Quarterly Predictions.
NZ boosts diplomatic efforts to counter ISIL
Headline: NZ boosts diplomatic efforts to counter ISIL
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today outlined the further diplomatic and humanitarian measures being considered as part of the government’s response to ISIL and the ongoing fighting in Iraq and Syria.
“The New Zealand government has been very clear that in addition to deploying non-combat troops to help train Iraqi forces, we also need to take steps to combat ISIL at the diplomatic level and provide humanitarian support to those displaced by the fighting in the region,” Mr McCully says.
“We are currently looking at options to base a diplomatic representative in Baghdad to serve as a conduit between the Iraqi government and the New Zealand military deployment, and assess how we can support better governance in Iraq.
“New Zealand will also expand its diplomatic engagement on international counter-terrorism by appointing a new Ambassador for Counter Terrorism.
“Security and counter terrorism policy is a priority with the growth of the threat from ISIL and foreign fighters. Appointing a specialist Ambassador will allow New Zealand to further contribute to international counter terrorism forums, as well as assist with co-ordinating New Zealand domestic policy.
“We have already committed $14.5 million in humanitarian support for those displaced by the ongoing violence in Iraq and Syria. Today we can announce that $1 million of this funding will support a pilot programme aimed at delivering basic education and skills training to more than 1,800 vulnerable young people in Jordan.
“We are currently reviewing further options for humanitarian support and capacity building in the region,” Mr McCully says.
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Prime Minister’s Ministerial Statement on ISIL
Headline: Prime Minister’s Ministerial Statement on ISIL
Mr Speaker, today I am announcing to the House the Government’s decisions about our contribution to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
Last November I gave a national security speech which outlined the threat posed to New Zealand by ISIL.
This brutal group and its distressing methods deserve the strongest condemnation.
ISIL’s ability to motivate Islamist radicals make it a threat not only to stability in the Middle East, but regionally and locally too.
It is well-funded and highly-skilled at using the internet to recruit.
Disturbingly, if anything, ISIL’s brutality has worsened since I gave that speech late last year.
In recent weeks we have witnessed a mass beheading and the horrific plight of a Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage.
And we’ve seen stories of Western hostages who have been kidnapped and killed in barbaric ways.
ISIL’s outrageous actions have united an international coalition of 62 countries against the group.
New Zealand is already considered part of the coalition because we have made humanitarian contributions, with $14.5 million in aid provided to the region so far.
The Government has been carefully considering its options to expand our contribution to the international coalition.
As I outlined in November, our approach is one that addresses humanitarian, diplomatic, intelligence and capacity building issues.
Mr Speaker, New Zealand is a country that stands up for its values.
We stand up for what’s right.
We have an obligation to support stability and the rule of law internationally.
We do not shy away from taking our share of the burden when the international rules-based system is threatened.
We have carved out our own independent foreign policy over decades and we take pride in it.
We do what is in New Zealand’s best interests.
It is in that context that I am announcing that the Government has decided to take further steps to help the fight against ISIL.
The Iraqi government has requested support from the international community and has been clear with us that security is its top priority.
We have been clear that we cannot, and should not, fight Iraqis’ battles for them – and actually Iraq doesn’t want us to.
Our military can, however, play a part in building the capability and capacity of the Iraqi forces so they can fight ISIL themselves.
I have been open with New Zealanders that we have been considering an option to train Iraqi Security Forces alongside our longstanding partner Australia, in Iraq.
Such an operation would be behind the wire and limited to training Iraqi Security Forces in order to counter ISIL and legitimately protect innocent people.
Mr Speaker, the Government has decided to deploy a non-combat training mission to Iraq to contribute to the international fight against ISIL.
This is likely to be a joint training mission with Australia, although it will not be a badged ANZAC force.
Their task will be to train Iraqi Security Force units so they are able to commence combat operations, and eventually able to carry on the work of our trainers – creating an independent, self-sustaining military capability for the Government of Iraq to call on.
The mission will involve the deployment of personnel to the Taji Military Complex north of Baghdad, and this is likely to take place in May.
The deployment will be reviewed after nine months and will be for a maximum two-year period.
The total number of personnel deploying is up to 106 in Taji, and there will be others such as staff officers, deploying in coalition headquarters and support facilities in the region.
The total altogether will be up to 143.
As well as these people, further personnel and Air Force assets will occasionally need to be deployed to the region to support the mission – for example in support of personnel rotations and resupply.
Mr Speaker, a training mission like this is not without danger.
It is not a decision we have taken lightly.
I have required assurances that our men and women will be as safe as they can practicably be in Taji.
Our force protection needs have been assessed by NZDF and determined as being able to be met by the well-trained soldiers of our regular Army.
So we will be sending our own force protection to support the training activities.
I want to briefly address the issue of special forces.
As I said last November, I have ruled out sending SAS or any troops into combat roles in Iraq.
The Chief of Defence Force has advised me that special forces are not part of this deployment.
However, I want to be clear that special forces could be deployed for short periods to provide advice on issues like force protection or to help with high profile visits – as they have many times before.
Our deployment in Taji will include logistics and medical support, as well as headquarters staff.
It is our intention that Iraqi Security Forces be able to assume responsibility for delivering their own training programmes in future.
The New Zealand Government will retain ultimate decision-making authority over the nature and scope of the activities of the NZDF personnel within the mission, and those personnel will deploy with appropriate legal protections.
Exactly what form those legal protections take will be worked through in coming weeks with our Iraqi counterparts.
We will secure the best protections we realistically can for our personnel.
Mr Speaker, our military has a proven track record of carrying out this type of training work in Afghanistan.
This is a contribution that’s in line with our values and our skills.
But this is not all we will do to help.
We recognise ISIL is not a short-term threat and there is a lot of work to be done in the long-term.
Defeating ISIL will mean winning the hearts and minds of those vulnerable to its destructive message.
That will take time.
As I said last year, we have already contributed to the humanitarian cause and we are currently examining options to provide more help.
We are also stepping up our diplomatic efforts to counter ISIL and support stability in Iraq.
As part of this, we are looking at options to base a diplomatic representative in Baghdad to serve as a conduit between the Iraqi government and our military deployment, as well as assess how we can support better governance in Iraq.
We will also expand our diplomatic engagement on international counter-terrorism by appointing a new Ambassador for Counter Terrorism.
Underpinning all this, we will work as a member of the UN Security Council to advocate for effective action on ISIL.
Mr Speaker, last November I told New Zealanders ISIL had been successful in recruiting New Zealanders to its cause.
Our Government agencies have a watch list of between 35 and 40 people of concern in the foreign fighter context and that remains the case.
Unfortunately an additional group requiring further investigation is growing in number.
We have strengthened the ability of our intelligence agencies to deal with this and they are taking steps to add to their resources.
We cannot be complacent, as events in Sydney, Paris and Ottawa have underscored.
To those who argue that we should not take action because it raises that threat, I say this: the risk associated with ISIL becoming stronger and more widespread far outweighs that.
I know there is already risk.
New Zealanders do too, because they know we are a nation of prolific travellers who have been caught up in terrorist activity around the world many times before.
Mr Speaker, the Government has carefully considered our contribution to the international campaign against ISIL.
We are prepared to step up to help.
New Zealand does not take its commitment to Iraq lightly.
In return we expect that the Iraqi government will make good on its commitment to an inclusive government that treats all Iraqi citizens with respect.
Sending our forces to Iraq is not an easy decision but it is the right decision.
They will go with our best wishes.
Thank you.
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Stepping Into War Without A Mandate
Headline: Stepping Into War Without A Mandate
The Prime Minister has no mandate from New Zealanders or Parliament to put New Zealand into a war, says New Zealand First.
Mr Key claims he is making the right decision by sending troops to Iraq, but in refusing to allow a vote he does not trust the people’s institution called parliament, says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.
This is a minority decision and a giant turnaround from the Prime Minister, says Mr Peters.
“In June, before the General Election, he had ruled out New Zealand troops going to Iraq.
“He said New Zealand was not a country looking for a fight. He also commented that he would look to the United Nations Security Council for its view and its sanction of anything that may happen.
“Nothing has changed in Iraq, except ‘his club’ persuaded Mr Key to commit our troops.
“We are not under the legal umbrella of the UN, just on a request from one of the Iraqi factions with a grudge against others.
“The Prime Minister seems ignorant of the geography, history, and the diverse cultures, tribal affiliations and religions of the area his ‘club’ is dragging us into.”
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Solid Energy’s Chair steps down
Headline: Solid Energy’s Chair steps down
State Owned Enterprises Minister Todd McClay has thanked outgoing Solid Energy Chair, Pip Dunphy for her hard work and strong leadership after her decision to stand down from the Board.
“Ms Dunphy has served on the Board of Solid Energy since December 2012, and stepped into the role of Chair in March last year.”
“Ms Dunphy has played a very important leadership role in the company. I am very grateful for her work leading both the assessment of a potential re-entry into the Pike River Mine, and the company’s engagement with the Pike River families. We wish her well,” says Mr McClay.
Current Board member, Andy Coupe, has been appointed as Acting Chair of Solid Energy, while the Crown works through its appointment process for a permanent Chair.
Mr McClay says Solid Energy has been operating in a challenging environment.
As previously signalled, the ongoing reductions in the international coal price mean the company remains strongly focussed on executing plans to return to profitability.
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Indonesia’s anti-corruption crusaders in the fight of their lives
Pacific Media Centre
Pacific Scoop:
Opinion – By Carol Giacomo in Jakarta
Over the past decade, Indonesia was so determined to erase the tainted legacy of Suharto, the strongman forced to resign in 1998, that it established one of the world’s more effective anticorruption agencies. Now the future of that agency, the Corruption Eradication Commission, known as the KPK, is under serious threat in a standoff with the police and President Joko Widodo.
Over the years, the commission, with its professional team of investigators and prosecutors, has had an impressive record of attacking corruption. Since 2003, hundreds of government officials, politicians and businessmen have been put in jail.
Not surprisingly, the commission has made many enemies and has often had to withstand attempts by entrenched interests to weaken or dismantle it. But nothing has seemed as perilous as the most recent turn of events.
Last Wednesday, Joko dropped his nominee for national police chief, Budi Gunawan, after weeks of public criticism because Budi had been identified by the commission as a suspect in a multimillion-dollar bribery investigation.
Joko then nominated the interim national police chief, Badrodin Haiti, whom many experts in Jakarta also view as being tainted by corruption. Joko also temporarily suspended the commission chairman, Abraham Samad, and one of his deputies, Bambang Widjojanto, a human rights lawyer, because the police had named them as suspects in separate criminal cases.
Joko was elected in 2014 on a promise to deliver honest and effective governance in one of Southeast Asia’s most corrupt countries. His latest actions, however, show his inability to withstand pressures from the entrenched elite.
Despite outrage among members of the media and voters over the Budi nomination, Mr. Joko dithered for weeks over what to do. The result has been a distracted government and growing doubts about his competency and commitment to reform. “Imagine the chief of national police as a suspect,” Mr. Abraham said in an interview last week when he still had his job.
‘Riddled with corruption’
The problem goes beyond a single bad nominee. In fact, “there are few institutions in this country that are not riddled with corruption from top to bottom — police, courts, Parliament,” one senior diplomat in Indonesia said.
Tensions between the commission and the police are evolving dangerously. In a move widely seen as retribution, the police recently arrested Bambang and accused him of forcing a witness to provide false testimony under oath when he was a lawyer in 2010. Criminal complaints have also been raised against Abraham.
Some experts say the legal moves, especially against Bambang, who has an outstanding reputation for integrity, appear to reflect an intent among the police and their allies to destroy the anticorruption agency.
Commissioners and their staff members have also been threatened more systematically than ever before, including with bodily harm, Abraham said. In in a televised address last Wednesday, Joko showed little understanding of what’s at stake when he urged “harmony” between the police and the commission.
Reducing corruption in Indonesia is critical if the country is to grow as quickly as Joko says it must to meet the needs of its people. Commission officials say their prosecution actions have returned millions of dollars to state coffers.
Transparency International, which annually rates countries on corruption in their public sectors, says Indonesia has improved its performance on the organization’s “corruption perception index” from 1.9 in 2003 to 34 in 2014; a score of 100 means the public sector is very clean.
But Indonesia still ranks 107th out of 175 countries. For comparison, China is 100th on the list of nations, and Russia is 136th.
Billions lost to bribes
The effect of corruption goes beyond billions of public dollars lost to bribes and secret bank accounts.
“There is no democratic country without legal certainty, and law enforcement — especially on anticorruption issues — is part of that legal certainty,” Bambang, the deputy commissioner, told me last week before he was suspended. He said that corruption is “one of the biggest enemies in the democratic society”.
Changing a culture is a monumental task, but it will be made harder if the beneficiaries of corruption manage to sabotage the commission’s reputation, tie its leaders up in bogus legal cases, cut its financing or legislate it out of existence.
Carol Giacomo is a contributor to The New York Times.
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NZ Report To Australia – Controversy Over Govt’s Handling of David Bain Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Claim
MIL Reportage.
Recorded live on 20/02/15
ITEM ONE:
[caption id="attachment_3021" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Selwyn Manning.[/caption] Controversy continues to surround one of New Zealand’s most disturbing multiple-murder cases even after almost twenty years since a High Court jury initially found David Bain guilty of the murders of his mother, father, two sisters and his brother.
The New Zealand Government has been struggling to objectively consider whether David Bain ought to be given compensation for being wrongfully imprisoned for the murders of his family:
- this even after the Police case was found wanting
- forensic evidence was corrupted
- a plea to the Privy Council was supported and a new trial was ordered
- that on retrial in 2009, Bain was found not guilty after 13 years imprisonment
- that after an impartial review, ordered by NZ Government, was considered by retired Canadian High Court judge Justice Ian Binnie, who found Bain was, on the balance of probabilities, innocent of the murders and ought to be compensated for this injustice.
Better Pacific media freedom record … but let’s get real
MIL OSI – Analysis by David Robie – Published with permission of Café Pacific IT’S GREAT to get some bouquets on media freedom issues instead of brickbacks in the Pacific for a change. But let’s not get carried away. Instead of all the backslapping, what is needed is more vigilance because really it is all about more than watching this space.
Tonga did best in the latest Reporters Sans Frontières World Press Freedom Index, climbing some 19 places to 44th (yes, actually above the United States, but still below the best-paced Pacific island Samoa at 40th).
You would expect a healthy climb during the year, especially with former school teacher and public broadcaster (not to mention publisher of the pro-democracy Koe Kele’a) ‘Akilisi Pohiva finally becoming prime minister of Tonga.
This was an encouraging result in the November 2014 election following the first “democratic” election in 2010.
And it was expected that Fiji would also improve in the rankings after the “return to democracy” election in September – first since the 2006 military coup – flawed though that might be.
Fiji rose 14 places to 93rd.
But the RSF report was gloomy reading about the rest of the world:
Best in the Pacific Islands Forum region was New Zealand on sixth, a rise of 3 places, but still below the Scandinavian countries Finland (1), Norway (2), Denmark (3), Sweden (5) and the Netherlands (4) as usual.“The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state operatives, violence during demonstrations and the economic crisis, media freedom is in retreat on all five continents.”
Why so much better than Australia? Frankly, it is Australia’s tougher use of draconian anti-terrorism laws that keeps it at a modest 25th, but still way ahead of the United States at 49th (also above France at 38th) which has a far worse track record.
Papua New Guinea dropped 12 places to 56th, lower than Haiti (53), for example. Fiji at 93rd is lower than Kuwait (90), Greece (91) and Peru (92).
In spite of the encouraging improvement in Fiji, it will not be lasting until the draconian Media Industry Development Decree is repealed.
Just a few months ago, Reporters Without Borders and the Pacific Media Centre filed a submission with the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for the repeal of the law. It isn’t so widely known that the defunct Fiji Media Council Limited, which oversaw self-regulation in the country before the 2006 coup and made a reasonable job of it for many years, also called for a repeal.
At the time, FMC put out a statement clarifying its position and it is worth reflecting on this:
During the 10 or so years that the Fiji Media Council was active members, were guided by a published code of ethics and practice. The codes had been prepared by the Thomson Foundation and were unanimously accepted by all the main media organisations.The council’s complaint procedures used the codes as a guide and in cases where complaints were upheld the media organisation concerned was committed to publishing the decision of the complaint committee.
The decisions were published but on many occasions the injured party was not satisfied and demanded some form of punishment. The council did not have the ability to punish and as a result was labelled a “toothless tiger” as well as other less complimentary terms. Most of the loudest complaints came from politicians.
Prior to the implementation of the Media Decree, government called a meeting of media stakeholders and explained what was proposed. The decree used almost word for word the Council’s code of ethics and practice the main difference was the replacing of the word “should” with the word “must”. In addition it made provision for offenders to be fined.
The fines were excessive but they were the answer to those critics of the Media Council. Many of those who had loudly criticised the failure of the Council to punish now complained just as loudly at the decrees ability to punish.
The main offender during this period was without doubt The Fiji Times; while they played lip service to the media codes, they offended regularly and only issued limited retractions after a lot of pressure.
It should be borne in mind that Fiji was not alone in facing problems with the Murdoch press. It was felt in some quarters that the lack of media freedom in Fiji stemmed from the intransigence of the old Fiji Times and it was believed that once the ownership changed the pressure on the media would be relaxed; this however has proved not to be the case.
The Media Decree in its current form should be removed from the statute books. However, the Media Council’s codes of ethics and practice should be reintroduced and a self-regulatory body set up to ensure the codes are adhered to.
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Audio-Text: Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning on Fruit flies+Cricket
Audio/Text Analysis: In this week’s Across The Ditch bulletin Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning discuss how the Queensland fruit fly has been discovered in Auckland; a Cricket World Cup update; and Greyhound racing dogs and live baiting.
Item One:
[caption id="attachment_1642" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning.[/caption]
Last week New Zealand was under attack from outer space, with a meteor exploding above Auckland and Northland. This week, Auckland has been invaded… by the Queensland fruit fly!
The Government’s Ministry of Primary Industries has set a cordon around the inner city suburbs of Grey Lynn, Western Springs, Mt Albert and Kingsland in an attempt to prevent the insect spreading and establishing in the region.
Residents have been told they must not take fruit or vegetables out of their zone. And those who live in close to the epicentre, where a male Queensland fruit fly was discovered, are prohibited from even taking fruit or vegetables off their section.
The main concern is that a small but thriving colony of the fruit fly may have established here. The government ministry has stated that the insect is the most destructive to crops of all of Australia’s insects. Apparently it is a problem to crops from Queensland to NEW South Wales.
Aucklanders will be hoping the fruit fly is isolated and able to be irradiated. Many will remember the early 2000s when the Painted Apple Moth was identified here. The government then used low-flying aircraft to mass spray the city and suburbs with a herbicide.
The Painted Apple Moth was irradiated, but since then praying mantis and many other helpful inserts have all but disappeared.
Like Australia, New Zealand takes its bio security seriously. Recently a traveller arrived at customs while hiding a plant up his sleeve. The plant was detected, destroyed, and the person was fined $3500.00.
Issue Two:
Cricket update. Like Australia, New Zealand blitzed their opponents in the opening game of the Cricket World Cup, beating Sri Lanka by 98 runs.
On Tuesday however, the Kiwis were expected to easily beat Scotland, and while New Zealand won, the Scottish team really gave us a shaking. We eventually won by three wickets.
And on Friday, New Zealand plays England in Wellington.
Clearly Australia exposed an out of form English side. New Zealand obviously plans to do the same. NZ and England played seven times in 2013. England won four of those games, the Kiwis three.
This week, the Kiwi team’s couch Mike Hesson told the NZ Herald: “They’ve obviously got a lot of quality players, some in form, some not… Their seam attack has got pace and bounce and a pretty good mix, and they bat deep. They’re a dangerous outfit.”
So, if New Zealand wants to stay at the top of the score board with Australia, it will have to ensure England remains well beaten.
ITEM THREE:
Live baiting of racing Greyhounds. Should the industry be concerned in New Zealand?
Recorded live on 19/02/15. Across The Ditch broadcasts live on FiveAA Australia and webcasts on LiveNews.co.nz and ForeignAffairs.co.nz.]]>
NewsKitchen.eu
NewsKitchen.eu is a joint venture between Multimedia Investments Ltd (NZ) and German journalist and author Ingo Petz.
NewsKitchen.eu provides up-to-the-minute aggregation of geopolitical information relevant to the Eurozone, Russian Federation, Belarus and the Baltic states.
Its content is published in the language of the state of origin and provides raw news reports focussing on governments, external powers, global bodies, including news on security, defence, intelligence, trade, economics, and finance.
Click here to contact NewsKitchen.eu.
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Fifth Estate.nz
FifthEstate.nz is Multimedia Investments Ltd (MIL)’s raw news aggregation engine, specialising in New Zealand and Australian open source intelligence.
Fifth Estate’s information channels are designed to be easy-to-assess gateways to a complex matrix of open source intelligence – information-flows customised to meet clients’ exact specifications.
Fifth Estate’s information channels display an up-to-the-minute feed of content, as it is released and sourced, from a wide array of entities, including: government, political parties, corporations, businesses, unions, organisations, academic institutions, activist groups, and non-government organisations.
Click here to contact FifthEstate.nz.]]>
Foreign Affairs.co.nz
ForeignAffairs.co.nz is owned by Multimedia Investments Ltd (MIL) and publishes over 20,000 items per month of global geopolitical information – providing this intelligence to market-leading analytics giants around the world.
Put simply, Foreign Affairs is a content provider of raw news, a commodity-based provider of open source intelligence, information sourced from governments, external powers, global bodies, including open source intelligence on security, defence, intelligence, trade, and resource exploration and extraction.
Click here to contact MIL about ForeignAffairs.co.nz.]]>
MILNZ.co.nz
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MIL’s portfolio of business interests includes: news media assets, content aggregation services, and video production/post production services. For more, see: MILNZ.co.nz
MIL established and owns the following media outlets: LiveNews.co.nz ForeignAffairs.co.nz FifthEstate.nz EveningReport.nz and holds 50% ownership in NewsKitchen.eu de.NewsKitchen.eu and TheDailyBlog.co.nz.
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Video and Text: Emma Watson’s UN Speech – He For She Campaign
Here is the full text of the Speech by UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson at a special event for the HeForShe campaign, United Nations Headquarters, New York, 20 September 2014.
[Check against delivery.]
[caption id="attachment_126" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Emma Watson delivered a moving speech at the United Nations about gender equality and why men should support the he for she campaign.[/caption]
- Today we are launching a campaign called “HeForShe.”
The fear and hopelessness behind the deadly attack on Ebola workers in Guinea
MIL OSI – Source: Search for Common Ground – Analysis:
Headline: The fear and hopelessness behind the deadly attack on Ebola workers in Guinea
Originally published on WashingtonPost.com – Sept. 19
By Abby Phillip
When the Ebola outbreak made a resurgence in Guinea in early August, after earlier showing signs of stabilizing, Moise Mamy knew what he needed to do.
The Guinean pastor had already been traveling from remote village to remote village three times a week to spread awareness about preventing and containing the deadly virus. But as the outbreak flared up again, Mamy and a team of workers from the non-governmental organization Eau de la Vie (Water of Life) began going to the villages five times a week.
The instruction they provided was simple, focusing on washing and water purification practices. But Mamy was convinced that more visits to the isolated areas to was necessary to bring an end to the deadly epidemic.
It was exhausting work, and the team often encountered resistance, Mamy told others; but, he said, it needed to be done.
“This Ebola is a menace that can overrun the country,” Mamy warned recently in an e-mail to the leader of a U.S. aid organization.
On Tuesday, Mamy and his team took a truck that was already damaged by rocks that had been thrown at them during visits to other remote villages and drove to Wome, in the forested, southeastern part of Guinea…
To read the full article, click here.
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5AA Australia – New Zealand’s Dirty Politics Aftermath and Polls
5AA Australia: On this week’s Across the Ditch bulletin on 5AA Australia, host Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning discuss the aftermath and implications of revelations that New Zealand’s National-led Government has been involved in smear campaigns and sinister hits on their opponents. ITEM 1: More fallout from the revelations in the book Dirty Politics is in evidence with the Prime Minister John Key’s credibility under question. There has been much to suggest John Key has either lied to the public or has been so relaxed about keeping on top of his prime ministerial responsibilities that it smacks of incompetence. And now the latest polls are out showing a decisive slump in support for the Nationals. Labour however has yet to gain any ground. The parties benefiting from PM John Key’s demise are the Greens, the Conservatives, and New Zealand First! Selwyn Manning says: For background material on this issue, here is an analysis piece that I wrote that provides an incite into this issue: ITEM 2: Also, after the Wallabies drew with the All Blacks in Sydney, effectively shutting the world champion side out of a record unbeaten 18 international Rugby tests… the All Blacks came back last Saturday at Auckland’s Eden Park to win 51 to 20. The draw showed everyone how the All Blacks can be beaten, and the trouncing of Australia showed everyone just how formidable this team can be when the ball goes its way. South Africa’s Springboks will be determined to knock the stuffing out of the All Blacks. While here in NZ, all eyes are looking ahead to the Rugby World a cup next year. Recorded on 28/08/14 – Captured Live on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/multimedia-investments-ltd]]>
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