,000, Ireland 153,000, Japan 122,000, Sri Lanka 103,000 (I know right), Argentina 102,000, Aussie 87,000, Wales 59,000. Playing numbers and wealth dont translate into success all the time otherwise NZ and Aussie would always be down below top 3. Our strength comes from rugby being in our culture, our DNA, our sense of identity. The fact we are fit is a reflection on how far an individual here in NZ will push themselves â˜outside of formal training to be an All Black or Black Fern. If training for fitness gave advantages to those athletes living in sunny warm climates with access to world class training facilities was the key; Aussie would be top of the table 8 out of 10 years. Player numbers are key? Tell that to Ireland. The ABs dont have a monopoly on world class fitness systems; the British SAS probably have that or some US sports science coach. But we do have a strong hold on rugby and the attitude required to be at the top built into our culture. Its hard to beep test that.
The party that got â˜a hiding received the most votes. Your lot got in because Winston packed a sad about being called out over taking super he should not have. Nothing more. Nothing less.
If you actually looked at who gets our honors youll find socialists and sportspeople far outweigh those greedy capitalists that take huge gambles with their livelihoods to create wealth and employ thousands of Kiwis - but if it makes you sleep better wearing your Kiwi tall poppy hat; then ok.
Good ol NZ. We still have cash on buses likes its â˜On the Buses in the 1960s. We still have train conductors going along clipping paper tickets. We couldnt be more inefficient and stuck in the past if we tried.
Based on Labour's actual, not promised, action on housing; they also don't believe there is one. Labour are not actually doing any better just because they state they will do something. The results the same. Nada new houses.
Regardless of how hard you work and the moral position nurses hold due to the fact they look over us in our worst moments; you must remember everyone else works hard but wont be getting this level of pay rise. Yes you deserve more but we all do and you have to get there over time. The hospital falls over without the cleaner; who is paid less. The tradies and blue collars that build roads and maintain them are in fact maintaining the lifeline on which medical essentials are delivered to hospitals. These roads also get nurses to work quickly. Without these guys people would actually die. Its easy to argue a case for how critical someones job is but we are all critical cogs in the machine. Take the money. Leave some for teachers, police, and the social services and fight again next year.
Lots of comments about poor parenting. Poor parenting will continue to rise because about 25 years ago we started this PC, namby pamby, b.s which sees so called parents have their poor decisions legitimised and protected. We have a welfare state for life that supports stupidity and a moment in the sack. We have an education system that supports participation over success. We have a damn label for every one who has some â˜issue; which in itself is ok, except it now gives them a bus pass to be douchbags forever without consequence because they have some acronym. We have a society that blames rich people for the ills of anyone not rich, meaning poor parents can tell little Johnny its the guy in the flash cars fault for you eating baked beans instead of a balanced meal tonight. And if there is no one left to blame for poor parents we can always blame the white man.
NZ is only green ish because our land area to population is low and we havent got the mega cities hat destroy environments. However we a baton of litterbugs. We harp on about the evil farmers and their dairying practises but every town and city in NZ is covered in chewing gum coated footpaths and rubbish in the gutters and streets. The central streets, not the boroughs, of New York are cleaner than NZ. We need ploggers because we tell ourselves we are green and clean but we are terrible in many measures.
Exactly. My son gets zero because his parents income is supposedly so high that he doesnt need it. Its ridiculous. I despise the fact I pay more tax than those parents whose kids get an allowance but my own kids can not. However; my sense of community accepts it as a cost of living in a relatively egalitarian society but when I see some wanting even more I say enough. Id rather my extra taxes went on improving our healthcare.
But you don't freedom camp in the same place you pay rates do you? So it's rare payers from other towns paying for you to park up and deal with the associated costs of the freedom parking you just used. That was the point if Brucey1's comment
Banned for not taking any illegal drugs or banned substances but banned for the method in which he took a legal substance. Those are some tough rules. If he was a league player snorting cocaine hed get told to hold his hand out and await an almighty slap with a wet bus ticket.
Lets blame the victims and not the loser criminal who ripped them off. The roofer states âit wasnt handled properly by both partiesâ - no mate; you stole money and its gone. You are a thief and a dispicable human for putting innocent people through hell. And all you can do is what so many weak pathetic NZders do these days; moan about your misfortune for being caught out. Worse still; you actually get support from commentators on the news article highlighting your deception. If you were innocent you would not have been fired. To anyone that thinks its the victims fault for looking for a cheap option is that what it has gotten to now. You can quote cheap and this gives you a pass to steal peoples money? This loser deserves no sympathy and when the police get him throw him in the worse prison for three years. Its about time we created deterrents for such behaviour. As for reducing prison populations; the crime rate is down because of the harder line taken by National. Labour wants to let these people out.
We won't know but if it costs x dollars for council services and they save x by cutting a service that means some other service somewhere gets more. It doesn't matter if it's $1000 or $50,000 it's money from ratepayers
No you are wrong. Whenever the ABs have been in the end of decisions (remember the ABs were the most carded team last two years having to play with 14 men) he has openly said his players must show more discipline and control. He always says things like we can't control the ref. We must learn to adapt. So no; when the shoe is in the other foot we Kiwis and our media do what EVERYONE does; we get stuck into the red: aka that damn pass and Wayne Barnes. But Steve Hansen? No he and the ABs accept their lot and move on.
Pfft big deal. Billions of people are mums. Just do your job. She is holding a candle to being a new-age social justice warrior, liberal, empowered woman, with a baby, out of marriage and all that who also happens to have a cool new-age stay at home partner - yet she needs an $80k flight so she can balance baby demands because why? Wonderful new hipster Clarke cant feed or look after a baby for a few days. Hell I did that for a year before Mum decided shed rather be home. They are a joke playing to the modern narrative that is woefully short on any substance.
Many of these players not only earn millions a month - just about every one of these fools knowingly try to evade tax. Not minimise it, evade it. As if $700,000 a week is an insult to them and they have to protest by not paying tax. They are incredibly self-entitled. Their behaviour on the field is child like, pathetic, and so weird. How can any man fake an injury by rolling. Who rolls for Godâ's sake in anything other than skiing?
We are not talking about fault as there were issues in health way back under Labour's rule as well. It's about what this govt said it would do to win an election vs what it will do
I wish your stance applied to the thousands of Kiwi families that under insured or didnt insure their homes in Chch that we bailed out. I wish it applied to the hundreds of thousands of welfare bludgers who knowingly take no precautions to mitigate having children they know they cant afford but taxpayers now support for a life time, or the people that can work but choose not to that live off taxpayer funded benefits. âAbby Hartleys situation was bought on by herself...â really; how is this different to the hundreds of thousands of Kiwis taxpayers subsidise every day. At least Abbys is a situation of misfortune combined with poor judgement that deserves our compassion and our assistance; even we asked for the money back over time. We dont seem to have any issue spending money on people that make multiple mistakes, and multiple poor decisions throughout their lives.
Another attack on â˜all men with no substance to back anything up. So a handful of dudes didnt like a female commentator, whom by the way was not the worlds first female to call a game. Many of these games in the US had a female lead or co-lead in the commentary box. But because of their comments suddenly men dont like women in control because of what a few guys said openly about their own preference for their beloved sport. Most men dont care who is in control as long as they are competent and show great leadership.âTo put it simply, our research suggests sexism is likely to be a major driver of the gender wage gap, said lead researcher Dr Isabelle Sin. - â˜likely so no actual evidence again then Dr Sin. Just an assumption. Isnt it equally as â˜likely then that woman are paid less because they go into jobs that offer less and/or leave to have babies; now considered some major sacrifice all men should be grateful for as if women hate having babies and its some burden. No todays narrative states we are all anti women having power, anti woman making any progress. Its such a crock. We are a result of thousands of years of evolution and historical practises and there is no conspiracy to keep woman in some suppressed place. Some women however seem hellbent on trying to create a divide and they are doing a great job. Yet while they bemoan their lot other awesome women are having careers, delaying having kids, are the major bread winners, running businesses, saving lives, leading countries, inventing cures, building rockets, and solving some of the worlds greatest mysteries - but we shall not celebrate those shall we: lets just moan about those evil men.
If the boss doesnâ't turn up the company runs for about x days then hell breaks loose. Why? There is always some Whiney somebody who doesnâ't get on with someone, or wants a pay rise, or wants to apply for leave and the boss needs to sort the rescheduling of jobs or shifts or whatever. Or needs to sort out the contracts for bus maintenance or supplies or whatever. Then there are the bosses who have to manage hundreds of egos. Manage outcomes for shareholders, directors, stakeholders, whilst. Balancing the needs of the community and dealing with the media. But yes if the boss did not show the show goes on ..... for a while then it. Reals and everyone loses their jobs. If a worker doesnâ't show the show goes on forever. This is why bosses are on the big bucks.
â... but the majority of companies nowadays treat employees as disposable, faceless numbers on their spreadsheetsâ - really? There are 350,000+ companies in NZ and weve had what? 3 or 4 go on strike. All of them part owned or subsidised by local or central government. Its great to keep the narrative alive that all companies are right leaning abusers of the little worker buts complete hogwash. The vast majority of business owners understand the value of their workers and treat them well. The handful that dont make the headlines.
Hong Kong has 15% tax, billions in the government account, and low and behold; roads. Singapores top income tax rate is only 22%. Their company tax rate is only 17%. They have no natural resources to exploit yet have excellent health, education and first world infrastructure. Unemployment is only 2%. Singapore does not implement any unemployment benefits system dedicated to helping the unemployed. It is because the government considers the best way to assist individuals who are retrenched or unemployed is to help them seek re- employment instead of handing out financial support such as unemployment benefits. I only make this point because the left seem to always want to tax more but there are other options. I wish NZ had the kahunas to try a 20% flat rate for income and corporate with the first $10k tax free. Id like to see if this stimulates the economy and if the government actually received more income. Businesses would be less inclined to hire accountants to reduce tax if it was lower and the thresholds for loopholes were eroded.
We can also add that while many comments bemoan Hansen for asking for support from the government I wonder how many of these same commentators have argued for equality in different forums but fail to see how the ABs, through their superior performances as an international sporting juggernaut, attract sponsorship that is used to subsidise womens rugby. The ABs are so good their performances fund much of the domestic game, most of the grass roots game along with thousands of volunteers, most of the female game, have a huge influence on how many (not all) New Zealanders view themselves, and are a tremendous brand ambassador for New Zealand. There are many sports in NZ receiving funding that dont achieve anywhere near this - yet know ones sees the inequality. Just the typical tall poppy.
Rubbish. There are many deserving Honors recipients like Jackie. Most recipients are deserving and just because some happen to be wealthy or famous doesnt make them any less so. We can celebrate those that work in our community, those that work tirelessly to protect our environment, for their contributions to business, to the arts, to service, or sports, and for amazing personal feats; like Sir Edmund Hilary. Too many people in this country think the only deserving people in NZ are the poor or those that serve the poor or victimised. We need all walks to make things work. Well done Jackie.
Exactly. It wasnt a waste. They tested 5000 homes and half were positive. And of those that were positive 800, or roughly 18%, were found to be responsible. This is taxpayers money and the govt has the right, and taxpayers would expect it I assume, to make sure a tenants taxpayer funded home is not being abused. The science at the time, was incorrect but governments relied on an external expert. Compensation should hopefully be limited to those found ok only.
He did what he could with what he has in terms of corner management, training, and his own skills and determination but its not enough. Barry has done well to get him this far but Barry needs to take a step back as a guiding hand now under a different trainer. This combo has not worked in the money fight for aria and now Parker. So credit where credit is due to Barry but he must know surely that if he has his fighters best interests at heart he will step aside (not away).
Except the myth of bad weather is that - a myth. The problem is when it does rain its compounded by a southerly. When its windy its worse than most. But the frequency of rain or wind events is no more than most parts of the country except East Coast, Nelson and Tasman Bays, and probably Tauranga and Coromandel. If you visit us on a rubbish day it probably is more rubbish than your own town. But you wont get any more windy or rainy days than elsewhere. I lived in Palmy, Auckland, Chch, and Hamilton and I honestly dont find Welly less sunny than those places or less inviting weather wise. But you do know you are alive when the weather hits the fan. I wouldnt change it for the world.
All Little has done is say a few comforting words. Today the bodies are in the same place they were when Key was in power and it is my guess theyll be in the same place long after we have all gone. There is no way they will get 100% out even if Im wrong. So leaving just a few behind while their mates are taken out is the travesty. Let them be. Let them be together. RIP.
When did NZ ever get aid it really needed? Chch post earthquake? Not really. We offered jobs for builders. NZ is very generous. We have sent our people to gift abroad in every war when asked. We donate hundreds of millions a year to off shore places because we recognise we are part of humanity. I cant remember NZ ever getting a cheque from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Yemen, Somalia, Naru or anywhere else for that matter. As for ignorance, it exists in these despot, military dictatorship, tribal run countries in significantly more quantities than the West.
Fox is notoriously unreliable? Hell sonis CNN and the other pushers of lies and propaganda. The liberal media promoted the absolute b.s that is/Mexico border guards ripped children from the arms of parents and interned them. The world believed that rubbish.
It isn't hard at all with today's online options. I've sold my last two homes for the same price the real estate agent said it was worth which was more than the valuations. Saved 10's of thousands.
How ridiculous. Tom Brady could sit in an audience in many parts of the world and knowone would bat an eyelid. As would they if it was Stef Curry. Rugby is played in 100+ countries but who cares if a lot of the world don't recognise our stars of the game. I travel extensively globally every year for work and EVERYWHERE I go when people ask me where I am from they will make some comment on one of three things to me: the All Blacks, Lord of the Rings or I've always wanted to got there. This has happened to me multiple times from the most unlikely sources. Waitresses, Concierge's, business people, bartenders, barbers, Uber drivers, petrol station workers in places like Denmark, Texas, New York, Sweden, LA, San Fran, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Portugal and others. NZders are well aware the game is played on a smaller global stage than football and Golf but we don't care. It's our sport. Just like Victorian's don't give a hoot about what the world thinks of AFL or the Irish of Gaelic Footy, or the US does of the NFL - sports barely played outside of their home Countries.
Shouldnt they ban eateries that offer takeaways as an option. Dont blame people for buying a service offered by your own local businesses. Sounds just like hotels lobbying local government to ban AirBNB but this time its restaurants owners annoyed at tourists spending elsewhere.
Exactly. The problem is that anything the left say is seen as the moral stance and anything the right say is hate speech. When a leftist talks about promoting immigration of foreigners into your country why isnt that labelled as a speech that could incite violence. It is antagonistic and goes against the views of probably half the population if not more. Yet its promoted by the leftist media as a speech about tolerance and helping those less fortunate. Those against rampant immigration are pro their country, pro keeping citizens employed, pro retaining our own values and culture, and pro addressing our own problems first. I know this because I am one of those people. But I am not anti-foreigners. I am not a racist. I am not anti-female yet I am labelled all of these things. My views are anti-everything according to the left and should I voice them at a social gathering the wallflowers in the room will view my opinions as hate speech. I was brought up conservative with what I can only describe as â˜old world practises. I always stand aside for females, women with children, and the elderly when going through a door. I do this sub-consciously without thought. Its built into my DNA. Ive actually been chastised for this by some feminist who mistook what I thought was simply manners as some anti-woman act of extreme violence. The alt right dont resonate with me but nor do the left. Im sick of their higher than thou moral stands that are destroying western culture as fast as the alt right are.
So the only big money earners are national voters. Typical â˜identity pigeon holing lunacy again from what I can only assume is a self-entitled liberal demanding more from others efforts.
So a bus going past your house every day 15 mins. Thats every house in every street. I live in a st with 32 houses and Im roughly in the middle of it. A car goes or returns from a house in our street around every 15-30 mins every day between around 7am and 7pm. People will not want their freedom of movement impeded. To replace cars we need to match the convenience of cars. Aint going to happen in our or our kids life time. We and they will see change but it requires cities to be completely rebuilt for a light rail, small bus integrated transport system. This is in a country where 6 years after an earthquake we havent settled some homeowners damages. Where I takes 10 years to get approvals done to build a new road or bridge. Not in our life time will anything be changing except the intro of a few ev cars.
History is littered with fighting and wars and the biggest powers almost always exercise that power to gain more. It is NOT an American trait. It is a human trait. The English, the Romans, Spanish, Chinese, Germans, Portuguese, the ANC of South Africa, Mongolians, Napoleon France, the Aztecs, Egyptians, Persians etc... any country or religious group with a dominant power be it militarily or economically welds that power. They abuse it. Always have. Always will. NZ does the same to little Island States. We are no different its just that our power is relative to those we dictate to. At a micro scale we are the victims of the power Fonterra has over dairy price control. My back to defence, NZ has to pick a side to align with and by default it is those that most align with our way of life. They wont always do or act in our interests nor be a perfect fit for us but we must, nonetheless choose a side. Id rather be dictated to by a western culture with similar values than someone who is none of these things. This is reality.
As of 2005, Cuba became the world leader in the ratio of doctors to population with 67 doctors per 10,000 population as compared with 43 in the Russian Federation and 24 in the United States
Funny how all the dooms day scenarios of 1080 drops by the anti-1080 Group have never actually resulted in their supposed outcomes despite the fact weve been dropping it for decades.
If any sport should get some assistance its the one sport we are 1ly world class at, that is recognised globally. Otherwise funding of any high performance sport becomes a joke and selective.
Hmmm SA beat France in their season openers last year and the same was said then. Every time the ABs win a tight one, or win unconvincingly, or take the odd loss the doomsayers come out and state it's the demise of our rugby, it's the end of our dominance yet none of these things ever come 1. Like all teams you simply can't be great every game, every year. A bad AB game is simply that; a bad game. Jordan had them, Federer and Nadal have had many, and Brazil has had shockers yet all are considered the best consistently. In the premise that a bad game means we suck this must mean everybody else does 80% of the time they play us.
Why would he have anything positive to contribute to a review. How ridiculous. Another poor decision. Lets take a guy who was in charge and ask him to provide â˜objective feedback on our culture â˜after the people he was in charge off openly stated they dislike him, and his management style. Without exception every word he writes or offers verbally will have to be taken with a caveat of â˜where is he coming from with that comment or view? Is it a 1 objective opinion or do we have doubts. Is it tainted with sour grapes. Why even bother. Whether his view is objective or subjective youll never know so its a waste of time involving him.
I'd go to the cake tin more if the food was actually hot and not so expensive. The whole sports experience in NZ is incredibly average. I went to the AB game v France at the cake tin. The burgers were cold, and while waiting in line for my burger two fans stormed back to the front of the line demanding a refund for rubbish cold food. Our stadiums are over-priced and generally the whole experience is blah. At a game in the US I attended two years ago the burgers were made on demand like at Maccas. Hot fresh and about $4.50. I know we don't see the US razzmatazz as the Kiwi way but man they really put on a show. They have chant bands playing outside the stadium as you walk in. You can buy merchandise. Hot coffee at multiple pop-up stands. At college and pro games they have bands, pregame chants, replays of the home teams greatest plays, tributes to former great players, cheerleaders (make and female), Fire works, flyovers, half time march-bys honouring local military vets, police, firemen, nurses etc... they thank sponsors, bring out dance crews, have digital scoreboards with scrolling playing stats, they promote community causes at time outs, they bring out the little kids to do a mini game, or celebrities, they'll even honour longtime fans by bringing out some old dude in a wheelchair to have him acknowledged by the crowd for attending his 400 straight games. Everyone stands and claps. They pass him a signed jersey by the current team. And they wheel him straight back to his honorary best seat in the house for the night. It takes only a minute or two but they do it. As you walk out they hand you a coupon to a website for 10% off the next game if you book and pay within 48 hours. They really give you a full on entertainment experience. We just don't get it and until we do the fans will tune in from home. It's a war for the entertainment dollar. There are so many Kiwi centric things we could do to make it amazing for families to come back to the game.
Yeah right. We donâ't have the population and therefore the economies of scale to afford that. Our buses are not full enough to even come close to what you said. You must be another left winger living in lala land.
The government will never put regulated brakes on the retailers and generators because the largest are government controlled or the government is a significant shareholder. Regulations means less profit meaning lower dividends for them to invest in schools, health etc...
Why not just tell us the price to go from A to B without a check in bag and a seperate price for one bag. Then a fee per additional bag. Simple, easy. When comparing prices between airlines we only want the final price, not the breakdown. Who cares really. If its $1500 Ak to San Fran and another airline is $1400 (assume same seat type) who cares what the break down is.
You have also drawn a conclusion that based on one game. They can kiss trophies goodbye. They have had multiple games in most years where they played suboptimal but still one those trophies. Drawing a conclusion on one game?
The people wanting to join the market had the same opportunity as those that did 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and yesterday. You feel that those that did, whilst providing places for families to rent in the interim, are greedy. Are people that invest in the sharemarket to try to get a better return than the bank greedy? Are those that sacrifice for many years starting a business, employing people, creating things; are they greedy? Or are they only greedy if they actually achieve outwardly obvious success? (As in they drive a nice car, have a couple of rentals etc...). Tall poppy is always healthy in NZ.
There needs to be a two pronged approach. We need to help these people reintegrate otherwise theyll end up reoffending. But we should be clear; we should carry over their convictions in Australia to here so if you have two strikes in Aussie you dont get three more here: the first one here is your third and well see you in ten years. We should make this clear to all Kiwis over the ditch. Most NZders dont commit crimes and that includes the hundreds of thousands that come from harsh backgrounds. Time and time again we get bleeding heart stories, designed to soften our stance on criminals that come from broken homes, with violent fathers, and worse. But thousands of people, including myself, that experienced the same, didnt resort to a criminal way of life; using our past as an excuse. Well done Richie. Good luck to those that reform.
Agree. You need to build a super team to beat the Warriors in 7. It makes the NBA less competitive but you can't beat a Warriors team that has effectively four super stars.
One was a fluke because the ball was passed behind him and he simply stuck his leg out behind him. The other was a deliberate shot at goal after beating defenders. There is no controversy. One was luck. One was skill.
All of these problems will be solved because they â˜have to be. For decades battery technology hardly advanced. Suddenly with the onslaught of EVs billions is being invested into battery tech and the results are an increase in longevity akin to Moores Law. âWhat happens when the system freezes when going around a corner?â - the same thing that happens when a human freezes their attention going around a corner. Driverless cars will be less prone to freezing and stupidity than humans.
Football has 250m players in 200+ countries playing it. But despite that only 8 have ever won the FIFA World Cup. Journos like to point out the lack of genuine competition in rugby outside SA, France, England, Aussie, ABs, and Ireland but any of these 6 can win a rugby World Cup despite the rankings on opening day. âRugby isnt blessed with massive depthâ - 1 but again only 8 teams have ever won the football World Cup. âIts basically the best of Europe and the best of the southâ - so much like football then.
âThe sexual harassment and bullying at Russell McVeagh is a symptom of deeply embedded attitudes and practices that are familiar across New Zealand. As Bazley reports, these characteristics exist in New Zealand organisations at large.â - nothing like taking a report about one companys culture and tarnishing all others with the same brush. It lost credibility right there. Ive worked in several large organisations and have never witnessed sexual harassment as reported at this law firm. Im not so stupid as to think it never happened just because I didnt see it but the level of harassment and the misogynistic culture described at the law firm I doubt is symptomatic across NZ organisations. Nothing like keeping the narrative alive though is there.
âUnculturedâ opinion? Our opinion is as legitimate and informed as any other country. The game is not played in a vacuum. The whole world plays the game as do we. We are exposed to the best players, teams, and comps. We ourselves of course are simply not good at it at the elite level. Its like saying a Fijian isnt qualified to speak about 15s rugby because they arent that great at it. If that was the case some 100+ countries should stay mum on football comments because only 8 teams have EVER won the World Cup.
So Google became a great product with no equivalent peers. It then got into the phone business and did a great job there. Phone makes worldwide, too lazy to make their own operating system decide to specialise in hardware but to address the fact they dont have the resources or nous to build a decent operating system ask Google if they could license Android from them. Google which owns Android says sure but we want Google as the default search engine. Thats our right. We created and own both Google and Android. I cant see what they are doing wrong. They have simply become to successful. They have not stopped Samsung from creating their own o/s. Pak n Save dictates terms for its suppliers, if suppliers dont like it sell your product somewhere else. The Warehouse dictates terms to its suppliers as does everyone else with a decent presence. The EU stops its citizens from gaining access to a lot of goods by imposing trade tariffs and other protectionist roadblocks on non EU producers - how is that different. They subsidise their farmers to ensure protected markets. Hypocrites of the highest order.
Can you list the vested interests that the Nats have handed clearly politically motivated kick-backs too. I'm not disagreeing but I'd like to know who they are.
Economics 101. The current govt hasnt been in long enough to make any material difference to the economy. Economic policy has a lag period before its implications kick in. This government has built 18 homes. Thats not affecting anything.
Duncan Garner: A letter to myself and other solo parents
Duncan I met you and your boy in Raro in the new year. You were awesome with your boy on the quad bike tour. I could tell you were close. It is tough for all solo parents and I admire anyone who can place their children first above their own feelings towards their ex. So many dont. They spend their lives being bitter; looking for every opportunity to put misery into the lives of their former spouse or partner. Good luck to you and your boy.
Kaley Cuoco undergoes shoulder surgery during honeymoon
Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Warm kitty, furry kitty, purr purr purr. Get well soon.
Wellington businesses concerned about end of free weekend parking
NZders get paid poorly so coming into the city say for brunch at Husk or Arizona or wherever is a treat for most of us with kids. Not having the benefit of a couple of hours of free parking is the difference between coming into the city or choosing Petone or elsewhere. Its does seem ridiculous that parking makes the difference but it does.
Sky TV's figures suggest it can improve its frightening trajectory
I jumped on the bandwagon of Netflix but frankly until they do live sport Im not getting rid of Sky. Netflix is a movie channel OnDemand with a handful of cool Series not available on Sky; but that doesnt make it better - just cheaper. If Sky could stop changing the damn channel numbers every other month, and stop adding new channels and asking us to pay $3 a month to view, theyd go along way to retaining customers. Why make it complex. It should just be $40 a month all you can eat, and you get every channel. Stop mucking around with stupid add this and that for $3. Or give every channel a fee or bundle â˜like channels and let us build our own subscription. Sport $20, Movies $5, Living, Bravo, HGTV, E bundle them for $10, News (Fox, CNN, BBC, RT, etc) bundles for $10, Disney and Nickolodian day $5 bundle, Etc.... I should be able to go into settings and just pick my bundles. If you cant do all you can eat at least let us build our channel bundles right from the app. Do away with all those peeps calling me to sell me the â˜Arts Channel.
Auckland mayoralty: National Party yet to decide on fighting Phil Goff for region's top job
Helen Clark; popular? Is this the same HC that got caned at her last election? The same one that NZ, generally, had had enough of. I actually admire HC because shes a no holds politician that gets her agenda through. I hated her agenda so she did not get my vote but I still admired her political savvy. But as for being popular I find that a real stretch. But then Auckland always surprises. Its a weird place where as long as it keeps importing low wage peeps itll always get strong Left Support.
Churches lose out in close vote that ended Wellington's free weekend parking
WCC are absolute muppets. Where did they get their experience in urban design, planning, and economics? Clearly from a weetbix box. Their complete lack of ignorance speaks volumes for their competence and qualifications to hold their positions. But as they say; we deserve the council we voted for. Thankfully we can get rid of them next time around. Lester, you get one chance in life to make a real difference to your community. Youll be remembered for nothing. Came in. Blew a lot of air. Achieved nothing. No legacy other than a wasted term in office. Why did you even campaign for office?
Sir Michael Cullens shutdown of Tax Working Groups critics
Firstly CGT has done nothing to curb housing issues or prices anywhere in the world its been implemented. Its nothing more than a tax grab from the middle classes to distribute to the poor. As for companies selling for hundreds of millions or billions and not paying taxes Id like to know the name of one. If they made losses every year of existence they still delivered a product or a service that incurred GST. Even Xero; which has never made a profit has passed over, through its creation, hundreds of millions in GST and PAYE to NZ Inc.
Life Story: Quake hero Mark David Whittaker lit up the room and ignited passion in others
I dont know this man but thank you for your service mate. R.I.P
Ministers issue fresh request to Tax Working Group to 'consider inequality'
âAs expected the TWG has recommended against changes to GST or offering small businesses a discounted rate of company taxâ - so no recommendation to drop GST on items we all need like milk, butter, and fresh vegetables. Cullen also Stars: .âOn the other hand, as everybody points out, capital income taxation is complicated, and the more you go into the details the more complicated it gets, he said. But if other developed economies can do it, why cant we? he added. Well a capital gains tax will get the lefties singing from the rafters but most of the countries that have one also limit the dole to x months - not a life time. So lets gets balance. The so-called Nordic experiment is starting to fail with its high taxes. Hong Kong has little social assistance and everyone manages to find a way to work and etch our a living. This country is cradle to grave hand outs. Its ridiculous.
KiwiBuild will benefit the few, not the many: Economist
Given the rate of new homes this government is not building it is a lottery to get one.
Barack Obama blasts Donald Trump, who claims he slept through speech
If only the democrats had someone. Anyone. Just one decent person to put forward as a candidate. One person out of millions. But they dont. The saddest thing about the state of US politics is that if Trump loses it wont be because the left have anything at all to offer other than their typical liberal, lets all be one people rhetoric, but because Trump is clearly someone that people so despise and hate it will be an â˜anyone else but Trump election.
Millionaire Craig Heatley rates Jacinda Ardern at book launch shared with John Key
You can be ruthless and be sensitive at the same time. Ruthlessness is a trait in business where you are extremely focussed on your objective. I know several very ruthless company founders but that ruthlessness manifests itself in them overpaying (not underpaying) their staff. This creates a sense of loyalty to the founder. They work harder and staff churn is at zero. When negotiating contracts ruthlessness means they want a win win and theyll walk away if they dont get at least their minimum â˜must haves. They wont sacrifice long term strategic goals for a short term gain. Ruthlessness is a good trait when applied for positive outcomes. It doesnt mean screwing staff, screwing customers.
Time for weak Ardern to show them who's boss
The tough calls he made were making the country sacrifice pay rises, reinvesting in infrastructure projects to employ people, and getting us through the GFC and a multi-billion dollar Chch quake. The sacrifice he made was gifting his entire salary for 9 years to charity. The sacrifice he made was he knew the decisions he made were good for the country if it was to get through the GFC and rebuild Chch but ultimately would be detrimental to his â˜likes from the taxpayers because we are, as has been proven during the last election, not interested in making sacrifice ourselves but are interested in having it all now. The left government offered us lollies and like kids on a Lolly diet, we put our hands out.
Police find pilot in relation to school scare at Carterton
Just ask Peter Ellis if asking kids leading questions has any negative consequences.
Coalition government is working as it should, says Winston Peters
More people cared about giving the Nats the vote than any other party by a long long way. So yes we have MMP and that allowed Jacinda the second free ride in her Political life. The first was being gifted an assured Labour seat in the electorate after failing twice by herself and the 2nd was having Winnie save her butt and putting her into power. But when lefties make comments about who cares about Nats; its a sure sign of ignorance because it was close to half the country that voted.
NZ works to double refugee quota as others close their borders
I voted Nat and yes I cared and so did the Nat Party but paying for a multi billion dollar earthquake bill and getting through a global financial crisis were not things little NZ's tax base can achieve without sacrifice. And that sacrifice was some programmes could not be invested in to a level all NZders wanted; regardless of political leaning. We can't have our cake and eat it too unless you are a Labour supporter then you believe we can afford to pay nurses $80k, Police $90k, teachers $75k, we can have beautiful light rail in major cities, every NZder gets a home, we are all employed, the rivers are all clean, and we can do all of this without sacrificing anything at all we just have to tax the so called rich business owners another few cents in the dollar. Labour told us they would build 100,000 new homes but have not built a single new home that wasn't being built anyway and you and all the other Labour supporters actually believed that rubbish. The country is experiencing strike after strike because of the sacrifice made by government paid employees like teachers etc... and others but I don't blame the Nats for that; they had to do what they had to do to get the country through a tough spot. Labour have made many a political decision that hurt one side or the other for what they believe is right.
All Blacks show faith in fast-tracking Jordie Barrett's test match education
When the coach has Hansens record its hard to criticise his decisions but in NZ why do we need to put the worlds best fullback (Sorry Folau, you are great but Ben Smith delivers â˜every time he plays) on the wing. Surely we keep him at fullback and insert one if the many good wingers we have throughout NZ.
All Blacks revealed as 'mere mortals' as Springboks win gives world rugby fresh hope
Well they would say we are now mere mortals. Just like they did â˜every other time we lose. Only for the ABs to learn, move on, and go another 1-2 year domination of the game. Its awesome the Boks fronted up.it makes the game more interesting and that return match on Oct 6. Tell me thats not about to be the game of the decade, outside of a RWC for our ABs.
Domestic violence victims able to take a new form of leave
Because the govt wants to impose as many costs on us as possible so that we cant reinvest in our existing staff or grow through investment. They hate business and believe once we are gone the world will be better.
"There's a dangerous problem with the #BelieveSurvivors movement",
Just ask Peter Ellis what it was like to be hung drawn and quartered on the basis of some quack social worker type interviews with little kids. Later when some retracted their statements once they were older got told they were in some b.s â˜denial syndrome.
Time for weak Ardern to show them who's boss
Nah the next government can correct things in five mins. Lets get real they promised 100,000 homes in 10 years and they actually had the audacity to celebrate the cutting of the ribbon on the first 18 Kiwibuild ones the other day. 18! Its a joke. Shane Jones got given $1B a year to stimulate the regions but cant seem to find things to spend it on. Which means they had no idea from day one; other than we need more money. The next government will correct things quickly because there is nothing to unwind. This government has done nothing. Thrown a few dollars at nurses and teachers - a good thing mind you - but nothing else.
KÄpiti expressway needs $2.3m worth of repairs, just 18 months after opening
How NZ. Go cheap. Why it wasnt built out of concrete I dont know. Concrete roads are highly durable and more environmentally friendly as compared to asphalt roads. However asphalt paving costs far less than concrete paving but then asphalt costs more to maintain. Major roads should be concrete - it would mean we got a good 30+ years out of each km before repairs were needed. Not 10 mins.
Listen up, married men and women: What single women want you to know
Sounds like a completely made up story to me to further garner support for the #metoo pity the female narrative. So sick of this drivel. Yes I know there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands, hell maybe millions of real instances where some jerk of male was the lowest of the low. But there are billions of men who dont fit this social media pushed persona and Im sick of hearing about how you were asked on a date because some guy found you attractive.
"The idea of banning fat-shaming is a fatuous notion",
How do you know it doesnt work. You just made that up. Thousands of obese people who have been fat-shamed (or simply told some home truths) have felt ashamed enough to change their ways and lose weight. A few home truths doesnt stop every person from continuing to eat themselves to death but if it does get a few off the pies then thats a few less we taxpayers have to pay for later. Bullying? Pffft. PC rubbish. â˜Your hair could do with a cutâ (oh stop bullying and hair-shaming me). âFor the 100th time stand up straightâ (oh stop bullying and posture-shaming me). âBefore you send that proposal out could I see a draft? Your last one was full of grammatical errorsâ (oh stop bullying and picking on me for being a dunce). People have got to stop being such a bunch of wowsers. Heaven help us if we ever had to fight again for our country. Most westerners would be holding microphones yelling at the enemy âstop bullying usâ while the bullets flew pass.
Richard Wagstaff: Fair pay agreements will be good for business, as well as workers
What I Stuff with is the fact we are low paid AND then have to pay a premium for everyday goods. You would understand a high wage high consumables correlation but we have low wages and high housing costs, high food costs, power costs and Petrol. We get killed on the essentials of life. How can NZ milk, fruit and meat be cheaper abroad.
The wheels of justice can turn pretty slowly for elite sportsmen
Didums. In every other walk of life if you were caught doing illegal things in your job you are pretty much ruined in terms of returning to that profession. These losers get 12 months off to play in minor leagues, still make money, cry on TV to garner sympathy and tell us how hard it is in the kids etc... but this is no punishment. It's a 12 month holiday. It's not like money is an issue.
'They're not fit enough': Dwyer takes aim at Wallabies players, not Cheika
England has 1.9m registered players, Sth Africa 650,000, France 360,000, NZ 156,000, Ireland 153,000, Japan 122,000, Sri Lanka 103,000 (I know right), Argentina 102,000, Aussie 87,000, Wales 59,000. Playing numbers and wealth dont translate into success all the time otherwise NZ and Aussie would always be down below top 3. Our strength comes from rugby being in our culture, our DNA, our sense of identity. The fact we are fit is a reflection on how far an individual here in NZ will push themselves â˜outside of formal training to be an All Black or Black Fern. If training for fitness gave advantages to those athletes living in sunny warm climates with access to world class training facilities was the key; Aussie would be top of the table 8 out of 10 years. Player numbers are key? Tell that to Ireland. The ABs dont have a monopoly on world class fitness systems; the British SAS probably have that or some US sports science coach. But we do have a strong hold on rugby and the attitude required to be at the top built into our culture. Its hard to beep test that.
Dear Jennifer: Can I see an escort and still respect my wife?
You Live apart. A month between hookups. You are not married mate at all other than on paper. Both of you can and should do what you want.
PM Jacinda Ardern arrives in Wellington with family in tow
The party that got â˜a hiding received the most votes. Your lot got in because Winston packed a sad about being called out over taking super he should not have. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Napier Mayor Bill Dalton accuses councillor of launching 'political campaign'
Majors hate it when democracy gets in the way of their agenda.
Sri Lankans boycott Anchor butter after Fonterra refuses to include Tamil language on packaging
He does have a point but you missed it.
"Foreign billionaire sells Lilydale Station, gifts Wairoa Bike Park to Crown",
If you actually looked at who gets our honors youll find socialists and sportspeople far outweigh those greedy capitalists that take huge gambles with their livelihoods to create wealth and employ thousands of Kiwis - but if it makes you sleep better wearing your Kiwi tall poppy hat; then ok.
Panic buttons, security staff considered for south Auckland bus routes after drivers attacked
Good ol NZ. We still have cash on buses likes its â˜On the Buses in the 1960s. We still have train conductors going along clipping paper tickets. We couldnt be more inefficient and stuck in the past if we tried.
400 KiwiBuild homes for large Goverment housing development in Northcote
Based on Labour's actual, not promised, action on housing; they also don't believe there is one. Labour are not actually doing any better just because they state they will do something. The results the same. Nada new houses.
Nurses' Organisation ordered into facilitation with DHBs ahead of Thursday's strike
Regardless of how hard you work and the moral position nurses hold due to the fact they look over us in our worst moments; you must remember everyone else works hard but wont be getting this level of pay rise. Yes you deserve more but we all do and you have to get there over time. The hospital falls over without the cleaner; who is paid less. The tradies and blue collars that build roads and maintain them are in fact maintaining the lifeline on which medical essentials are delivered to hospitals. These roads also get nurses to work quickly. Without these guys people would actually die. Its easy to argue a case for how critical someones job is but we are all critical cogs in the machine. Take the money. Leave some for teachers, police, and the social services and fight again next year.
Panic buttons, security staff considered for south Auckland bus routes after drivers attacked
The Left would send them off to a family conference. Cant have losers in prisons.
Natural toothpaste will lead to epidemic of dental decay: dentists
Lots of comments about poor parenting. Poor parenting will continue to rise because about 25 years ago we started this PC, namby pamby, b.s which sees so called parents have their poor decisions legitimised and protected. We have a welfare state for life that supports stupidity and a moment in the sack. We have an education system that supports participation over success. We have a damn label for every one who has some â˜issue; which in itself is ok, except it now gives them a bus pass to be douchbags forever without consequence because they have some acronym. We have a society that blames rich people for the ills of anyone not rich, meaning poor parents can tell little Johnny its the guy in the flash cars fault for you eating baked beans instead of a balanced meal tonight. And if there is no one left to blame for poor parents we can always blame the white man.
Why we all win when someone goes plogging
NZ is only green ish because our land area to population is low and we havent got the mega cities hat destroy environments. However we a baton of litterbugs. We harp on about the evil farmers and their dairying practises but every town and city in NZ is covered in chewing gum coated footpaths and rubbish in the gutters and streets. The central streets, not the boroughs, of New York are cleaner than NZ. We need ploggers because we tell ourselves we are green and clean but we are terrible in many measures.
Auckland and Wellington students say they should get more student allowance than those in regions
Exactly. My son gets zero because his parents income is supposedly so high that he doesnt need it. Its ridiculous. I despise the fact I pay more tax than those parents whose kids get an allowance but my own kids can not. However; my sense of community accepts it as a cost of living in a relatively egalitarian society but when I see some wanting even more I say enough. Id rather my extra taxes went on improving our healthcare.
Holiday park owner with six guests a night says freedom camping spots to blame
But you don't freedom camp in the same place you pay rates do you? So it's rare payers from other towns paying for you to park up and deal with the associated costs of the freedom parking you just used. That was the point if Brucey1's comment
US swimmer Ryan Lochte suspended for doping violation he revealed on Instagram
Banned for not taking any illegal drugs or banned substances but banned for the method in which he took a legal substance. Those are some tough rules. If he was a league player snorting cocaine hed get told to hold his hand out and await an almighty slap with a wet bus ticket.
Roofer disappears with cash - leaves unfinished roof complete with holes
Lets blame the victims and not the loser criminal who ripped them off. The roofer states âit wasnt handled properly by both partiesâ - no mate; you stole money and its gone. You are a thief and a dispicable human for putting innocent people through hell. And all you can do is what so many weak pathetic NZders do these days; moan about your misfortune for being caught out. Worse still; you actually get support from commentators on the news article highlighting your deception. If you were innocent you would not have been fired. To anyone that thinks its the victims fault for looking for a cheap option is that what it has gotten to now. You can quote cheap and this gives you a pass to steal peoples money? This loser deserves no sympathy and when the police get him throw him in the worse prison for three years. Its about time we created deterrents for such behaviour. As for reducing prison populations; the crime rate is down because of the harder line taken by National. Labour wants to let these people out.
Holiday park owner with six guests a night says freedom camping spots to blame
We won't know but if it costs x dollars for council services and they save x by cutting a service that means some other service somewhere gets more. It doesn't matter if it's $1000 or $50,000 it's money from ratepayers
Steve Hansen and Jacques Brunel bang heads over Damian McKenzie try
No you are wrong. Whenever the ABs have been in the end of decisions (remember the ABs were the most carded team last two years having to play with 14 men) he has openly said his players must show more discipline and control. He always says things like we can't control the ref. We must learn to adapt. So no; when the shoe is in the other foot we Kiwis and our media do what EVERYONE does; we get stuck into the red: aka that damn pass and Wayne Barnes. But Steve Hansen? No he and the ABs accept their lot and move on.
Time for weak Ardern to show them who's boss
Pfft big deal. Billions of people are mums. Just do your job. She is holding a candle to being a new-age social justice warrior, liberal, empowered woman, with a baby, out of marriage and all that who also happens to have a cool new-age stay at home partner - yet she needs an $80k flight so she can balance baby demands because why? Wonderful new hipster Clarke cant feed or look after a baby for a few days. Hell I did that for a year before Mum decided shed rather be home. They are a joke playing to the modern narrative that is woefully short on any substance.
Dirty deeds of stars cast a shadow on a glittering World Cup
Many of these players not only earn millions a month - just about every one of these fools knowingly try to evade tax. Not minimise it, evade it. As if $700,000 a week is an insult to them and they have to protest by not paying tax. They are incredibly self-entitled. Their behaviour on the field is child like, pathetic, and so weird. How can any man fake an injury by rolling. Who rolls for Godâ's sake in anything other than skiing?
District health boards cancel thousands of procedures ahead of nurses' strikes
We are not talking about fault as there were issues in health way back under Labour's rule as well. It's about what this govt said it would do to win an election vs what it will do
Time for weak Ardern to show them who's boss
I wish your stance applied to the thousands of Kiwi families that under insured or didnt insure their homes in Chch that we bailed out. I wish it applied to the hundreds of thousands of welfare bludgers who knowingly take no precautions to mitigate having children they know they cant afford but taxpayers now support for a life time, or the people that can work but choose not to that live off taxpayer funded benefits. âAbby Hartleys situation was bought on by herself...â really; how is this different to the hundreds of thousands of Kiwis taxpayers subsidise every day. At least Abbys is a situation of misfortune combined with poor judgement that deserves our compassion and our assistance; even we asked for the money back over time. We dont seem to have any issue spending money on people that make multiple mistakes, and multiple poor decisions throughout their lives.
Natural Order of Things: Women commentators at the World Cup? Whatever next?
Another attack on â˜all men with no substance to back anything up. So a handful of dudes didnt like a female commentator, whom by the way was not the worlds first female to call a game. Many of these games in the US had a female lead or co-lead in the commentary box. But because of their comments suddenly men dont like women in control because of what a few guys said openly about their own preference for their beloved sport. Most men dont care who is in control as long as they are competent and show great leadership.âTo put it simply, our research suggests sexism is likely to be a major driver of the gender wage gap, said lead researcher Dr Isabelle Sin. - â˜likely so no actual evidence again then Dr Sin. Just an assumption. Isnt it equally as â˜likely then that woman are paid less because they go into jobs that offer less and/or leave to have babies; now considered some major sacrifice all men should be grateful for as if women hate having babies and its some burden. No todays narrative states we are all anti women having power, anti woman making any progress. Its such a crock. We are a result of thousands of years of evolution and historical practises and there is no conspiracy to keep woman in some suppressed place. Some women however seem hellbent on trying to create a divide and they are doing a great job. Yet while they bemoan their lot other awesome women are having careers, delaying having kids, are the major bread winners, running businesses, saving lives, leading countries, inventing cures, building rockets, and solving some of the worlds greatest mysteries - but we shall not celebrate those shall we: lets just moan about those evil men.
Trevor Mallard slams bus event as celebration of lost jobs for 'my poorest neighbours'
If the boss doesnâ't turn up the company runs for about x days then hell breaks loose. Why? There is always some Whiney somebody who doesnâ't get on with someone, or wants a pay rise, or wants to apply for leave and the boss needs to sort the rescheduling of jobs or shifts or whatever. Or needs to sort out the contracts for bus maintenance or supplies or whatever. Then there are the bosses who have to manage hundreds of egos. Manage outcomes for shareholders, directors, stakeholders, whilst. Balancing the needs of the community and dealing with the media. But yes if the boss did not show the show goes on ..... for a while then it. Reals and everyone loses their jobs. If a worker doesnâ't show the show goes on forever. This is why bosses are on the big bucks.
Wellington bus drivers to strike over 'unsafe' 14-hour working days
â... but the majority of companies nowadays treat employees as disposable, faceless numbers on their spreadsheetsâ - really? There are 350,000+ companies in NZ and weve had what? 3 or 4 go on strike. All of them part owned or subsidised by local or central government. Its great to keep the narrative alive that all companies are right leaning abusers of the little worker buts complete hogwash. The vast majority of business owners understand the value of their workers and treat them well. The handful that dont make the headlines.
Ministers issue fresh request to Tax Working Group to 'consider inequality'
Hong Kong has 15% tax, billions in the government account, and low and behold; roads. Singapores top income tax rate is only 22%. Their company tax rate is only 17%. They have no natural resources to exploit yet have excellent health, education and first world infrastructure. Unemployment is only 2%. Singapore does not implement any unemployment benefits system dedicated to helping the unemployed. It is because the government considers the best way to assist individuals who are retrenched or unemployed is to help them seek re- employment instead of handing out financial support such as unemployment benefits. I only make this point because the left seem to always want to tax more but there are other options. I wish NZ had the kahunas to try a 20% flat rate for income and corporate with the first $10k tax free. Id like to see if this stimulates the economy and if the government actually received more income. Businesses would be less inclined to hire accountants to reduce tax if it was lower and the thresholds for loopholes were eroded.
Nearly half of Kiwis think the royals visit is a bad use of taxpayer money
And we should vote for limiting the time someone on the file can collect it for. I say 9 months then stand down for 12 months.
"All Blacks coach Steve Hansen can do whatever as long as team is winning",
We can also add that while many comments bemoan Hansen for asking for support from the government I wonder how many of these same commentators have argued for equality in different forums but fail to see how the ABs, through their superior performances as an international sporting juggernaut, attract sponsorship that is used to subsidise womens rugby. The ABs are so good their performances fund much of the domestic game, most of the grass roots game along with thousands of volunteers, most of the female game, have a huge influence on how many (not all) New Zealanders view themselves, and are a tremendous brand ambassador for New Zealand. There are many sports in NZ receiving funding that dont achieve anywhere near this - yet know ones sees the inequality. Just the typical tall poppy.
Women of Influence supreme award winner is Jackie Clark of The Aunties charity
Rubbish. There are many deserving Honors recipients like Jackie. Most recipients are deserving and just because some happen to be wealthy or famous doesnt make them any less so. We can celebrate those that work in our community, those that work tirelessly to protect our environment, for their contributions to business, to the arts, to service, or sports, and for amazing personal feats; like Sir Edmund Hilary. Too many people in this country think the only deserving people in NZ are the poor or those that serve the poor or victimised. We need all walks to make things work. Well done Jackie.
Housing NZ to compensate 800 tenants over bogus meth testing
Exactly. It wasnt a waste. They tested 5000 homes and half were positive. And of those that were positive 800, or roughly 18%, were found to be responsible. This is taxpayers money and the govt has the right, and taxpayers would expect it I assume, to make sure a tenants taxpayer funded home is not being abused. The science at the time, was incorrect but governments relied on an external expert. Compensation should hopefully be limited to those found ok only.
Joseph Parker can forget about world titles for a long time after loss in London
He did what he could with what he has in terms of corner management, training, and his own skills and determination but its not enough. Barry has done well to get him this far but Barry needs to take a step back as a guiding hand now under a different trainer. This combo has not worked in the money fight for aria and now Parker. So credit where credit is due to Barry but he must know surely that if he has his fighters best interests at heart he will step aside (not away).
Wellington named New Zealand's top destination by Lonely Planet
Except the myth of bad weather is that - a myth. The problem is when it does rain its compounded by a southerly. When its windy its worse than most. But the frequency of rain or wind events is no more than most parts of the country except East Coast, Nelson and Tasman Bays, and probably Tauranga and Coromandel. If you visit us on a rubbish day it probably is more rubbish than your own town. But you wont get any more windy or rainy days than elsewhere. I lived in Palmy, Auckland, Chch, and Hamilton and I honestly dont find Welly less sunny than those places or less inviting weather wise. But you do know you are alive when the weather hits the fan. I wouldnt change it for the world.
Little a hero as Nats run for the hills and beyond
All Little has done is say a few comforting words. Today the bodies are in the same place they were when Key was in power and it is my guess theyll be in the same place long after we have all gone. There is no way they will get 100% out even if Im wrong. So leaving just a few behind while their mates are taken out is the travesty. Let them be. Let them be together. RIP.
Ride-share service Ola to launch in New Zealand in weeks
Paranoid. Uber is safer than a Taxi. You know who the driver is. You have his picture. You can track the car. Other users can rate the driver.
MPs need more pay like a hole in the head
At least do everyone the courtesy of making a factual statement instead of some leftist rant.
Why we shouldn't be prepared to let hungry children starve
When did NZ ever get aid it really needed? Chch post earthquake? Not really. We offered jobs for builders. NZ is very generous. We have sent our people to gift abroad in every war when asked. We donate hundreds of millions a year to off shore places because we recognise we are part of humanity. I cant remember NZ ever getting a cheque from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Yemen, Somalia, Naru or anywhere else for that matter. As for ignorance, it exists in these despot, military dictatorship, tribal run countries in significantly more quantities than the West.
MPs need more pay like a hole in the head
So he is smart, not breaking the law, and your problem is?
Live US midterm election results: How the vote reflects on President Donald Trump
Fox is notoriously unreliable? Hell sonis CNN and the other pushers of lies and propaganda. The liberal media promoted the absolute b.s that is/Mexico border guards ripped children from the arms of parents and interned them. The world believed that rubbish.
How are real estate agents paid?
It isn't hard at all with today's online options. I've sold my last two homes for the same price the real estate agent said it was worth which was more than the valuations. Saved 10's of thousands.
League or union - do Americans know what they are watching in Denver?
How ridiculous. Tom Brady could sit in an audience in many parts of the world and knowone would bat an eyelid. As would they if it was Stef Curry. Rugby is played in 100+ countries but who cares if a lot of the world don't recognise our stars of the game. I travel extensively globally every year for work and EVERYWHERE I go when people ask me where I am from they will make some comment on one of three things to me: the All Blacks, Lord of the Rings or I've always wanted to got there. This has happened to me multiple times from the most unlikely sources. Waitresses, Concierge's, business people, bartenders, barbers, Uber drivers, petrol station workers in places like Denmark, Texas, New York, Sweden, LA, San Fran, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Portugal and others. NZders are well aware the game is played on a smaller global stage than football and Golf but we don't care. It's our sport. Just like Victorian's don't give a hoot about what the world thinks of AFL or the Irish of Gaelic Footy, or the US does of the NFL - sports barely played outside of their home Countries.
Florence bans eating on sidewalks, doorsteps at meal times
Shouldnt they ban eateries that offer takeaways as an option. Dont blame people for buying a service offered by your own local businesses. Sounds just like hotels lobbying local government to ban AirBNB but this time its restaurants owners annoyed at tourists spending elsewhere.
Follow the leader: Why did America fall for the alt-Right?
Exactly. The problem is that anything the left say is seen as the moral stance and anything the right say is hate speech. When a leftist talks about promoting immigration of foreigners into your country why isnt that labelled as a speech that could incite violence. It is antagonistic and goes against the views of probably half the population if not more. Yet its promoted by the leftist media as a speech about tolerance and helping those less fortunate. Those against rampant immigration are pro their country, pro keeping citizens employed, pro retaining our own values and culture, and pro addressing our own problems first. I know this because I am one of those people. But I am not anti-foreigners. I am not a racist. I am not anti-female yet I am labelled all of these things. My views are anti-everything according to the left and should I voice them at a social gathering the wallflowers in the room will view my opinions as hate speech. I was brought up conservative with what I can only describe as â˜old world practises. I always stand aside for females, women with children, and the elderly when going through a door. I do this sub-consciously without thought. Its built into my DNA. Ive actually been chastised for this by some feminist who mistook what I thought was simply manners as some anti-woman act of extreme violence. The alt right dont resonate with me but nor do the left. Im sick of their higher than thou moral stands that are destroying western culture as fast as the alt right are.
Capital gains tax valuation day will cost Kiwi businesses billions of dollars
So the only big money earners are national voters. Typical â˜identity pigeon holing lunacy again from what I can only assume is a self-entitled liberal demanding more from others efforts.
What to expect at North Korea's 70th anniversary gala
70 year experiment that has resulted in millions dead and poverty. Good system they have their. Communism or dictatorship; it doesnt work.
Sharrows: The cycling solution to narrow streets and parked cars
So a bus going past your house every day 15 mins. Thats every house in every street. I live in a st with 32 houses and Im roughly in the middle of it. A car goes or returns from a house in our street around every 15-30 mins every day between around 7am and 7pm. People will not want their freedom of movement impeded. To replace cars we need to match the convenience of cars. Aint going to happen in our or our kids life time. We and they will see change but it requires cities to be completely rebuilt for a light rail, small bus integrated transport system. This is in a country where 6 years after an earthquake we havent settled some homeowners damages. Where I takes 10 years to get approvals done to build a new road or bridge. Not in our life time will anything be changing except the intro of a few ev cars.
Pacific Rim countries join forces as tensions rise
History is littered with fighting and wars and the biggest powers almost always exercise that power to gain more. It is NOT an American trait. It is a human trait. The English, the Romans, Spanish, Chinese, Germans, Portuguese, the ANC of South Africa, Mongolians, Napoleon France, the Aztecs, Egyptians, Persians etc... any country or religious group with a dominant power be it militarily or economically welds that power. They abuse it. Always have. Always will. NZ does the same to little Island States. We are no different its just that our power is relative to those we dictate to. At a micro scale we are the victims of the power Fonterra has over dairy price control. My back to defence, NZ has to pick a side to align with and by default it is those that most align with our way of life. They wont always do or act in our interests nor be a perfect fit for us but we must, nonetheless choose a side. Id rather be dictated to by a western culture with similar values than someone who is none of these things. This is reality.
ACC should cover sickness and disability, says Sir Geoffrey Palmer
As of 2005, Cuba became the world leader in the ratio of doctors to population with 67 doctors per 10,000 population as compared with 43 in the Russian Federation and 24 in the United States
Officials warned against racing tax breaks
And if that is 1 half at least became wealthier. Don't make it sound like they all got poorer.
1080: When 'fake news' trumps facts, our debate is poisoned
Funny how all the dooms day scenarios of 1080 drops by the anti-1080 Group have never actually resulted in their supposed outcomes despite the fact weve been dropping it for decades.
Fifty-one reasons why the All Blacks don't need more government funding
If any sport should get some assistance its the one sport we are 1ly world class at, that is recognised globally. Otherwise funding of any high performance sport becomes a joke and selective.
Springboks beat England 23-12 and clinch series
Hmmm SA beat France in their season openers last year and the same was said then. Every time the ABs win a tight one, or win unconvincingly, or take the odd loss the doomsayers come out and state it's the demise of our rugby, it's the end of our dominance yet none of these things ever come 1. Like all teams you simply can't be great every game, every year. A bad AB game is simply that; a bad game. Jordan had them, Federer and Nadal have had many, and Brazil has had shockers yet all are considered the best consistently. In the premise that a bad game means we suck this must mean everybody else does 80% of the time they play us.
Football Ferns coach Andreas Heraf resigns
Why would he have anything positive to contribute to a review. How ridiculous. Another poor decision. Lets take a guy who was in charge and ask him to provide â˜objective feedback on our culture â˜after the people he was in charge off openly stated they dislike him, and his management style. Without exception every word he writes or offers verbally will have to be taken with a caveat of â˜where is he coming from with that comment or view? Is it a 1 objective opinion or do we have doubts. Is it tainted with sour grapes. Why even bother. Whether his view is objective or subjective youll never know so its a waste of time involving him.
New Zealand Super Rugby crowds good but South Africa, Australia on life support
I'd go to the cake tin more if the food was actually hot and not so expensive. The whole sports experience in NZ is incredibly average. I went to the AB game v France at the cake tin. The burgers were cold, and while waiting in line for my burger two fans stormed back to the front of the line demanding a refund for rubbish cold food. Our stadiums are over-priced and generally the whole experience is blah. At a game in the US I attended two years ago the burgers were made on demand like at Maccas. Hot fresh and about $4.50. I know we don't see the US razzmatazz as the Kiwi way but man they really put on a show. They have chant bands playing outside the stadium as you walk in. You can buy merchandise. Hot coffee at multiple pop-up stands. At college and pro games they have bands, pregame chants, replays of the home teams greatest plays, tributes to former great players, cheerleaders (make and female), Fire works, flyovers, half time march-bys honouring local military vets, police, firemen, nurses etc... they thank sponsors, bring out dance crews, have digital scoreboards with scrolling playing stats, they promote community causes at time outs, they bring out the little kids to do a mini game, or celebrities, they'll even honour longtime fans by bringing out some old dude in a wheelchair to have him acknowledged by the crowd for attending his 400 straight games. Everyone stands and claps. They pass him a signed jersey by the current team. And they wheel him straight back to his honorary best seat in the house for the night. It takes only a minute or two but they do it. As you walk out they hand you a coupon to a website for 10% off the next game if you book and pay within 48 hours. They really give you a full on entertainment experience. We just don't get it and until we do the fans will tune in from home. It's a war for the entertainment dollar. There are so many Kiwi centric things we could do to make it amazing for families to come back to the game.
Trevor Mallard slams bus event as celebration of lost jobs for 'my poorest neighbours'
Yeah right. We donâ't have the population and therefore the economies of scale to afford that. Our buses are not full enough to even come close to what you said. You must be another left winger living in lala land.
Whats gone wrong with New Zealands electricity market?
The government will never put regulated brakes on the retailers and generators because the largest are government controlled or the government is a significant shareholder. Regulations means less profit meaning lower dividends for them to invest in schools, health etc...
Is it time for warning labels on plane tickets?
Why not just tell us the price to go from A to B without a check in bag and a seperate price for one bag. Then a fee per additional bag. Simple, easy. When comparing prices between airlines we only want the final price, not the breakdown. Who cares really. If its $1500 Ak to San Fran and another airline is $1400 (assume same seat type) who cares what the break down is.
Red card mars All Blacks match with France down to 14-men from the 12th minute
You have also drawn a conclusion that based on one game. They can kiss trophies goodbye. They have had multiple games in most years where they played suboptimal but still one those trophies. Drawing a conclusion on one game?
"Is Christchurch the only New Zealand city with too many houses?",
The people wanting to join the market had the same opportunity as those that did 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and yesterday. You feel that those that did, whilst providing places for families to rent in the interim, are greedy. Are people that invest in the sharemarket to try to get a better return than the bank greedy? Are those that sacrifice for many years starting a business, employing people, creating things; are they greedy? Or are they only greedy if they actually achieve outwardly obvious success? (As in they drive a nice car, have a couple of rentals etc...). Tall poppy is always healthy in NZ.
League star Richie Barnett to mentor Australian deportees
There needs to be a two pronged approach. We need to help these people reintegrate otherwise theyll end up reoffending. But we should be clear; we should carry over their convictions in Australia to here so if you have two strikes in Aussie you dont get three more here: the first one here is your third and well see you in ten years. We should make this clear to all Kiwis over the ditch. Most NZders dont commit crimes and that includes the hundreds of thousands that come from harsh backgrounds. Time and time again we get bleeding heart stories, designed to soften our stance on criminals that come from broken homes, with violent fathers, and worse. But thousands of people, including myself, that experienced the same, didnt resort to a criminal way of life; using our past as an excuse. Well done Richie. Good luck to those that reform.
LeBron James off to the LA Lakers on 4-year $227 million contract
Agree. You need to build a super team to beat the Warriors in 7. It makes the NBA less competitive but you can't beat a Warriors team that has effectively four super stars.
A-League wonder goal overlooked for Fifa's Puskas Award
One was a fluke because the ball was passed behind him and he simply stuck his leg out behind him. The other was a deliberate shot at goal after beating defenders. There is no controversy. One was luck. One was skill.
Royal visit itinerary could have shown the world a different New Zealand
Without the hoopla means no publicity. No tourism benefits. Nothing.
How the car industry plans to disrupt domestic air travel
All of these problems will be solved because they â˜have to be. For decades battery technology hardly advanced. Suddenly with the onslaught of EVs billions is being invested into battery tech and the results are an increase in longevity akin to Moores Law. âWhat happens when the system freezes when going around a corner?â - the same thing that happens when a human freezes their attention going around a corner. Driverless cars will be less prone to freezing and stupidity than humans.
Rugby's proposed World League can't succeed when it threatens to undermine the World Cup
Football has 250m players in 200+ countries playing it. But despite that only 8 have ever won the FIFA World Cup. Journos like to point out the lack of genuine competition in rugby outside SA, France, England, Aussie, ABs, and Ireland but any of these 6 can win a rugby World Cup despite the rankings on opening day. âRugby isnt blessed with massive depthâ - 1 but again only 8 teams have ever won the football World Cup. âIts basically the best of Europe and the best of the southâ - so much like football then.
From $6.4b to $171m: EQC's disaster fund forecast to run out next year
Theres nothing left to access.
Bazley report a good start, but long-term change may be elusive
âThe sexual harassment and bullying at Russell McVeagh is a symptom of deeply embedded attitudes and practices that are familiar across New Zealand. As Bazley reports, these characteristics exist in New Zealand organisations at large.â - nothing like taking a report about one companys culture and tarnishing all others with the same brush. It lost credibility right there. Ive worked in several large organisations and have never witnessed sexual harassment as reported at this law firm. Im not so stupid as to think it never happened just because I didnt see it but the level of harassment and the misogynistic culture described at the law firm I doubt is symptomatic across NZ organisations. Nothing like keeping the narrative alive though is there.
Brazil superstar Neymar admits exaggerated reactions at World Cup
âUnculturedâ opinion? Our opinion is as legitimate and informed as any other country. The game is not played in a vacuum. The whole world plays the game as do we. We are exposed to the best players, teams, and comps. We ourselves of course are simply not good at it at the elite level. Its like saying a Fijian isnt qualified to speak about 15s rugby because they arent that great at it. If that was the case some 100+ countries should stay mum on football comments because only 8 teams have EVER won the World Cup.
Trump says 'I told you so!' after Europe fines Google $7.4 billion
So Google became a great product with no equivalent peers. It then got into the phone business and did a great job there. Phone makes worldwide, too lazy to make their own operating system decide to specialise in hardware but to address the fact they dont have the resources or nous to build a decent operating system ask Google if they could license Android from them. Google which owns Android says sure but we want Google as the default search engine. Thats our right. We created and own both Google and Android. I cant see what they are doing wrong. They have simply become to successful. They have not stopped Samsung from creating their own o/s. Pak n Save dictates terms for its suppliers, if suppliers dont like it sell your product somewhere else. The Warehouse dictates terms to its suppliers as does everyone else with a decent presence. The EU stops its citizens from gaining access to a lot of goods by imposing trade tariffs and other protectionist roadblocks on non EU producers - how is that different. They subsidise their farmers to ensure protected markets. Hypocrites of the highest order.
Oscar Kightley: The royals should have at least gone halves in the Pacific tour
So you mean those charities that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions in lost tax funds due to their tax exemption status.
From $6.4b to $171m: EQC's disaster fund forecast to run out next year
The EQC fund gave it to cantabs. It didnt blow anything.
Officials warned against racing tax breaks
Can you list the vested interests that the Nats have handed clearly politically motivated kick-backs too. I'm not disagreeing but I'd like to know who they are.
PM Jacinda Ardern gets firsthand experience of 'value' of healthcare workforce
Sure. That may be the policy but it's reality.
Phil Gifford: Jack Goodhue's All Blacks heritage is deeply traditional
Pity his success in Super15 didn't translate to his AB games recently to back up your opinion.
CTU blasts campaign by 'vested interests', as NZ economic growth surprises
Economics 101. The current govt hasnt been in long enough to make any material difference to the economy. Economic policy has a lag period before its implications kick in. This government has built 18 homes. Thats not affecting anything.