NIXON IN CHINA: Auckland Arts Festival in association with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and New Zealand Opera
Conductor – Joseph Mechavich
Hye Jung Lee – Madame Mao
Madeleine Pierard – Patricia Nixon
Simon O’Neill – Mao Zedong
Barry Ryan – Richard Nixon
Chen Ye Yuan – Zhou En Lai
17 March and 19 March 2016
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
An extraordinary international event, John Adams’ Nixon in China makes its New Zealand debut at Auckland Arts Festival 2016 .
One of the most celebrated operas of our generation, Nixon in China is an ambitious work on a grand scale, an iconic piece of operatic writing. Combining pulsating energy and soaring lyricism, with influences from big band to Wagner, it relates a compelling story of the historic meeting of two of the 20th century’s most titanic and controversial figures – Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong.
Set in February 1972, Nixon in China opens on the runway of a chilly Peking ( Beijing) airfield and the arrival of President and Mrs Nixon in Air Force One. It was the first time a U.S. president had visited the People’s Republic of China, and by visit’s end decades of enmity between the two countries had been shelved and the world was realigned in the process.
At its Metropolitan Opera debut in 1987, Nixon in China was dubbed ‘provocative, edgy, and audacious’. Nearly 30 years later, it’s become a modern masterpiece, admired for Alice Goodman’s poetically eloquent libretto and Adams’ magnificent score. In China however, despite its intelligent and human portrayal of Mao, his wife Chiang Ch’ing and Zhou En Lai, it has never been performed.
Auckland Arts Festival 2016’sNixon in China season brings together a stunning cast and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of conductor Joseph Mechavich (USA),as well as an all-star creative team led by Sara Brodie (Don Giovanni). Tenor Simon O’Neill plays Mao Zedong, baritone Barry Ryan is Nixon, baritone Chen Ye Yuan is Zhou En Lai, soprano Madeleine Pierard is Patricia Nixon, and soprano Hye Jung Lee is Madame Mao. With a set designed by John Verryt, and video created by the visionary Louise Potiki-Bryant, this semi-staged production has all the might worthy of the history-making visit.
Auckland Arts Festival artistic director, Carla van Zon, says she is delighted AAF is collaborating with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and New Zealand Opera on this major event.
“Nixon in China is widely recognised as one of the 20th century’s greatest works for the opera stage,” says Ms van Zon.
“It’s clever, witty, and combines a lyrical beauty and fantastic sense of theatre,” she says.
Even though the events it depicts happened nearly forty years ago, she says it’s a work that remains remarkably relevant.
“At a time when countries and states still define themselves by their ‘opposition’ to others, Nixon in China’s themes of political and personal integrity, ideology and cult of personality have never been more current,” she says.
“The most influential opera of the past 20 years” – The Guardian
“A huge sensation..too good, too beautiful, too necessary” – New York Times
“Not since ‘Porgy and Bess’ has an American opera won such universal acclaim as Nixon in China.” – The New Yorker
This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 10 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Wednesday 5th August.
NEWSROOM_MONITOR
Top stories in the current news cycle includes the Government launching a blueprint for an overhaul of domestic violence law, official figures that show the unemployment rate has increased to 5.9% in the three months to June and a new report which has found Auckland’s Maori economy makes up more than half of the entire Maori asset base.
Note: As well as providing a precis of leading broadcast bulletins each day, our NewsRoom_Monitor service does a daily paper round with succinct ‘news picks’ from the main metropolitan papers emailed by 9am each morning. If you’re interested in a free trial please email monitor@newsroom.co.nz
POLITICS PULSE
Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included:
Government: Fresh look at family violence laws; Family violence initiatives making an impact one year on; MidCentral general practices more productive; Speech- Launch of family violence discussion document; Tougher biosecurity measures at airports welcomed; Foss to attend Chunuk Bair commemorations; Eleven straight quarters of job growth; Countdown begins to Rio Games; Racing Safety Development Fund open for applications; Rangatahi the key to growing the Māori economy in Auckland
ACT Party: PPTA doesn’t understand who employs teachers
Greens: Dairy price drop shows new thinking needed; John Key’s hands-off housing ideas failing Aucklanders; Ideas for family violence law changes welcomed; Writes To OAG To Urge Follow Up On Saudi Deal; New TPPA leak confirms fears about Pharmac
Labour: Reckless complacency in face of disastrous dairy result;10,000 more Kiwis without a job in a year; Family violence overhaul long overdue; John Key must take responsibility for Saudi Sheep Scandal
National Party: Speech- We’re doing more to tackle family violence
New Zealand First: Celebrating 50 Years Of Independence In The Cook Islands; Battle of Chunuk Bair centennial
BETTER BY DESIGN WELCOMES NEW TALENT : Ten of New Zealand’s leading design practitioners have joined New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Better by Design programme as Design Coaches, to share their expertise in design and business with New Zealand companies. Profiles of all Better by Design coaches can be found at: http://www.betterbydesign.org.nz/design-programme/our-coaches
GOVERNMENT LOOKS AT FAMILY VIOLENCE LAWS: A discussion document launched today takes a hard look at the way the law prevents and responds to family violence, and proposes a comprehensive rethink to strengthen New Zealand’s legislative response. The public consultation opens today at https://consultations.justice.govt.nz/policy/family-violence-law
INSPIRED TEACHER ON MISSION TO HELP OTHERS: Teacher Jessica Weller’s life is rich with experiences for someone who has only just turned 30. After beating breast cancer she is now sharing her journey with the University of Auckland’s #MyTeacherMoment campaign. Learn more about this campaign or, even better, get involved yourself by going tohttp://www.topoftheclass.ac.nz
NEW TPPA LEAK CONFIRMS FEARS ABOUT PHARMAC: The TPPA Intellectual Property chapter leaked today confirms fears that access to medicines could be more difficult and expensive, and uncovers surprising new implications for the Treaty of Waitangi, the Green Party said today. The chapter that was leaked is available here: http://keionline.org/tpp/11may2015-ip-text
NZCER STUDIES TE REO MĀORI :Researchers are gathering in Wellington today for a hui before heading out across Aotearoa New Zealand to begin an important new study of the Māori language. More information about this work can also be found at: http://www.nzcer.org.nz/research/te-ahu-o-te-reo
RED MEAT ON THE BRINK OF GREATNESS: New ANZ research has underlined the huge performance potential of the red meat industry, but also identified significant barriers that need to be overcome if it is to once again be a driving force in the New Zealand economy.The Red Meat Insights 2015 report is available here: http://www.anz.co.nz/barometer
WHITE RIBBONS RESPONSE TO DISCUSSION PAPER: Judge Peter Boshier, White Ribbon Chair, has welcomed the much tighter framework proposed for the handling of family violence cases in New Zealand. A more in-depth analysis from Judge Boshier is available at: http://whiteribbon.org.nz/category/news/
And that’s our sampling of “news you can use” for Wednesday 5 August 2015.
[caption id="attachment_6235" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Chart for this Week: Advanced Country Balances: private surpluses, public deficits.[/caption]
This chart shows the combined ‘budget surpluses’ of the private sectors (strictly, the combined household and corporate sectors) of all the world’s ‘advanced economies’.
These include New Zealand but not China. The chart shows that for every year since 1991, except 2000, most countries’ private sectors ran budget surpluses; often large surpluses.
These private sector surpluses were accommodated by combined government deficits. Given that the advanced economies represent well over half of the global economy, the foreign sector is relatively insignificant, though we do see finance flowing into the advanced economies from the emerging economies in the decade after the 1998 Asian financial crisis.
The interpretation is that, when financial difficulties have emerged in the advanced economies, as in 2001 and 2008, private households and businesses respond over the next few years by repaying debt, taking on less new debt, and increasing their saving.
These decisions towards more conservative private practice can only be realised, in the aggregate, if the governments of the world incur accommodating deficits.
The economic slowdowns in the advanced economies in these years (eg 1991-92; 2001-02; 2008-10) reflect some degree of resistance by governments to incurring the required Budget deficit accommodations.
Large private surpluses are not supposed to happen; rather the low balances for the year 1998 represent about what most economists believe is typical for the world as a whole, in most years.
The chart’s timing suggest that government Budget deficits represent a solution to, rather than a cause of, private sector austerity.
[caption id="attachment_6181" align="alignleft" width="150"] Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]
Papers were filed in the High Court in Wellington today seeking an urgent judicial review of Trade Minister Tim Groser’s blanket refusal to release any documents sought in a comprehensive Official Information Act request made by University of Auckland law Professor Jane Kelsey in January this year.
The request was based on a report from the European Union Ombudsman recommending release of similar documents from the US-EU negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
Today’s application was lodged following receipt of the Chief Ombudsman’s report last Wednesday evening upholding the Minister’s decision.
The TPPA will have potentially far reaching consequences for the foreseeable future. The applicants believe there is an important public interest in the requested information being publicly available, so people can better understand the issues under negotiation and the position the government has taken on behalf of the people of New Zealand, before the negotiations are concluded.
The applicants have asked the High Court for a declaration that the Minister’s decision was unlawful in a variety of ways, and are seeking an urgent hearing as soon as practicable.
Those bringing the case are Consumer NZ, Ngati Kahungunu, the Tertiary Education Union, Oxfam, Greenpeace, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), as well as Professor Kelsey.
Comments from the co-applicants
Ngati Kahungunu are the third largest iwi and are also claimants in the Waitangi Tribunal challenge to the TPPA. The iwi were original claimants on the WAI262 “flora, fauna and intellectual property” claim to the Waitangi Tribunal which, amongst other things, was about providing for involvement of Maori in the development of New Zealand’s positions on international instruments affecting indigenous rights. Ngati Kahungunu continues that work in their continuing advocacy for substantive engagement with Maori in relation to the TPPA.
Consumer NZ has more than 90,000 members and is a recognized consumer advocate on behalf of all New Zealanders. Its principal aim is to collect and disseminate information of benefit to consumers and, in doing so, advance the interests of its members and those of consumers generally. It considers the TPPA is likely to significantly impact on all New Zealand consumers.
Oxfam NZ is an international development non-governmental organization interested in trade negotiations that model transparency and include mechanisms to protect sovereignty for developing nations. It considers that draft clauses of the TPPA that have been leaked cause concern in respect to the possible impact on New Zealanders and for vulnerable populations in developing nations who are party to the agreement.
The New Zealand Tertiary Education Union Te Haut? Kahurangi o Aotearoa (TEU) represents the interests of 10,000 workers employed in the tertiary education sector across New Zealand who are committed to the advancement of tertiary and further education, teaching and research, and academic freedom. The TEU is particularly concerned about the exposure of education as a commodity that can be traded like any other goods or services. This has the potential to undermine New Zealand’s legislative right to academic freedom and, as a result, to undermine and compromise the quality of education that can presently be guaranteed under New Zealand law.
Greenpeace New Zealand is an independent environmental organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. It is concerned that the TPPA will allow foreign corporates to legally challenge New Zealand laws that protect our environment because they affect their profits. It sees approval of the TPPA having a significant and negative impact on New Zealanders being able to protect their natural heritage.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists(ASMS) is the union representing the employment and professional interests of specialists and other salaried senior doctors and dentists, most of whom are employed in the public health service. ASMS is concerned about the lack of transparency over the potential impact of the TPPA on New Zealand’s health system, the failure to allow an independent assessment of its impact on the health system, the risks for the ability of Pharmac to negotiate less expensive pharmaceuticals, reduced sovereignty in the development of public health policies (such as tobacco and alcohol control) including investors through the investor-state disputes process.
The purpose of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is to promote and advocate for professional excellence in nursing, to progress the profession of nursing, and to enhance the health and wellbeing of all people of Aotearoa New Zealand. NZNO’s major concern is that TPPA provisions could lead to a significant increase in the costs of medicines, and medical devices, which would adversely affect equitable access to healthcare. It considers that open access to the government’s expert assessment and cost benefit analysis in relation to, for example, data extensions of biologics is essential to inform potential cost effects of the TPPA on public health.
[caption id="attachment_4808" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr Bryce Edwards.[/caption]
Leadership succession continues to be a major issue for New Zealand First. But other divisive issues also dominated the party’s annual conference at the weekend.
The ability of all political parties to modernise, revitalise, and bring in new leaders is a large determinant of their ability to survive over time in politics. The annual conference of New Zealand First showed some signs of these processes at work, but generally the party continues to be a mystery to observers of the Winston Peters party.
The big leadership succession question
New Zealand First’s future viability appears to be in jeopardy according to John Armstrong’s column in the Herald today – see: NZ First’s appeal to diminishing fan base spells doom for party. Armstrong says that “The longer Peters fails to address this underlying threat to the party’s longevity – along with at least publicly acknowledging the necessity for some indication of how he will manage the question of leadership succession – the likelihood of the party’s survival as a potent political force continues to diminish”. He’s also especially critical of the party’s latest rehashing of its old “work-for-the-dole” policy, arguing that the world has moved on from this old populist proposal.
Peters himself is reported to be “unequivocal” about not retiring from politics – see Andrea Vance’s article, He’s 70, but Winston Peters has no plans to retire. He explains: “I’m 70 years old, that’s a fact. But the point is I’m in a job I can do and I get a lot of enjoyment out of it… I could give it up and my next big wish would be to spend time doing up boats and what have you. But the reality is, would I be interested after three months doing that? How many days can you go fishing?”
Nonetheless those days of fishing are getting closer, and it’s becoming clear that Ron Mark, who was recently elected deputy leader, is likely to succeed Peters when that day finally arrives. Mark has shown himself to be the only New Zealand First MP who comes even close to possessing the qualities that make Peters so enduring.
Of course Mark plays down such eventualities – see Nicholas Jones’ NZ First tussles to continue at conference. And others are clearly not keen on Mark as leader – such as outgoing party president, Anne Martin, who is close to Peters. See Jo Moir’s article on Martin’s departure, which reports: “When asked if Mark was the party’s succession plan for when Peters retires, Martin said “I don’t think so”. Mark is 60 and she said there’s no definitive person to take over when 70-year-old Peters calls it a day” – see: NZ First president Anne Martin won’t seek re-election.
Rolinson is a particularly controversial figure inside the party at the moment – see RadioLive’s article from last month: Former NZ First youth leader on cannabis charge. And Winston Peters has been at pains to distance himself from Rolinson – which is explored in Pete George’s blog post, NZ First youth wing.
Rolinson also believes that newcomer MP Darroch Ball has a future in the leadership, as deputy to Mark – he says: “But I’m calling it now. Mark/Ball 2023”.
Despite Ron Mark’s apparent prime position to inherit the leadership, that doesn’t necessarily mean Peters will make it easy for him. Leaders like Peters are notoriously bad at succession planning. Logically, if Ron Mark is to be Peters’ successor New Zealand First should be consciously promoting Mark and building his profile. This is always going to be fraught for Peters who sees New Zealand First as his baby and himself as the party. The bottom line is whether Peters can bring himself to do what he should do.
And there’s still another possible contender in the shadows: Shane Jones. In the weekend Peters praised Jones, appearing to keep alive speculation that the ex-Labour MP could come back as a New Zealand First MP, and then become leader – see the Herald’s A bump in numbers or resignation, says Peters.
Faction fights and debate
Ron Mark’s recent rolling of Tracy Martin to become deputy leader has fuelled speculation about factions in New Zealand First. In addition to Martin’s demise, her mother Anne Martin has just stood down as party president.
Peters has denied that this represents any sort of power struggle, but Curwen Rolinson sees this as an important changing of the guard, arguing that “The Martinite “faction”, if you could call them that, are marginalised” – see: Back In Black. Rolinson talks about the rise of “a Rotorua-Tauranga axis that’s powered up around first term MPs Fletcher Tabuteau and Clayton Mitchell – and former campaign Director-General Kristin Campbell-Smith”. More generally he says that there “seems to be a transition of power away from the older generation of more Tracey-amenable administrators, and to a new – hopefully more pro-Ron Mark – crew of up-and-comers”.
Rolinson also blogged another post about factions at the conference, including apparent allegations of internal “nepotism” and “corruption”. He also reported on internal debate about why former MP Andrew Williams was dropped at the last election. This post has now been deleted.
The weekend conference also saw some heated debates. According to Richard Harman there is currently a clash over whether to update the party’s constitution – see: Winston challenged: Tension on NZ First conference floor. This account suggests a full-scale conflict was averted by time running out before the contentious remit was supposed to be debated. But Harman says it all represents wider differences in the party: “the whole incident reflects what is likely to be a growing tension within New Zealand First between people recently drawn to the party and those who have been there since 1993”.
Other heated moments came from a debate about whether new immigrants should qualify for use of the public health system – see Stuff’s NZ First MP Denis O’Rourke slams forced health insurance policy. Also of contention was the existence – or establishment – of a youth wing of the party.
Interestingly, on both those issues, Peters appeared to be on the losing side of the debates. Therefore the idea that Peters reigns supreme above his own fiefdom looks shakier.
The importance of New Zealand First
For New Zealand First to survive and prosper, it realises that it needs to develop its organisational membership and finances. This was a major theme of the conference, with Peters making a promise – though characteristically vague – to increase the membership numbers significantly or resign – see Andrea Vance’s Winston Peters goes all-in on ‘tens of thousands’ NZ First membership increase.
Peters also signalled an intention of raising a $1m election war chest for 2017. A remit was proposed that would have all the party’s MPs contribute ten per cent of their parliamentary salary to the party. But this was rejected, “with Mr Peters saying such a scheme in 1996 had failed after nine MPs left” – see Nicholas Jones’ We have to stop having a soft heart’.
Of course, the party has a strong history of electoral relevance, often helping determine which parties form governments. It therefore probably warrants much more attention being placed on the various factions, players and disputes occurring in the party. Attention should also be given to some of the new rising MPs. One such MP is Fletcher Tabuteau, who used the occasion of the party conference being in Rotorua to open his new parliamentary office – the first office the party has ever had in Rotorua – see Dana Kinita’s First NZ First office brings a convention.
Finally, for an amusing recount of how surreal exchanges with Winston Peters can be for journalists, read Andrea Vance’s attempt at pinning him down in her article, Kingmaker Winston regains his crown.
This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 7 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Tuesday 4th August.
NEWSROOM_MONITOR
Top stories in the current news cycle includes news that 150 KiwiRail jobs are included in what’s at stake if Solid Energy folds, a move by Australian company Origin Energy to sell its entire 53 percent controlling stake in the country’s second largest electricity generator Contact Energy, and Amnesty New Zealand has graded New Zealand’s performance on the UN Security Council so far, with an A-minus awarded in terms of attempts to make the Council more effective, including condemning Russia’s use of the veto.
Note: As well as providing a precis of leading broadcast bulletins each day, our NewsRoom_Monitor service does a daily paper round with succinct ‘news picks’ from the main metropolitan papers emailed by 9am each morning. If you’re interested in a free trial please email monitor@newsroom.co.nz
POLITICS PULSE
Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included:
Government: Minister intends to introduce Māori Land Bill into the House early next year; Bennett to visit Melbourne for ANZSOG Conference; Strong response to financial advice laws consultation paper; Improving results for Youth Guarantee learners; Joyce congratulates ASEAN 40 award winners in the Philippines; McCully to Kuala Lumpur for Asia-Pacific regional meetings; Preventing falls crucial as population ages; Metro Sports funding parameters agreed; Predictable result of unfair law changes; More hands-on support for rural communities ; PM pledges$11.7m for Cook Islands school rebuild.
ACT Party: Teachers with a conscience should leave PPTA
Greens: Government fails Amnesty International’s Security Council report card; Obama’s climate plan shows what leadership is
Labour: Obama acts – Key sits on his hands; Million dollar average house now less than a year away; Predictable results of unfair law changes
New Zealand First: Air New Zealand proves solid energy can be saved
ANZ NZ COMMODITY PRICE INDEX: The ANZ Commodity Price Index for July declined by 11.2%. This is the fourth consecutive fall in the index, which is at its lowest level since October 2009 but also the largest monthly decline ever in the series. The fall this month was broad based, with thirteen of the seventeen main commodities we monitor recording a decline. The index is 26.8% lower than 12 months earlier. Click here for more:http://www.anz.co.nz/about-us/economic-markets-research/commodity-price-index/
CLIMATE CHANGE PLEDGES: A Victoria University of Wellington climate change expert is calling for an overhaul of the way climate change pledges are assessed, to avoid ‘indefinite procrastination’ on the design of efficient mitigation policies.
To view the full article in Nature Climate Change, by Professor David Frame, Director of Victoria’s Climate Change Research Institute (CCRI), go to:
IT JOBS IN NZ: As the digital revolution continues in New Zealand an increasing number of organisations are offering – or want to offer – services through various digital channels, says recruiting experts Hays. For the full list of skills in demand, please view our Hays Quarterly Report here:http://www.hays.net.nz/report/index.htm
NZ HOME VALUES RISE: The latest monthly QV House Price Index shows that nationwide residential property values for July have increased 10.1% over the past year which is the fastest annual rate since 2007. Values rose 4.1% over the past three months and are now 27.4% above the previous market peak of late 2007. When adjusted for inflation the nationwide annual increase drops slightly to 9.9% and values are now 8.8% above the 2007 peak. Click here for more: https://www.qv.co.nz/resources/news/article?blogId=200
RUGBY UNION’S POST SOLID FINANCIAL RESULTS: Deloitte State of the Unions report shows third consecutive annual surplus for ITM Cup rugby unions. The full State of the Unions Deloitte Sports Review can be found athttp://www.deloitte.com/nz/stateoftheunion
And that’s our sampling of “news you can use” for Tuesday August 2015.
NewsroomPlus.com
BERL chief economist Ganesh Nana’s overriding message at an economic briefing this morning could be characterised as ‘Keep Calm, But Don’t Carry On’.
First, the ‘Keep Calm’ part.
Invites to the event had posed three pairs of questions. The first pair was: Are we into a normal cyclical slowdown in growth? Or, do we have to dust off the ‘R’ word?
In his economist’s “reading of the tea leaves” Dr Nana’s assessment is a firm YES to a forecast of a cyclical slowdown, and a firm NO to conflating current economic conditions that are admittedly “radically different from that expected just 6 months ago” as a crisis.
Dr Ganesh Nana – BERL’s Chief Economist and Executive Director
To use a line from his media statement: “We knew commodity prices were going to adjust downwards, we knew the exchange rate was overvalued for a long time, and we knew the Christchurch rebuild was going to peak. Now these things are happening there is an adjustment occurring. We shouldn’t be too surprised by this (or that) there is more to come”.
The ‘Don’t Carry On’ part was Dr Nana’s broad-ranging set of cautions and risk identification against certain attitudes and actions that policy officials, businesses and commentators might be, or are, tempted to have or take, but need to be dissuaded against having or taking.
In a proximate way he cautioned against a number of attitudes and actions that would carry on unhelpful behaviour. Which can be listed like this:
Don’t Carry On being obsessed with inflation when “inflation targeting misses the point” and distracts you to take your eyes off the ball – directed at the Government and officials
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Don’t Carry On “getting cold feet from seeing ghosts from inflation past and so not (further) reducing the OCR” and thus putting “the necessary NZ$ exchange rate adjustment” at risk of stalling – directed at the Reserve Bank
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Don’t Carry On “talking ourselves into a downturn” by losing confidence and “causing sentiment to impact on investment and employment and also potentially slowing the stimulus from the migration inflow” – directed mostly at businesses
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Don’t Carry On “be(ing) driven just by the financial and money market commentators” – partially directed at financial and money market commentators. [Coupled with a wish that the ‘gap’ between the speculative economy (sharemarkets and their indices) and real economy (GDP) might be narrowed some day]
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Don’t Carry On expending too much focus on Government accounts and notions of a surplus when that’s a “non story”, or inflation when that’s “yesterday’s story”, or other distractions – directed indirectly at other political parties, journalists, wider public
Dr Nana pointedly cautioned against leaving the exchange rate to be played with by the financial markets, which left to their own devices would default to a wrong direction that “shoot(s) ourselves in the foot”. Case in point:
Cycles as a ‘coincidence of events’
Dr Nana carefully gave equal balance to our economic glass being both half-full and half-empty – not bad for someone who owned to a reputation that has painted him as “relatively miserable”.
As contained in the preamble to the briefing, the recent coincidence of volatile Chinese share prices, dairy farmers facing negative cashflows, and seemingly no end to soaring residential property prices, does bring the idea of ‘battening down the hatches’ to mind.
It does amount to a warning sign, and it’s not helped by low visibility at the level of the global economy.
BERL: Yes, China is important; but have we heard the last from Greece and Europe? Or, is the US about to step up as a catalyst for the global growth engine?
On the other hand is the argument that the coincidence of hefty domestic migration gains, a rebalanced set of Government books, low inflation and previously buoyant confidence, under conditions the Reserve Bank jargon refers to as “above potential growth”, shouldn’t count for nothing.
Things do come “off the boil”, but that doesn’t exclude positive news and should never exclude the perspective of a long-term view.
Speaking of the “elephant in the room” – as Dr Nana delicately put it – the dairy decline makes for a different picture when you wind back to a 40 year overview and a $6 payout as an average ‘water line’. Riding the cow’s back and betting on the high levels of recent years then starts to look like a gamble, calculated or otherwise, rather than a business case.
The consequence of the dairy dive will be a “lot of hurt” Dr Nana predicted, and some farmers exiting dairy – but a bigger risk, one that could contribute to knocking the economy into a potentially more damaging downturn overall, would be if banks take a more aggressive stance to mitigate their exposure to the agriculture sector.
Export receipts for meat, wine, kiwifruit, and forestry (putting aside a bit of a slump) have been travelling well, and are all in good positions to take a real and important advantage of a lower exchange rate.
Another good-looking trump card on the positive side is tourism.
The first job of export earnings from these primary resource and other sectors will be to cushion the decline in dairy and overall slowdown.
Whether there’s enough collective juice in NZ Inc to see the target for the export sector rocket to 40% of GDP by 2025 is another matter, with Dr Nana graciously not ruling it out as completely impossible.
As per any briefing about the New Zealand economy and NZ Inc’s “struggle to earn”, there comes that point where the talk this morning turned to the nature of our tradable sector, and that vexed, never-ending challenge of climbing up a perceived and actual value chain.
As observed by Dr Nana, climbing up that chain is an obstacle that New Zealand still hasn’t jumped, and that exposes the risk that our exchange rate religiously follows our commodities fate, like a “knife between the shoulder blades”.
He also observes that structural imbalances haven’t been shaken off, including a persistent external deficit and a tradable sector that continues to be “hamstrung by policy settings driven by short-term cycles”.
A double bind is that through factors like a positive productivity story – “something we shouldn’t bash ourselves up over”, says Dr Nana – the tradable sector’s contribution to job growth in New Zealand is static. Future job growth is reliant on the non-tradable sector, as seen here:
What will get us through?
According to BERL, with a cyclical slow-down, a reasonable call is that the economy won’t grow above 2% before heading back to ‘capacity’ 2.5%
Running through the economy’s “plus side”, domestic spending growth remains healthy even if it flattens out, and house building is catching up.
In his talk today Dr Nana favoured actions such as a gradual decline in the exchange rate by another 10%, and step by step cuts in the official cash rate (OCR) to 2%, and even as low as 1.5%.
During an exchange of questions and answers to conclude this morning’s well-attended briefing, Fairfax journalist James Weir asked if there is a housing bubble in Auckland? Yes said Dr Nana, but there is “no inherent factor that says it has to burst”.
Asked to opine on what advice he might have for the Government and Mr English as Finance Minister, his response was that “stimuli” from migration and infrastructure/ housing investment should continue.
He favours loosening the infrastructure purse strings – acknowledging they’ve already been loosened – and moreso if central government could back, and bankroll, more development in the regions.
Most of all he favours a loosening of the purse strings for “investing in training the people” and building the future skills mix of future New Zealanders – for long-term benefits.
Ganesh Nana (Dr Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao) in full flight at BERL’s discussion of New Zealand’s economic situation and outlook at a packed conference room at 114 The Terrace this morning.
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Note: Established by a group of practising economists in 1957, BERL remains a privately-owned New Zealand company committed to long-term perspectives and standing apart from ‘vested interests’. For information on the company see: berl.co.nz
[Contributed by Stephen Olsen, NewsRoom_Plus. Disclaimer: Our landlord is BERL, but they don’t contribute to our rent :]
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Labour abuse, terrible bullying, slavery and human trafficking are exposing serious problems in global fisheries. Similar stories — too many to ignore — are starting to emerge from the tuna fleet, writes Kumi Naidoo.
COMMENT: Out in the Pacific Ocean thousands of fishing vessels are working around the clock to pull tuna out of the sea as fast as they can.
It’s a global business, and it’s big business, turning over billions of dollars a year, with millions of people employed in catching the tuna that millions of others rely on for sustenance and survival.
Recent stories of labor abuse, terrible bullying, slavery and human trafficking are exposing serious problems in global fisheries. Similar stories — too many to ignore — are starting to emerge from the tuna fleet.
Longliners catching albacore for the canned tuna markets of the West can be like floating sweatshops, taking young men desperate for work away from their families, locking them into contracts that can last for years, and saddling them with debt if they try to break those contracts early.
Out on the high seas, with no means of escape, it must seem to some of these young fishermen as if they are serving a prison sentence.
And with less than 1 percent percent of fishing activity by longline fleets witnessed by on board independent observers in the Western Central Pacific, there is no one to turn to and nowhere to go. It is the perfect environment for exploitation — a captive workforce.
Last week, Greenpeace released a series of videos linking bullying and labour abuse to Pacific tuna boats. The stories of violence and exploitation we have heard from tuna fishermen are heartbreaking.
Bleak picture Adding to this bleak picture, many longliners transship their catches while still at sea to refrigerated cargo ships, which means the fishing boats can stay at sea for years.
High-seas transshipping is an enabler of both human rights and environmental abuses. It’s the fisheries equivalent of money laundering, where illegal or “dirty” fish can enter the supply chain and become impossible to differentiate from the “clean”.
It also means that Pacific nations miss out on the revenue and jobs that would come with processing and packing those fish ashore. Pacific purse seine fleets are banned from transshipping catches at sea. The practice should now be made illegal for tuna longlining ships as well.
While the costs of human rights abuse and environmental crime cannot be compared, they are both driven by the greed of an industry that is out of control. If we fix one, we fix the other.
Like too many other industries, tuna is dominated by big business working in the interests of the few, using cheap or free labor, and catching fish in the high seas commons that should belong to all of us. If we fail to act now, fishermen will continue to be exploited by an industry that is degrading tuna stocks and harming our oceans.
For tuna, at least, there is an easy remedy. While stocks of bluefin and bigeye tuna are in serious trouble, albacore and skipjack are at the point where, if changes are made to fishing practices today, we can ensure there are enough fish for tomorrow. Fished sustainably, tuna can continue to feed and employ people across the globe, and protect the coastal communities who rely on them for survival.
It’s not an impossible vision. The last thing tuna-eaters want is the bitter taste of worker abuse or environmental devastation in their tuna salads or sashimi. We know that because Greenpeace’s tuna guides are among our most popular information resources. People often find it shocking when they learn of the ocean and human destruction that goes into a can of tuna.
Overcoming resistance As consumers, we can give the big corporations a push in the right direction and overcome their resistance to change. By choosing to buy sustainable tuna we can tell the industry that we are not prepared to support the destruction of our oceans or the exploitation of workers.
As a form of protest it’s as easy as it gets. Every time a shopper reaches for a can of sustainably sourced tuna on a supermarket shelf it sends a message to the fishing industry that it’s time to change.
Tuna fisheries are global fisheries. If we can get them right we can create a model for the oceans; to feed and employ people and protect the health of our planet.
Right now the Rainbow Warrior is sailing the Pacific Ocean and its crew is focused on putting the tuna industry in the spotlight. But back on land we can all play an important role in helping to create change at sea.
Next time you visit a supermarket or a sushi bar, consider using the power of your wallet to tell the tuna industry that there is no place for ocean devastation and human rights abuse on our plates or in our lunchboxes.
Kumi Naidoo is the executive director of Greenpeace International.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The US-led Coalition’s Human Rights Record in Iraq 4 August 2015
By Harmeet Sooden.
Human rights violations committed by ISIS are condemned the world over – rightly so – whereas those committed by the US-led coalition fighting ISIS are under-reported, particularly in the West. What follows is a selection of the latter – a selection that strongly suggests the coalition’s military strategy is compounding the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.
13 September 2010– Amnesty International releases a report on “unlawful detention, enforced disappearance and torture or other ill-treatment of thousands of people since 2003 by the US-led Multinational Force (MNF) in Iraq and the Iraqi authorities.” The report states “US and Iraqi forces have…committed grave human rights violations”: of having “tortured or otherwise ill-treated many prisoners, some of whom have died as a result”; “killed civilians in raids on houses, at checkpoints and during armed clashes”; and “destroyed the houses and other property of Iraqis.”
21 January 2011 – Human Rights Watch releases a report stating “[a]fter 2003, militias, insurgents, Iraqi security forces [ISF], multinational forces, and foreign private military contractors raped and killed women” in Iraq. Following “the US-led invasion of 2003, the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq has promoted a rise in tribal customs and religiously-inflected political extremism, which have had a deleterious effect on women’s rights”.
The report notes “trafficking in women and girls in and out of the country for sexual exploitation is widespread”, and “[m]ilitias promoting misogynist ideologies have targeted women and girls for assassination, and intimidated them to stay out of public life.” Particularly vulnerable for abuse are the “many women who have fled sectarian or other violence, who have been widowed, or who for other reasons are…dependent on state aid”. In cases of unlawful killing, “[b]efore the women were killed, they were tortured and sometimes had their teeth or eyes extracted. The corpses had bruises all over their bodies. Some had their breasts cut off or arms amputated and their hair was shaven off. Most of the victims had terrified looks frozen on their faces.”
7 February 2012 – Evidence comes to light suggesting a British special forces unit and an Australian SAS squadron were “an ‘integral’ element of the potentially illegal detention of prisoners of war at a secret Iraqi desert prison [called H1] in 2003” and “may have been complicit in war crimes by handing detainees over to the so-called ‘black site’.” [Beginning in 2014, Britain and Australia would intervene in Iraq again by conducting airstrikes and training Iraqi forces as part of the US-led coalition fighting ISIS.]12 September 2012 – A BBC investigation reveals law enforcement agencies in Iraq are directly involved in the systematic persecution of the gay community. In addition to the “reports of militiamen in Iraq targeting homosexuals [sic], testimonial evidence gathered by BBC World Service shows that the Iraqi police are involved in the ongoing deadly persecution of gays, which the [Iraqi] government is ignoring.” According to activists, up to “a 1000 gay men and women…have been murdered since 2004, most of them in recent years.”11 March 2013 – Amnesty International releases a report stating that the Coalition forces, throughout their presence in Iraq until 2011, “subjected detainees to torture and other ill-treatment and were also complicit in serious violations of human rights committed by Iraqi security forces.” The report notes “[m]any detainees were transferred by Coalition forces from their custody to that of the Iraqi authorities in the knowledge that this would place such detainees at grave risk of torture or other abuses.” Amnesty International expresses concern that the mistreatment of prisoners by the Government of Iraq is likely to “continue to prevail and may even worsen”.
26 April 2013 – The International Crisis Group reports that on 23 April 2013, Iraqi security forces use force to end a demonstration in the town of Hawija in Kirkuk governorate, resulting in “over 50…killed and 110 wounded”. The incident is just one of many comprising the 2012–13 Iraqi protests, which are driven by the marginalisation of the Sunni Arab population in post-Saddam Iraq. The Government’s harsh suppression of these protests has exacerbated the sense of exclusion among a sizeable proportion of the Sunni population.
4 January 2014 – Human Rights Watch calls on Iraqi authorities to “immediately order a transparent and impartial investigation into violence between security forces and antigovernment protesters in the western city of Ramadi” that on 30 December 2013 “left 17 people dead”, and into “the apparently related killings of the brother and five bodyguards of a member of parliament, Ahmed al-Alwany, during his arrest” on 28 December 2013.
12 January 2014 – The International Criminal Court is presented with a “devastating 250-page dossier, detailing allegations of beatings, electrocution, mock executions and sexual assault [that] could result in some of Britain’s leading defence figures facing prosecution for ‘systematic’ war crimes.” The court acknowledges there is little doubt that British forces committed war crimes between 2003 and 2008.21 January 2014 – Human Rights Watch releases its World Report 2014. In a press release summarising the Iraq chapter of the report, Human Rights Watch states the Iraqi “government failed to protect its citizens” in 2013, using “arrests, criminal charges, and violence to intimidate protesters and journalists who expressed opposition to the government”. Iraqi “security forces…carried out brutal counterterrorism measures” and “[m]ilitias carried out assassinations that led to the displacement of thousands of families, with no one brought to justice for their crimes.”
6 February 2014 – Human Rights Watch releases a report on the systemic abuse of women in Iraq’s criminal justice system in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq. The report accuses Iraqi security forces of conducting “random and mass arrests of women that amount to collective punishment of women for alleged terrorist activities by male family members, often their husbands.” Despite being approximately 20 per cent of the total female population of Iraq, an overwhelming majority of women held in Iraqi prisons are Sunni Arab. Reported cases of abuse include “threats of, or actual, sexual assault (sometimes in front of husbands, brothers, and children)”, burning with cigarettes, “sexual torture” which sometimes “resulted in pregnancy” or physical disability, and “beatings, electric shocks with an instrument known as ‘the donkey,’ and falaqa (when the victim is hung upside down and beaten on their feet)”.
The report points out “Iraqi law allows for children under the age of four to remain in prisons with their mothers, but women reported that there have been instances of children remaining in prisons until they are 7-years old.” A prison employee told Human Rights Watch that in one instance “a child who was incarcerated with his mother on death row remained in the prison for several weeks after she was executed.”
The report traces the origins of these practices to the “legacy of abuse inherited from Saddam Hussein’s rule”, but also notes that “[a]fter 2003, US-led Coalition Forces transferred thousands of Iraqi detainees to Iraqi custody despite knowing that they faced a clear risk of torture”, and “[i]n some cases, Coalition Forces themselves committed abuses against prisoners, including female prisoners.”
3 March 2014 – US journalist Dahr Jamail reports, “[d]octors, residents and NGO workers in Fallujah are accusing the Iraqi government of ‘war crimes’ and ‘crimes against humanity’ that have occurred as a result of its ongoing attack on the city.” According to “Dr. Ahmed Shami, the chief of resident doctors at Fallujah General Hospital, …since Iraqi government forces began shelling Fallujah in early January 2014, at least 109 civilians have been killed and 632 wounded”, including women and children.
13 May 2014 – The International Criminal Court announces it is to conduct “a preliminary examination of what have been estimated to be 60 alleged cases of unlawful killing and claims that more than 170 Iraqis were mistreated while in British military custody during the conflict” between 2003 and 2008.27 May 2014 – Human Rights Watch reports that the “recurring strikes on the main hospital [in Fallujah], including with direct fire weapons, strongly suggest that Iraqi forces have targeted it, which would constitute a serious violation of the laws of war.” Human Rights Watch has ascertained that “[s]ince early May [2014], government forces have also dropped barrel bombs on residential neighborhoods of Fallujah and surrounding areas, part of an intensified campaign against armed opposition groups, including [ISIS]. These indiscriminate attacks have caused civilian casualties and forced thousands of residents to flee.”
11 June 2014 – Amnesty International reportsIraqi“Government forces have used indiscriminate shelling in Fallujah in the past six months, including on hospitals and in residential areas.”
27 June 2014 – Reuters reports that “in western Anbar province Iraqi troops had begun replying in kind [to ISIS’s atrocities], carrying out extra-judicial executions, torture and humiliations of their enemy and posting images of the results online” and “prisoners were being preemptively killed in Iraq to prevent militant groups from freeing them to rejoin the rebellion.”
11 July 2014 – Human Rights Watch uncovers “mass extrajudicial killings [that] may be evidence of war crimes or crimes against humanity”. Human Rights Watch claims “Iraqi security forces and militias affiliated with the government appear to have unlawfully executed at least 255 prisoners in six Iraqi cities and villages since June 9, 2014”, of whom “[a]t least eight…were boys under age 18.” The vast majority of the perpetrators are Shi’a security forces and militias, while the murdered prisoners were Sunni.
18 July 2014 – UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq) releases a report that details violations against civilians committed by the Iraqi security forces and affiliated militias, including “extrajudicial killings, and at times [carrying] out military operations without due respect for the principles of proportionality, distinction and the obligation to take all necessary precautions to protect civilians from the effects of violence, which may also amount to war crimes.” According to the report, UNAMI has received credible reports of “children [aged 13 to 18] increasingly being recruited by militias from all sides, including those supported by the [Iraqi] Government.” Enlisting children under the age of 15 is a war crime.
23 July 2014 – Human Rights Watch documents “17 Iraqi airstrikes that killed at least 75 civilians and wounded hundreds of others, including six attacks with barrel bombs…in Fallujah, Beiji, Mosul, Tikrit, and al-Sherqat.” Victims include women and children.
31 July 2014 – Human Rights Watch reports that “Government-backed militias have been kidnapping and killing Sunni civilians throughout Iraq’s Baghdad, Diyala, and Hilla provinces over the past five months”, marking “a serious escalation in sectarian violence at a time when the armed conflict between government forces and Sunni insurgents is intensifying.” Human Rights Watch records “the killings of 61 Sunni men between June 1 and July 9, 2014, and the killing of at least 48 Sunni men in March and April in villages and towns around Baghdad, an area known as the ‘Baghdad Belt’.”
13 September 2014 – The newly appointed Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi, says he has ordered a stop to airstrikes on civilian populations to comply with conditions set by moderate Sunni Muslim tribal leaders supporting the Iraqi Government’s military campaign. Prime Minister al-Abadi claims the order had come into effect on 11 September 2014, but “on that day alone, 14 barrel bombs were dropped on Fallujah city, killing 22 civilians according to a worker at the local hospital.”13 September 2014 – Human Rights Watch documents an Iraqi Government airstrike “that hit a school housing displaced people near Tikrit on September 1, 2014”, killing “at least 31 civilians, including 24 children, and wounded 41 others.” According to survivors, there were no fighters from ISIS or other military objects in or around the school at the time.26 September 2014 – The International Committee of the Red Cross states that US-led “air strikes in Iraq and Syria have compounded the humanitarian consequences of the conflicts in both countries.” As a result of the fighting, “[h]undreds of thousands have died, millions are homeless, livelihoods have been wrecked and the humanitarian situation continues to worsen”, while “it is getting increasingly dangerous for humanitarian organizations and workers to help those who are suffering.”13 October 2014 – Amnesty International documents cases of “torture and deaths in custody of Iraqi Government forces” and abuses against civilians such as “abductions and unlawful killings…all over the country” by “militias, often armed and backed by the government of Iraq, [that] operate with varying degrees of cooperation from government forces – ranging from tacit consent to coordinated, or even joint, operations” – as well as “in cooperation with or at least with the tacit consent of Kurdish Peshmerga forces”.
14 October 2014 – In a press release, Amnesty International states the Iraqi Government under Prime Minister al-Abadi is continuing to rely on the militias, as it did under his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki: “By granting its blessing to militias who routinely commit such abhorrent abuses, the [al-Abadi] government is sanctioning war crimes and fueling a dangerous cycle of sectarian violence that is tearing the country apart.”
2 November 2014 – Human Rights Watch reports Iraqi security forces and pro-government militias massacre 34 civilians in a mosque in Diyala governorate.10 November 2014 – Amnesty International issues a public statement referring to “documented cases of extortion and abductions and killings of Sunni civilian men by state-backed Shi‘a militias across Iraq”, who “have increasingly been used in the fight against the IS.” Amnesty International accords responsibility to the Iraqi Government “for crimes committed by the Shi‘a militias, since it has armed them or allowed them to be armed and to perpetrate abuses with impunity.” In the same statement, Amnesty International also refers to documented violations by the Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and expresses concern about the muted “response of the Iraqi government to long-standing human rights abuses, such as the systematic use of torture and other ill-treatment in prisons and detention centres.”
14 December 2014 – The International Criminal Court is to consider “[h]undreds of new cases accusing British soldiers of abusing – in many cases torturing – Iraqi men, women and children, aged from 13 to 101”, covering the period 2003 to 2008. A New Zealand Defence Force contingent worked alongside British forces from September 2003 to September 2004.
17 December 2014 – Reuters reports Iraqi forces have established “death zones” around Baghdad.
1 January 2015 – Iraq Body Count concludes “[t]he rise of [ISIS] as a major force in the conflict, as well as the military responses by the Iraqi Government and the re-entry of US and Coalition air forces into the conflict, have all contributed to the elevated death tolls” in 2014.
10 January 2015 – Australian media confirms Australian Special Forces are providing “training and assistance” to the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), a CIA-supported “elite Iraqi security force accused of killing prisoners and other human rights violations,” including “torturing detainees with impunity” at a secret detention facility in Baghdad, and allegedly being “responsible for major war crimes and unnecessary civilian casualties”.
15 February 2015 – Human Rights Watch reports that “[a]buses by militias allied with Iraqi security forces in Sunni areas have escalated in recent months” after battles against ISIS. The abuses include “[r]esidents [being] forced from their homes, kidnapped, and in some cases summarily executed.” As a result, “at least 3,000 people have fled their homes in the Muqdadiyya area of Diyala province since June 2014 and, since October, been prevented from returning.”
25 February 2015 – Amnesty International releases its annual report on the state of human rights, noting “[Iraqi] Government forces carried out indiscriminate bombing and shelling in IS-controlled areas, and government-backed Shi‘a militias abducted and executed scores of Sunni men in areas under government control.” According to the report, government “torture and other ill-treatment in detention remained rife, and many trials were unfair”, and the “government continued to hold thousands of detainees without charge or trial, many of them in secret detention with no access to the outside world.”
26 February 2015 – Human Rights Watch implicatesKurdish forces in “apparently unlawful conduct”, of having “confined thousands of Arabs in ‘security zones’ in areas of northern Iraq that they have captured since August 2014” and barred them from returning home, and also of having “destroyed dozens of Arab homes”.
1 March 2015 – Aid agencies warn coalition plans to retake ISIS-held population centres could greatly worsen the humanitarian crisis. The UN World Food Programme estimates “numbers fleeing an impending battle for Mosul in the course of the next few months could total a million” if the Iraqi army, backed by US airstrikes, seeks to recapture the city later this year. The International Committee of the Red Cross, too, has “issued a statement warning of a mass flight from Mosul”, and the World Health Organisation believes “an attempt to recapture Mosul could lead to hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in [Iraqi] Kurdistan.” Complicating matters, ISIS is increasingly becoming entrenched in civil society in areas under its control.
3 March 2015 – During the conquest of Tikrit, Prime Minister al-Abadi says in a speech to the Iraqi parliament: “There is no neutrality in the battle against ISIS. If someone is being neutral with ISIS, then he is one of them.” Human Rights Watch reports that Iraqi security forces and militias are effectively engaging in repeated abuses against civilians and ethnic cleansing in areas reclaimed from ISIS. According to media reports, “[m]uch of Tikrit’s pre-war population of roughly 260,000 has fled, but an unknown number of civilians – particularly those too poor or too elderly to flee – remain in the city and its outskirts.”
11 March 2015 –An ABC News investigation into Iraqi units known as the ‘dirty brigades’ uncovers photographic evidence of “Iraq’s most elite units and militia members massacring civilians, torturing and executing prisoners, and displaying severed heads”. For example, a “photo posted in September [2014] showed the severed head of [an] alleged ISIS fighter lashed to the grill of a U.S.-donated Humvee bearing an Iraqi Army license plate” and a “second related photo surfaced of what appeared to be an Iraqi Army soldier holding up the same severed head next to the gun truck.” In a video circulating in January 2015, “[f]ighters who appear to be a mix of militia and army…take pictures of a captured teenaged boy who appears terrified” and “shoot him to death”. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch review the “graphic evidence of Iraqi government forces committing torture, summarily executing civilians – including children – and even beheading captives.”
13 March 2015 – A UN report concludes that, throughout the summer of 2014, pro-government militias and the popular mobilisation forces (PMF) “seem[ed] to operate with total impunity, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.”
18 March 2015 – Human Rights Watch releases a report and media statement with evidence of “[m]ilitias, volunteer fighters, and Iraqi security forces engaged in deliberate destruction of civilian property after these forces, following US and Iraqi air strikes, forced the retreat of [ISIS] from the town of Amerli and surrounding areas in early September 2014” and displaced thousands.
19 March 2015 – Physicians for Social Responsibility releases a report attributing the deaths of up to one million Iraqis to the Iraq War (between 2003 and 2012).
28 March 2015 – An article in Foreign Policy argues the US-led coalition is effectively providing air cover for ethnic cleansing for government-backed militias.
3 April 2015– Amnesty International begins investigating reports of “widespread human rights abuses” by government-backed militias during and after the re-capture of the Tikrit area, including “reports that scores of residents have been seized early last month and not heard of since, and that residents’ homes and businesses have been blown up or burned down after having been looted by militias”, and “summary executions of men who may or may not have been involved in combat but who were killed after having been captured”.
4 April 2015 – Reuters correspondents witness “a convoy of Shi’ite paramilitary fighters – the government’s partners in liberating the city – drag a corpse through the streets behind their car.” They also witness “two federal policemen…[u]rged on by a furious mob, [who] took out knives and repeatedly stabbed the man in the neck and slit his throat” in an apparent attempt to behead him, and then “fastened [a cable] to the dead man’s feet and dangled him from the pole.” Official sources told Reuters that “dozens of homes had been torched in the city” and “they had witnessed the looting of stores by Shi’ite militiamen.”11 April 2015 – The Baghdad bureau chief for Reuters, Ned Parker, leaves Iraq after he was threatened on Facebook and denounced by a Shi’ite paramilitary group’s satellite news channel in reaction to a Reuters report that detailed lynching and looting in Tikrit. Parker is a 12-year veteran of Iraq war coverage. A media advocacy group, Committee to Protect Journalists, says that at least 15 journalists have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of 2013.
12 April 2015 – The Wall Street Journal interviews several Iraqi soldiers being trained at Taji Military Complex, who openly say “they actively served on their days off with Shiite militia – some of them…still listed by the U.S. as terrorist groups.”
4 May 2015 – Amnesty International calls upon the New Zealand Government to “ensure that any engagement plan in Iraq has the protection of civilians at its cornerstone”. Amnesty International says it “has continually raised concerns about the ongoing crisis in Iraq, highlighting in its research atrocities committed not only by [ISIS] but also by Iraqi government forces”, including “revenge attacks on civilians by militias, and indiscriminate shelling of residential communities by the Iraqi military.”
21 May 2015 – After months of denials, the Pentagon for the first time admits US-organised coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria are resulting in civilian deaths.
While there is a legal consensus on the lawfulness of coalition operations in Iraq so long as they remain within the consent of the Iraqi Government, some coalition partners are reluctant to intervene openly in Syria because of concerns over the legality of such military action. The case for coalition operations in Syria, such as the US and Canada’s airstrikes, is controversial in that they may be inherently unlawful.
29 May 2015 – Human Rights Watch issues a news release, stating “Iraqi authorities are preventing thousands of families fleeing the fighting in Ramadi from reaching safer parts of the country.” Some of the displaced are said to have died as a result.
2 June 2015 – A Human Rights Watch investigation reveals that “when Iraqi forces ousted ISIS fighters from Salah al-Din province in March and April they went on a rampage, burning down or blowing up hundreds of residents’ homes and shops”. As a result, “tens of thousands of Iraqis…remain displaced, often too scared to return to their homes that remain under the control of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).” The PMFis an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organisation, mainly composed of Shi’a militias and volunteer fighters. The organisation was formed in June 2014 for deployment against ISIS, following the fall of Mosul.
Though the Iraqi cabinet voted to bring the PMF formally under Prime Minister al-Abadi’s control on 7 April 2015, PMF abuses continue unabated. For example, a “graphic video posted [in May 2015] appears to show a person wearing PMF insignia in northern Salah al-Din executing with a rifle a kneeling and blindfolded man he claims is an ISIS member” and “in another gruesome video…, people wearing…PMF insignia laugh as the body of a man [whom] they say is ISIS is suspended over a fire.”
4 June 2015 – The UN warns “Iraq [is] on the brink of humanitarian disaster due to surging conflict and massive funding shortfall.”
5 June 2015 – UNICEF releases a report calling upon the Iraqi Government to take “urgent measures” to protect children, particularly in relation to “the detention of children under terrorism charges” and “the association of children with the Popular Mobilization Forces”. According to the report, “[a]n unknown number of children [have been] recruited by the pro-Government Popular Mobilization Forces in all conflict areas, as well as in Baghdad and Basra.” The UN itself “witnessed children in the Hurriya area of Baghdad patrolling with militia convoys in July [2014].” The UN is also aware of credible reports of “[b]oys as young as 10 years old [being] recruited and used by self-defence groups supporting Iraqi security forces [ISF] in the town of Amerli, Salah al-Din”, and “[c]hildren, including girls,…associated with Yezidi self-defence groups fighting alongside Kurdish Peshmerga and Turkmen-based self-defence groups in Ninewa and Kirkuk, and with Sunni tribal-based militias supporting ISF in Ramadi.”
7 June 2015 – The Defence Minister of New Zealand reiterates his government’s position that Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi “is doing his best to try and bring together two very disparate groups of people in the name of a modern, free Iraq” – despite evidence to the contrary.
10 June 2015– Amnesty International releases two reports detailing revenge attacks against civilians. One report describes “the massacre of at least 56 – possibly more than 70 – Sunni Arab men in Barwana, a village in Diyala province, by Shi‘a militiamen and government forces”. The other report describes a massacre committed by “a Yezidi militia [who] attacked two Arab villages, Jiri and Sibaya, in the Sinjar region of north-western Iraq on 25 January 2015.” The gunmen “killed 21 civilians, half of them elderly men and women and children, in what appear to have been execution-style killings, and injured several others, including three children”, and “also abducted some 40 residents, 17 of whom are still missing and feared dead.”
26 June 2015 – Reuters reports “dozens – [perhaps] hundreds – of mainly Arab Sunnis…have been banished from areas under Kurdish control in recent months as suspected Islamic State sympathisers, a measure some Arabs say is creating dangerous ethnic polarisation in areas recaptured from the insurgents.”
30 June 2015 – The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates “at least 4 million Iraqis [are] internally displaced as of 15 June 2015”, one quarter of whom were displaced between 2006 and 2008 during the Iraq War.
5 July 2015 – Al Jazeera reports “[a]t least 73 people have been killed in the western Iraqi cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, as the Iraqi government stepped up air strikes and artillery fire against [ISIS]”.
13 July 2015 – The UN releases a report on protection of civilians in the Non-International Armed Conflict in Iraq, noting that “[c]ivilians continue to be the primary victims of the ongoing armed conflict in Iraq”. The UN has recorded a total of approximately 45,000 non-combatant casualties (15,000 killed and 30,000 wounded) from 1 January 2014 to 30 April 2015. As the UN acknowledges, the casualty figures are conservative and under-report the actual number of civilians killed and injured.
The report refers to allegations of “violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations or abuses committed by ISF and affiliated armed groups that occurred during the reporting period.” These include “air strikes, shelling and conduct of particular military operations or attacks that may have violated the principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law”, as well as “targeted killings, including of captured fighters…, abductions of civilians, and destruction of property.” The UN also urges the Government of Iraq to consider becoming a party to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, and recommends it “stabilise areas recently liberated from [ISIS] by ensuring…the safety, security and well-being of residents of those areas and…that any displaced persons [can] return to their homes in safety and dignity.”
[caption id="attachment_7601" align="aligncenter" width="640"] UNAMI Graph – Civilian Casualties.[/caption]
22 July 2015 – In a briefing to the UN Security Council, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq says, “More than three million people are internally displaced and [UN] partners estimate that a nearly a million more are likely to be displaced by continuing conflict and violence in the months ahead.”
28 July 2015 – CBS News reports that the popular mobilisation forces (PMF) have set up training camps for “students as young as middle-school age to use their summer vacations to prepare to fight [ISIS].” According to the news report, there are “dozens of such camps around the country, [and] hundreds of students have gone through the training”, however “it is impossible to say how many went on to fight [ISIS] since those who do so go independently.” In recent months, the Associated Press has witnessed “over a dozen armed boys on the front line in western Anbar province, including some as young as 10.”
1 August 2015 – The president of Iraq’s Kurdistan region condemns Turkish airstrikes that killed civilians in the village of Zarkel in northern Iraq.]]>
This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 5 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from
Monday 3rd August.
NEWSROOM_MONITOR
Top stories in the current news cycle include news the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will stay open although an early closure is still an option from 2018, an investigation by the Ministry for Primary Industries a potential fish dumping off the coast of Northland, and the police shooting yesterday evening of a young man who said he was armed in a city park in Auckland.
Note: As well as providing a precis of leading broadcast bulletins each day, our NewsRoom_Monitor service does a daily paper round with succinct ‘news picks’ from the main metropolitan papers emailed by 9am each morning. If you’re interested in a free trial please email monitor@newsroom.co.nz
POLITICS PULSE
Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included:
Government: Groser disappointed TPP deal not reached; More housing support for vulnerable youth; Cook Islands Language Week celebrated; Positive response to Draft Restoration Plan; PM announces honorary military appointments
ACT Party: Welcomes NZ First to Superannuation debate
Greens: Time for the Govt to come clean on flailing TPP; Smelter decision creates opportunity for new economic plan; Groser’s emotions should not define NZ’s TPPA stance; Six NZ finalists in global tech awards; Government can support Māori Language Month; Salvation Army homeless report shows Govt is letting down the most vulnerable Kiwis
Labour: Stalled TPP chance for wider discussion; Tiwai Point welcomed but strategy needed; Christchurch East MP Poto Williams returns to Cooks for celebration
New Zealand FirstSpeech- The New Kiwi Deal;Management/Worker Takeover Only Sensible Solution For Tiwai; Can the TPPA be rebooted?
MONTHLY ECONOMIC INDICATORS: The July Monthly Economic Indicators (MEI) was published today on the Treasury Website at 2:00pm. The report provides a summary of recent economic events. Read more at:http://www.treasury.govt.nz/economy/mei/jul15
NIWA’S NEW HI-TECH TOOL: Identifying creepy crawlies in your local stream just got a whole lot easier and faster, thanks to a new 3D identification system developed by a NIWA researcher. Check out NIWA’s 3D SHMAK tool at:http://shmak-invert-id.niwa.co.nz
WATER QUALITY IN SOUTHLAND: Environment Southland has released an engagement document today that outlines the Council’s thinking and highlights some approaches that could help to improve water quality.
WORLDS SUMMIT AWARDS: Six New Zealand companies have been selected as finalists in this year’s World Summit Awards: Figure.NZ, ARANZ Medical, Pond, Ngā Tapuwae Gallipoli, Wipster and Attitude Live. For more information on the awards go to: http://www.wsa-awards.org.nz
And that’s our sampling of “news you can use” for Monday 3rd August 2015.
Analysis by Keith Rankin. This article was also published on Scoop.co.nz.
[caption id="attachment_3076" align="alignleft" width="300"] Poppies at Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli. Image by Selwyn Manning.[/caption]
This coming weekend marks the centenary of the Battle for Chunuk Bair. This battle is often regarded, as in the overview to the 1991 movie Chunuk Bair, as “a formative NZ nationhood moment”. Indeed it was the principal moment by far in New Zealand’s Gallipoli campaign of World War 1.
I don’t agree with the view that our national identity was forged at Gallipoli, despite the rah-rah about this in the week leading up to Anzac Day. New Zealand’s identity was forged way before that, probably in the 1870s when our quasi-federal system of self-government came to an end, when our globally itinerant goldminers had to settle down or leave, when our communication networks connected our provinces with each other, and when we saw ourselves as distinctively different from our Australian fellow colonisers. The Gallipoli ‘birth of the nation’ argument was based on a common misunderstanding of our hitherto relationship with Britain, the ‘Old Country’; a relationship that in reality had been far from subservient.
What concerns me now, however, is our lack of respect for our own history. We did the centenary Anzac Day thing for a week in April, and then, on 26 April, our remembrance was instantly forgotten. We completely ignored the centenary of the Second Battle of Krithia in May. As a pure debacle, that battle at Cape Helles was second in our military history only to Passchendaele. At Chunuk Bair, there was at least some ‘glory’ amidst the gory.
Why have we switched off? Why are no TV or Radio programmes about Chunuk Bair scheduled for the centenary of what many regard as the most important day ever in New Zealand’s military history? I could find no mention at all of Chunuk Bair in any of the two most recent issues of The Listener, usually a reliable guide to important commemorations.
It’s a particularly strange juxtaposition to our new-flag debate. So many people say we should keep the present flag because it’s the flag our soldiers in that war fought under. (Again, the alleged relationship to that particular flag represents part of the myth that New Zealand in WW1 was simply a subservient cog in the British Empire.) At the very least, TV1 or TV3 should be screening that 1991 movie, Chunuk Bair.
On the peak of Chunuk Bair on the Sari Bair Range of the Gallipoli peninsular, from which the all-important Dardanelles could actually be seen, on 8 August 1915 the Wellington Infantry Battalion fought a 24 battle (indeed a ‘victory’ at the time) which left 90% of that battalion as casualties. (Two days later, after the New Zealanders were ‘relieved’, the peak was lost. It’s hard to really imagine any other outcome in the days and weeks following. There was no yellow brick road to ‘Constantinople’ that would open up for the invading force, once the Dardanelles were sighted.)
Just go to see Peter Jackson’s Gallipoli diorama, at the Dominion Museum Building, Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, Wellington. The roll of honour for New Zealand soldiers slain on 8 August dwarf’s those for all other days of the campaign.
I think we have become afraid to engage meaningfully with our history, with the symbols that relate to different phases of our history, and with other contradictions about who we are that will shape our future whether or not we address them, just as they have shaped our past. We bury our past, just as we buried our soldiers.
Media coverage associated with last week’s 2015 Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, ended on a bit of a bum note when Prime Minister John Key was called out by the Sunday Star-Times for the way he appeared to pour instant cold water on the idea of extending it to a Māori Language Month.
To be fair to the PM, he had started Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori positively at his weekly Beehive press conference on Monday 27 July by delivering a casual-as, un-noticed “Kia ora tatou” … but ended the week poorly when his answer to a 16-year-old’s idea at a school assembly at Waiuku College of extending the celebration of the language to a month, was that it would leave people “bored”.
In the one-dimensional front page item this generated, Māori Party co-leader, and by the way Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, retorted that “it’s boring to speak English most of the time”.
Earlier in the week – as part of the Herald’s annual splash of Te Reo Maori coverage – Mr Flavell had stated he wants a greater focus on the language all year round.
In a video clip posted on the Herald site, Mr Flavell’s inimitable downbeat manner he encouraged the week to be seen as a time to take stock.
He put the challenge thus: “Every year (Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori) comes around, (it’s a) nice to do, yeah yeah yeah… but actually nothing happens for the rest of the year”.
In RNZ coverage during the week, Maori Television board member Dr Cathy Dewes view was that a week “isn’t enough but it’s better than nothing”.
In a brief audio broadcast from Te Manu Korihi reporter, Andrew McRae, Dewes also commented on the “institutionalised arrogance” that has been a barrier to deeper acceptance of te reo.
Waikato University’s Pou Temara, Professor of Te Reo and Tikanga, adjudged that the aspiration for te reo to be spoken “everywhere, by every time, at all times” has been regurgitated so often it “has almost become rhetoric”.
It does seem that the attention given to Māori Language Week – the 40th this year, and 25 years after Māori became an official language no less – could be said to be stuck in a loop.
Reportage on te ao Māori in New Zealand retains a predictable pattern year after year, with spikes around Waitangi Day and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (also having a milestone of 175 years in 2015) and in recent times Matariki, or Māori new year, in late May – early June being a good story magnet.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori itself emerged from Māori Language Day – first officially held on September 14, 1971. So there is definitely no reason for it not to continue to evolve, and perhaps it would be logical if the energy around Matariki celebrations could be combined with celebrating te reo over a longer period?
In reality you would think that’s a challenge (wero) that could be picked up by the Māori Language Commission, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – which while facing a lot of questionmarks about its own future within wider strategies, continues in its significant role as a pivotal hub for resources when Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori rolls around each year.
This image depicts Hinurewa Poutu together with her students at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Mana Tamariki, walking boldly toward the camera, living testimony to the success yielded from the past 40 years and the first few steps taken by Dame Whina Cooper and her grandchild. Hinurewa is a new board commissioner at Te Taura Whiri, a scholar and accomplished young Maori leader. She balances her life with duties as a pouako, educationalist and teacher, of primary and secondary-aged students at the school that nurtured her with te reo Maori.
Tino pai NZ Herald
Meanwhile the NZ Herald’s focus on the week in 2015, kept alive through the efforts of journalists like Simon Collins and Mathew Dearnaley, and (un-named translators), was again commendable.
As well as an extensive run of vocabulary and words (kupu), to learn about and commit to memory, features of the coverage included:
A pre-week selection on 25 July of songs and music videos that took te reo Māori to the top of the pop charts as picked by NZ On Screen Content Director Irene Gardiner. .
A Herald on Sunday column by Heather du Plessis-Allan that asserted “Language builds nations… Te Reo should be compulsory in schools”, under the headline ‘Te reo – We’re not trying hard enough’. (102 comments) .
The Herald‘s leader writer(s) contributed an editorial noting the “familiar objections” to fully embedding te reo Māori in the Primary School curriculum, referring to it as a suggestion that “has been made here in Maori Language Week for several years”. Where should the onus fall? In the Herald’s opinion finding enough teachers of the language “ought to have been high on the Maori Party’s priorities as a condition of its support for the present Government (and) Maori MPs in the Labour Party ought to be pressing for a commitment from the party at the next election”. Note: The Green Party and New Zealand First have called for a select committee inquiry into Te Reo Māori in schools. .
A not unexpected “wake-up call” that te reo is in danger of dying out from Dr Timoti Karetu, who was the first Māori Language Commissioner from 1987-99. Later in the week Dr Karetu delivered an inaugural State of Te Reo Māori address at Te Papa. .
Additional op-eds from: Tuehu Harris, acting chief executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori; Paora Maxwell, chief executive of Maori Television; Dr Paul Moon, Professor of History at Auckland University of Technology; and Dr Dean Mahuta, a senior lecturer at Te Ara Poutama, AUT’s faculty of Maori and indigenous development, and associate director of Te Ipukarea, AUT’s national Maori language institute. .
Video and story of the Lovell family’s te reo journey (video by Sam Sword)
As stated the Herald does a good job of adding stories under Te Reo Māori – as lodged on its own archive page.
For the year to date, and using just a site search for “te reo” it’s interesting to contemplate the extent of instances of coverage that come to light just attributable back to the Herald: A 21 June Herald on Sunday editorial stating “It is thanks to Maori that we realise language is a treasure”; news of Pita Sharples being made a knight companion of the NZ Order of Merit; a flurry of “cultural immersion” stories when in connection to Prince Harry and his visit in May; MOTAT winning a prize for “clever use of te reo” at the ServiceIQ 2015 New Zealand Museum Awards in Dunedin; advance news in April that William Shakespeare’s famous Globe theatre is heading to Auckland in 2016 and that a te reo rendition of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, written by actor and director Rachel House, will be performed; use of te reo by KIWA Digital, an Auckland-based production house for experiential digital books; the success of social enterprise, Patu Aotearoa; a call from Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy on Race Relations Day for te reo Māori to be compulsory in schools; the reactions recorded in February to 3News weather presenter Kanoa Lloyd using te reo during her segments (with a Herald on Sunday column by Kerre McIvor on the topic attracting more abuse in amongst 145 comments); and another book angle in a January article about author Sharon Holt’s collection of Te Reo Singalong books.
It seems like a long list, but in other eyes it might also seem like slim pickings, if you were wanting to arrive at a measure of positive ‘Māori reportage’ at our defacto national newspaper.
That impression is balanced out more when the stream of news published across the wider NZME. stable is taken into account.
The wider NZME.
Heading the pack – not surprisingly – is the Rotorua Daily Press.
Its stories during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori touched on a gym initiative led by Healthy Families Aotearoa, the launch of a te reo single by a local musician, the use of te reo prompts by Museum guides, a feature on te reo learning as a family affair and a story that began “Some Rotorua residents say it has been a life-long struggle to get people to say their names properly as calls are made for te reo Maori to be pronounced correctly”.
(We can’t mention the Rotorua Daily Post and its breadth of coverage and leave out a mention of the video posted there on 22 February of Modern Maori Quartet covering Lorde’s Royals, as originally performed on TV variety show Happy Hour, produced by Pango Aotearoa Ltd).
The Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times and Hawkes Bay Today were all equally active and ran upbeat editorial columns (Hopes for spread of Māori; All signs pointing to te reo progress; Celebrate a lovely language).
Making news in Whangarei was a heavy metal band, Alien Weaponry, for putting a twist on the traditional Māori waiata with what they believe may be the first heavy metal song in te reo Māori – Ruana Te Whenua.
Times editor Rosie Dawson-Hewes wrote that she had “spent a bit of time this week thinking about Te Ao Maori (the Maori world), partly due to it being Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and partly thanks to a brilliant talk by local Maori marriage celebrant Ellis Bryers at TEDxTauranga [about cultural identity and ‘Kiwitanga’]”.
Hawkes Bay Today reported that Eastern Institute of Technology was a showcase for the Maori language this week, with daily activities celebrating and promoting te reo.
A phrase of the week in the Wanganui Chronicle was “It’s cool to korero”, and at the Wairarapa Times-Age the story that the FreshChoice and SuperValue nationwide chain of 60 supermarkets spanning the country were promoting downloadable Māori language posters, colouring resources and matching cards made the news.
This fly-by of the ‘provincial coverage’ is a lead in to saying that the coverage of te reo Māori, and Māori achievement and cultural events generally do get reasonable play at the papers set out above – but it is hard work finding it, and a much larger topic to cover than intended for this article.
… and on a slightly bizarre note
A hat tip, too, for the Black Caps playing kitted out as “Aotearoa”, not “New Zealand” to mark the final day of Mãori Language Week. But we have to say the fact it happened in a one-day international against Zimbabwe, in Zimbabwe, was at a few levels just a bit bizarre.
In some ways you could say it was symbolic of our muddled relationship with te reo Māori… often gaining more accord offshore (think the haka) than onshore.
Now what would make this week less bizarre would be for the PM to greet the Press Gallery in te reo Māori again.
Welcome to the 4th World Journalism Education Congress that will be held in Auckland, from July 14 to July 16, 2016.
The conference, hosted by Auckland University of Technology’s School of Communication Studies,will provide a discussion forum on the development of journalism and journalism education worldwide.Contemporary developments signal significant shifts in the place of journalism programmes within the university and broader educational environment and in relationships with industry and wider society.
The implications of this transition will be the focus of the 4th World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC).
Journalism Education in the Asia-Pacific will also be a strong feature of the conference in partnership with the Pacific Media Centre.
Topics to be discussed at the congress will include:
Mobile/Social/User-generated Media and Journalism
Research Trends in Journalism
Utilising the Professional Connection Work in Journalism Education
The Lower Hatea River crossing in Whangarei, a new state of the art building at Middlemore hospital in Auckland and Wellington’s Clyde Quay Wharf were the gold winners tonight at the 50th annual NZ INNOVATE awards, organised by ACENZ – the Association of Consulting and Engineering Professionals of New Zealand.
The three projects received the top accolades ahead of twenty-five other finalists from across New Zealand.
The annual INNOVATE NZ awards celebrate engineering excellence. Past winners include iconic sites such as the Britomart Transport Centre in Auckland, Wairakei Geothermal development, the Sky Tower, the Westpac Trust Stadium in Wellington and the USAR Specialists’ Response to the Christchurch earthquake.
ACENZ chief executive Kieran Shaw says that many engineering projects are the platforms that modern society depends upon but so often takes for granted. Two key roading projects – Waterview in Auckland and Transmission Gully in Wellington – plus the completion of civic and community facilities in Christchurch are key projects in the next five years that will help improve lifestyles for many New Zealanders.
The $30.4 million Hatea River Bridge project in Whangarei was recognised for the engineers’ tenacity throughout iterative design process and close collaboration with architects and builders. It is only New Zealand’s second bridge with a lifting mid-section to enable boats to pass underneath.
Judges said the 265-metre bridge exemplifies outstanding civil construction, while showing that good design can include both functionality and aesthetics.
“The bridge is helping to ease traffic congestion in the area. Community involvement was also a key driver with more than 60 percent of the project’s value spent locally.”
In winning Gold for Manukau DHB’s Harley Gray Building, Beca were praised by Judges for their close collaboration with hospital staff throughout design, and use of energy conserving modelling studies to achieve high energy efficiency.
“The $124 million Harley Gray Building at Middlemore hospital provides 14 new, state of the art operating theatre suites and associated clinical services. Designed to the highest possible standards, this new ‘heart of the hospital’ provides space for future expansion.
“The facility provides an enhanced experience for the patients, families and staff serving the people of South Auckland. It was completed under budget and ahead of time, providing value for money with innovative, engineering solutions and long-term durability.
The third Gold Award went to Dunning Thornton for Wellington’s Clyde Quay Wharf project. This 100 year old, decaying and earthquake prone passenger wharf was successfully converted into a stunning and high-value premium apartment complex with vastly improved public access space.
“This exclusive redevelopment is located in an iconic and prominent position on Wellington harbour. The public reaction, values achieved for the apartments, and the technical success of a submerged carpark without a single leak are outstanding,” The ACENZ Judges report.
Napier, Palmerston North, Warkworth, Auckland, Christchurch and Waikato projects won silver awards.
ACENZ members make up around 95 per cent of New Zealand’s consulting engineers and infrastructure design industry, and represent about 10,000 employees. The Association reaches an extensive network across business and industry, and works closely with private and public sector leaders and policy makers.
The finalists and award winners were:
Gold
[caption id="attachment_5909" align="alignleft" width="878"] The Harley Gray Building is a $124 million 34,000sqm, five storey development that forms the new heart of Middlemore Hospital. This complex building provides 14 new Operating Theatre Suites and all associated clinical services all designed to the highest possible standards and providing space for future expansion.[/caption]
Counties Manukau District Health Board Harley Gray Building – Counties-Manukau
Lower Hatea River Crossing – Whangarei
Clyde Quay Wharf – Wellington
Silver
University of Auckland Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories
Cashin Quay 1 earthquake repairs – Christchurch
Waikato Expressway Huntly Section – Waikato
Ara Tuhono – Puhoi to Wellsford – Puhoi to Warkworth Planning Phase – Warkworth
Palmerston North City Council Digester upgrade – Palmerston North
Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI) – Auckland
[caption id="attachment_1844" align="alignleft" width="200"] Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]
‘The “final” ministerial meeting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in Maui has failed. Not opting to stay another day shows the gridlock is serious and potentially intractable’, according to University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey.
‘Everyone is blaming each other in Maui’, Kelsey said. ‘But the underlying reason for the gridlock is the domestic opposition in almost all the TPPA countries.’
‘People simply don’t believe a deal that raises the price of medicines and handcuffs the right of governments to regulate is in their national interests’.
‘Despite erecting a shroud of secrecy around the negotiations, politicians know they can’t sign a final deal that they can’t sell at home.’
Professor Kelsey notes that Minister Groser’s sales job got much harder this week.
After years of denial, he and the Prime Minister have now confessed that medicines will indeed cost more, that the TPPA will prevent tighter restrictions foreign investments, and that foreign investors might indeed sue New Zealand and win under the TPPA.
‘Those confessions raised the political price of the TPPA and meant the Minister couldn’t accept a cosmetic deal. Despite downgrading his ambitions from the initial “full liberalisation” to something “commercially meaningful” for dairy, even that was not achievable.’
Time has now almost run out.The US Fast Track law sets out a complicated process the US must follow. US consumer organisation Public Citizen calculates the absolute minimum amount of time is about 3 months.[1]
Under the more likely timeframe, if negotiations do not conclude until September the earliest Congress would vote on the TPP is January 2016, when the path to passage will be more politically fraught.That is US election year. The last thing Hilary Clinton, other Democrats and many Republicans want is a vote on a politically toxic deal mid-campaign.
‘Hopefully the groundswell of media coverage and discussion in New Zealand this week, along with a stronger position from Labour and the Waitangi Tribunal claim, have created enough pressure on the government to cut its losses and walk away’, Kelsey said.
‘At the very least, before the negotiations resume we need to see the text and the options clearly laid out, and have an independent and comprehensive cost benefit analysis that can be debated in an open and democratic way’.
‘I and others will seek to advance that openness with the judicial review proceedings of the Minister’s refusal to release documents under the Official Information Act, to be filed early next week’.
Statement of Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch – Yet Another ‘Final’ TPP Ministerial and Again No Deal; Not Surprising Given Growing Controversy Over TPP Threats Here and in Other Nations
Today’s fourth “final” TPP ministerial without a deal means the clock has run on possible U.S. congressional votes in 2015. No deal means the TPP is thrown into the political maelstrom of the U.S. presidential cycle and with opposition building in many countries there are reduced chances that a deal will ever be reached on a pact that U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman declared to be in its “end game” in 2013 but that has become ever more controversial since.
It’s good news for people and the planet that no deal was done at this final do-or-die meeting given the TPP’s threats to jobs, wages, safe food, affordable medicines and more. Only the beleaguered negotiators and most of the 600 official U.S. trade advisors representing corporate interests wanted this deal, which recent polling shows is unpopular in most of the countries involved.
This ministerial was viewed as a do-or-die moment to inject momentum into the TPP process, so this Maui meltdown in part reflects how controversial the TPP is in many of the involved nations and how little latitude governments feel to make concessions to get a deal.
The intense U.S. national political battle over trade authority was just a preview of the massive opposition the TPP would face once members of Congress and the public see the specific TPP terms that threaten their interests. Given the damaging impacts that some TPP proposals could have for many people, it’s not surprising that the same set of issues including investor-state dispute resolution and medicine patents as well as market access issues like sugar, dairy, and rules-of-origin on manufactured goods like autos remain deadlocked given they will determine whether a final pact is politically viable in various TPP countries.
Many of the 28 House Democrats who supported Fast Track authority for Obama explicitly said that their support for the TPP relied on certain goals being met, including strong, enforceable labor and environmental standards, and no rolling back of past patent rule reforms relating to access to medicines – terms meeting the “May 2007” standard that elements of the TPP do not meet.
Useful Resources
·The Fast Track timeline for a U.S. congressional vote on the TPP: As this memo explains, under the Fast Track bill passed last month, various congressional notice and report filing requirements add up to about four and one half months between notice of a final deal and congressional votes being taken. Thus, unless there is a final TPP to go along with today’s press announcement so that formal notice to Congress can be given immediately, it is already too late for a TPP vote in Congress in 2015.
·Congressional Letters Raising Doubts on the TPP’s Prospects: On July 30, 19 pro-Fast Track Democrats sent a letter laying out necessary environmental terms for an acceptable deal; on July 29, 18 pro-Fast Track Democrats sent a letter about lack of enforcement in current and future trade agreements and demanding action against Peru for violations of environmental terms in its bilateral U.S. trade deal. Twelve Democrats who supported Fast Track and 12 GOP members were among the 160 Representatives signing a letter decrying Malaysia’s inclusion in the TPP and the upgrade of Malaysia’s Human Trafficking status. Since Fast Track’s passage, a series of letters have been sent by U.S. representatives and senators insisting that the TPP include enforceable disciplines against currency cheating in its core text.
·Polling: As this memo shows, recent polling reveals broad U.S. public opposition to more of the same trade deals among Independents, Republicans and Democrats. While Americans support trade, they do not support an expansion of status quo trade policies, complicating the push for the TPP.Furthermore,recent Pew polls in many of the TPP nations show that, outside Vietnam, the deal does not have strong support.
Michael Woodhouse. Image courtesy of TheStandard.org.nz.[/caption]
Analysis by Keith Rankin. This article was also published on TheDailyBlog.co.nz.
On Q+A (TVNZ) on 12 July, Michael Woodhouse, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety discussed ‘Zero-Hour’ labour contracts as a subset of ‘casual’ labour contracts (See Q+A: Woodhouse – proposed changes to zero-hour contracts transcript on Scoop). The word ‘casual’ features widely in the interview.
I think Mr Woodhouse is right to note that the wider issue is the regulation of casual labour contracts, and we might note that zero-hour contracts are not particularly casual from an employers’ viewpoint. So we might wonder whether it’s time to forget about labour as we have come to understand it – fulltime tenured employment – and shift properly to a self-employment model. (Employers of course would still be free to offer tenure; and many would wish to do so.) These cheap zero-hour employment contracts seem to deliver – to powerless employees and would-be employees – the worst of both worlds; minimum wages and minimum flexibility.
Before the rise of Trade Unions in the nineteenth century, labour was seen as a simple commodity, and labour costs were understood (eg by classical economists) essentially as the price of food. (‘Corn’ in the then English vernacular.) Workers would draw income in part from small plots of land and in part from the labour market, or from cottage industry. Urban workers, still very much in the minority, would be hawking their bodies, providing whatever services of strength or finesse might be in demand. Tinkers would repair tinware, and offer trinkets for sale. Or they would be artisans or journeymen, often members of a craft guild.
By the end of the nineteenth century, landlessness had become endemic, and guilds a faint echo of times past. Security of tenure in employment became a protection against the loss of alternative income streams. But to gain a degree of security of tenure, workers were subject to monopsony control by employers. They operated by selling labour services to a single buyer. And, in accepting pre-contracted wages, workers gave up the rights to a share of their employers’ profits.
Workers have two possible sources of bargaining power, a countervailing collective in the form of a trade union, and/or an alternative income stream (albeit meagre, often subsistence gardening and a chicken run). From the 1980s, the most important alternative income stream in countries like New Zealand has been partners’ (eg spouses) incomes. For young people this century it’s increasingly parents’ incomes.
If we move to a system where self-employment is the norm, neither of these sources of bargaining power need be dispensed with. After-all, actors are self-employed, and their Union (Equity) is no simple pushover. Further dairy farmers still control the biggest union in the country; it’s called Fonterra. In pre-industrial times, unions were guilds, and it may be that is what unions must morph back into now that the heyday of the industrial wage worker seems to be well and truly over.
In the industrial wage-worker era of the twentieth century, we came to a number of other working-class accommodations that would be quite unacceptable today. The working-class racist rhetoric of a century ago in Australia and Canada and New Zealand was principally (but not only) about restricting labour supply through tight immigration controls. And gender pay differences were about using the power of the state to enforce above-market wages for men, who were presumed to need to earn enough to feed, house and clothe five people, not just one. Children were a responsibility, not a luxury.
Today we live in a different era; an era of individual equity. Children are a consumption good that middle-class women and/or men raise (mainly in pairs or in singles) in the context of a range of choices of alternative consumption possibilities.
So, given the individualism of the present era (and individualism is not going away any time soon) we need an alternate income stream that reflects this modern reality. That income stream is public equity. And indeed we have had such an income stream (of sorts) in New Zealand ever since Mickey Savage’s government’s introduction of ‘cradle to grave’ welfare in 1938.
In principle it meant that all New Zealanders would expect to make their way through life with a mix of private and public support. The public side was then tailored to people on the basis of age and gender as well as on the basis of immediate need. And much of it was funded through collective services such as education and public health-care. The underlying principle, despite the varying modes of delivery, was public equity; it was economic democracy to complement political democracy. The democratic state had become the embodiment of publicness, not of kingly or elite corruption which it had been in the time of the early classical economists.
The state no longer has the beneficence that it had in that middle part of the twentieth century. Its mission now is mainly to deny support in order to cut costs. So the concept of ‘state’ has had its day. In its place are the concepts of publicness, and of governance.
The public is an economic interest, much as organised labour once was. It has a substantial (though often denied) claim on the economic output of any nation – especially a nation whose development has been made possible by collective civil inputs such as information, infrastructure and institutions – and thus embodies the equity of each and every resident, much as universal suffrage represents a nation’s political equity.
That public equity is our workers’ second income stream; whether the workers are self-employed or have salaries, or whether they have obligations on their time which are unrewarded in the private marketplace. Public equity income is ninety percent here today, hidden away in our tax scales and in our medley of welfare benefits. Once we remove the opaqueness and obfuscation around the ‘optics’ of these income streams, Mickey Savage’s inspiration still lives. We just need some part, no matter how small, of that publicly-sourced income to be transparently unconditional. Good things often come from small beginnings.
With a combination of Equity guilds (such as Actors’ Equity) providing some bargaining offset to corporate labour monopsony, and an acknowledged and unconditional publicly-sourced income stream, then the market-system can yet achieve its potential, as a just, sustainable and equitable means of allocating and conserving resources.
Under such conditions, we can combine private contracts (that provide flexibility to both parties) with public equity. While labour servants may not be paid for every hour that they are available for work, purchasers of labour services will not be able to simply assume that people are sitting at home waiting for the ‘come to work’ call. They might just be doing work for someone else.
After all, when I call a plumber, I cannot expect that plumber to be idly waiting for my call. He or she may be unavailable, fixing someone else’s taps or toilets. Or playing golf. I don’t grizzle. If I have a plumbing emergency, I call another plumber. Eventually I find one. As an ordinary buyer without monopsony privileges, I may have to pay a bit more to secure a plumber immediately. Indeed, if I want my plumber to be on call, I expect to have to pay a substantial premium. So it should be, also, with burger assemblers, shop assistants, and commercial cleaners.
Alistar Kata OPINION: It’s an indescribable feeling working with local journalists in Samoa, in possibly one of the most exciting times in the country’s history. The buzz of the city was beyond definition leading up to the All Blacks versus Manu Samoa test and the day of the match.
Even on the way there all anyone could talk about on the plane was the game and their predictions of the outcome. The locals were literally breathing rugby and it was awesome to see such passionate characters thrilled over something that is so familiar to us back home.
But the whole experience for me was more than just the game. The highlight of the trip was definitely the people I met.
I was the most fortunate person having met and worked alongside the local media. Their perseverance and diligent work ethic would put some of the journalists in New Zealand to shame.
They care about their work and because their community is so localised, everything matters.
Each newsroom I went to (Samoa Observer, Radio Polynesia, Press Secretariat and TV1 welcomed me with open arms.
Family environment The main point that stands out for me about the local media is the sort of family environment they create in their newsrooms. Although there is the odd tussle or war of words, there’s no competitiveness or friction there.
Everybody is there for the same purpose and they all help each other out, it’s a sort of “we are all in this together” feel.
It was an atmosphere that was conducive to the work we were producing, and at the end of the day when the end product was completed; you knew that it was a real team effort.
The reporters also work under some constraints in terms of the equipment and technology available to them. Although their industry is not as advanced as the systems in other Pacific countries, they get the job done without complaint or qualm.
It was such an education for me to see and experience with them, working in that way.
While I was at TV1, most of their crew had gone away to Papua New Guinea to report on the 2015 Pacific Games, and because most of their gear was taken, they had to record on tapes.
Slower downloads Everything was so much slower to download and convert and process, but the team got on with the task and made sure the work was done.
Working with the locals also gives you certain access to different events and provides the best opportunities to meet so many people.
I was able to rub shoulders with the Prime Minister of Samoa Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, a few cabinet ministers, members of Parliament, the Manu Samoa team, and journalists and media from around the region.
I will take away so many lessons from this trip, but the most important lesson would be that I gained a wider understanding of the type of journalist I want to be.
The Pacific region is an area that is at most times misunderstood, at least in the mainstream media in New Zealand.
This experience has nailed home for me the importance of being a reporter that builds understanding, and gives an accurate expression of who these Pacific people are and what matters to them.
I’m so thankful for the opportunity I had working in Samoa and will definitely make plans to go back.
NewsroomPlus.com
MGSM Release: Sydney and Melbourne property prices have grown at more than 15 per cent per annum over the last three years, outperforming any other Australian markets and creating a bubble, says Nobel Prize winning economist Professor Vernon Smith.
Speaking at a dinner in Sydney last night hosted by the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) Professor Smith discussed the future and current state of global property prices and argued that bubbles aren’t necessarily a bad thing.
“In Sydney and Melbourne, you are talking about regional growth that is significantly faster than other areas. There may be speculation that that is overdone but generally bubbles are a normal function of the economy,” said Professor Smith.
“There is little regulators can do to prevent them as they are largely a reflection of human nature, investing in what they perceive as a growth market,” he said.
“Our research, over many years, has shown that even if investors can see that they are investing in real estate at the peak of the market, they adopt a boom-time mentality,” said Professor Smith.
Professor Vernon Smith is the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize Winner in Economics. Best known for his work on experimental economics. Professor Smith is in Australia for MGSM. While in Australia, Professor Smith also opened the Vernon L Smith Experimental Economics Laboratory at MGSM’s North Ryde Campus.
“Prof Smith is the founder of experimental economics and a pioneer of research on real estate bubbles,” said Professor Alex Frino, Dean of MGSM.
“His lecture at the dinner provided cutting-edge insight into what is happening in Sydney and Melbourne property markets at the moment. He identified that prices are rising at an increasing rate which almost certainly signals that a bubble has formed,” said Professor Frino.
This is the second event in MGSM’s Nobel Laureate Speaker Series which aims to bring the greatest minds in the world to Australia to discuss critical global business issues.
Dr Vernon Smith
Dr. Smith has joint appointments with the Argyros School of Business & Economics and the Fowler School of Law, and he is part of a team that will create and run the new Economic Science Institute at Chapman. Dr. Smith has authored or coauthored more than 250 articles and books on capital theory, finance, natural resource economics and experimental economics. He serves or has served on the board of editors of the American Economic Review, The Cato Journal, Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization, the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Science, Economic Theory, Economic Design, Games and Economic Behaviour, and the Journal of Economic Methodology.
In 1991, the Cambridge University Press published Dr. Smith’s Papers in Experimental Economics, and in 2000, a second collection of more recent papers, Bargaining and Market Behaviour. Cambridge published his Rationality in Economics: Constructivist and Ecological Forms in January 2008.
About MGSM
MGSM is one of the oldest business schools in Australia and has maintained a reputation for providing high quality, flexible postgraduate education over the past 40 years. The schools MBA and management programs are formally accredited by AACSB International and are ranked consistently among the top business schools globally. With world-class campuses in Sydney and Hong Kong, MGSM’s comprehensive MBA Program, and Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate Programs, are designed to fulfil the needs of the experienced management professional, extend and challenge students and provide relevant, higher management and leadership skills. The school is also an acknowledged leader in the delivery of short-term Executive Education Programs and customised degree or non-degree programs for organization.
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NewsroomPlus.com
New Zealanders love their holidays and according to recent data released by Statistics NZ, last month alone 198,800 kiwis took a vacation.
For the year ending June 2015, over 2.3 million New Zealanders left New Zealand to indulge in a holiday abroad.
After you’ve slaved for months at work or completed another year of hard-out study or are looking for some family time, where would you choose to go to rejuvenate?
This week NewsRoom brings you the top 10 holiday destinations identified by official figures:
1. Australia – 1,114,840
Our neighbour, Australia claims the number one stop travel destination with over 1.1 million visits made in the past 12 months. Not too surprising given it’s only a 3 hour flight away and with the exchange rate flying high earlier in the year.
Visit the world’s largest coral reef system called the Great Barrier Reef (Source: http://www.tripoto.com/)
2. The United States of America – 174,280
For anyone that has a checklist of countries to visit, the US is likely to be one of them. The lure of the States is the travel, the adventure and diverse places to visit from Hollywood, to Las Vegas, to New York. The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) assists in determining eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). New Zealand is one of over 30 countries included in the programme, which allows visitors for tourism or business to spend up to 90 days in the United States. Be sure to apply for your ESTA 72 hours prior to travelling.
Enjoy the best 3D rides at Universal Studios Hollywood (Source: http://www.discoveramerica.com)
3. Fiji – 136,320
With 333 tropical islands in the heart of the South Pacific Fiji is a popular holiday destination for many New Zealanders. Fiji is also the home of happiness. Many travel packages offer accommodation and exclusive deals to resorts and hotels around the country. What makes Fiji unique is that it’s a place for everyone and anyone, from backpackers to high-end private islands. You do not require a visa to go to Fiji but are granted a entry upon arrival.
Discover Fiji’s unique marine life (http://www.fiji.travel.com)
4. United Kingdom – 102,860
‘Mother England’ still holds a big attraction for travelling New Zealanders. Whether you’re a fan of ancient cathedrals or royal families England has history to burn. New Zealand passport holders may generally enter the UK for six (6) months without a visa on a visa waiver if they are there for a holiday. However, you will still need to satisfy a Border Force officer when you arrive that you meet the requirements of your visitor category, and aren’t in the UK for any other purpose.
St Pauls Cathedral is one of many examples of Britain’s rich heritage (Soure: http://www.stpauls.co.uk)
5. China – 81,880
The world’s oldest continuous civilisation, New Zealanders are finding amazing places to visit in China. One of the iconic symbols, the Great Wall is the longest wall in the world, an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture. New Zealanders are advised to apply for their visa to China in the country they are ordinarily resident. (If you live in New Zealand, you should obtain your visa before you leave.)
One of the 7 wonders of the world “The Great Wall of China” has stood as the world’s most profound man-made monument to national defense (Source: http://www.swiftholidays.com)
6. Cook Islands – 78,360
Located halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii in the South Pacific, the Cook Islands Visitors travelling on New Zealand passports are granted an entry permit for a stay of 90 days on arrival. The country’s blue lagoons and extensive reefs make it a popular scuba-diving destination. However, it is Cook Islands Cultural performances that makes the visit worthwhile from Hula dances to fire dancing performances. The cultural showcase is regarded as the main tourist attraction.
The Cook Islands is the only country that has stepped up to Hawaii’s reputation of the best Hula performance (Source: http://www.culture.gov.ck)
7. Samoa – 49,820
Samoa may not be as highly visited as her neighbouring islands of Fiji and the Cook islands but the country also has pristine beaches, lagoons and forests to explore. Samoa and New Zealand already have a close relationship, and when New Zealanders arrive in Samoa, they simply receive an entry permit on arrival valid for 60 days.
To Sua Ocean Trench: it’s not the jump but the scenery that will take your breath away (Source: http://www.representationplus-samoadiaries.blogspot.com)
8. India – 45,160
India is a land full of rich culture, heritage and incredible natural beauty. New Zealand is one of those countries that falls under the new visa policy, allowing visitors to obtain a visa on arrival at 9 designated international airports by obtaining an Electronic Travel Authorization online before arrival, without the need to visit an Indian consulate or visa centre.
The “Mehndi” markings is symbolic for its divine meanings . Known for its spiritual sense, India is the perfect place to give you a different outlook in life. (Source: http://www.weddingsoutfit.com)
9. Thailand – 40,740
Thailand welcomes New Zealanders with her grand palace, Thai cuisine and tropical wildlife. A New Zealand passport gets you a tourist visa stamp once you arrive, 30 days if you enter via air and 15 days if you enter via land.
“The Beach (2000)” which starred Leonardo Dicaprio boosted reasons to Maia Beach (Source: http://www.thaifacebook.blogspot.com)
10. Indonesia – 39,100
Indonesia has a special vibe, an essence, something authentic that is too difficult to describe about the place with her beaches and authentic culture. From June this year, New Zealand passport holders are part of the free-visa policy and are issued a stay permit for 30 days free of charge upon presentation of a passport on arrival.
The Raja Ampat Islands there is no caption to describe this place (Source: travellersindo.blogspot.com)Sources:
[caption id="attachment_4808" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr Bryce Edwards.[/caption]
Should we celebrate the super rich in New Zealand or see their growing wealth as a cause of inequality and division? The publication of the NBR’s latest annual Rich List has fuelled debate about the gap between the rich and poor.
Every year the National Business Review seeks to help New Zealand understand and appreciate this country’s super wealthy. The Rich List is a catalogue of extreme wealth concentration and provides insights into power, inequality, and business. And each year, the cries of “injustice” seem to get louder.
What is fascinating about this year’s Rich List debate is that the most trenchant criticism of the rich and the economic divide comes from one of the Rich Listers. Sir James Wallace is ranked 93rd on the NBR list, with an estimated worth of $130m. Wallace has lashed out at his own kind declaring the “super wealthy” are “super selfish”, and blames the rich for the growing gap between the rich and poor – see Narelle Henson’s NBR Rich Lister calls out the super wealthy. He claims that the super wealthy need to be “outed”, and he draws attention to their “obscene” incomes and luxury lifestyles.
A more dispassionate – but equally revealing – critique can be found in a Radio New Zealand report covering analysis of the Rich List by researcher Max Rashbrooke, who has a book coming out soon about the wealthy in New Zealand. Rashbrooke says that the “wealthiest one percent of people now own 17 percent of all wealth in New Zealand. But… the poorest half (50 percent) of the country own just 5 percent” – see Shannon Gillies’ Rich-listers rake in the cash.
Rashbrooke, who was also interviewed on Morning Report, says the “list shows the global financial crisis has ended for the wealthiest, but ordinary New Zealanders are still struggling”. Pointing to the increase in wealth on the latest list, he says “the huge increase in wealth represents the biggest increase proportionally in the review’s list”. Based on this, he characterises our economy as a “trickle up” one, as resources seem to get distributed from the poor to the rich.
So how much richer have the rich become? The actual Rich List is here, although most of it is paywalled. Nonetheless, totalling up the individual fortunes of those on the list shows that this elite of 184 earners now totals $55 billion – up $3.8 billion (or 7.4 per cent) from last year.
Rich List editor Duncan Bridgeman discusses the increase in his NBR article, Wealth creators shine brightly amid economic prosperity. He says “This is the biggest proportional increase since the Rich List first appeared in 1986. Back then, it started with 55 individuals and 12 families with a total minimum net worth of $5.3 billion”. He confirms that the rich are currently doing well: “there’s no question that the past few years have been good ones for the country’s wealthy”.
John Anthony has a good summary of the list in Graeme Hart tops NBR’s 2015 Rich List. In this report, the increasing wealth of the rich is emphasised – it is pointed out that “The fortunes of New Zealand’s richest people have skyrocketed in value over the past decade”. For example, Graeme “Hart has increased his wealth by $6.25b since 2006”.
To contextualise Hart’s rising fortunes, another article says: “The minimum wage may be $14.75 an hour, but the richest New Zealander Graeme Hart took home $63 a second last year – even when he was asleep” – see: Richest Kiwi earnt $5m a day last year.
In terms of gender, as usual, men dominate the list. In fact, you have to go all the way down to the 38th ranking to get to the first woman, Victoria Ransom. The other women on the list are Diane Foreman, Wendy Pye, and Annette Presley. There are actually other women on the Rich List, but they’re part of the dozens of entries listed as families and couples, rather than individuals.
And perhaps New Zealand was never really that equal anyhow. Blogger Steven Cowan looks at the wider debate and proposes that the “world must be turned upside down” – see: The fat cats get fatter.
New Zealand is not a plutocracy – the rich do not actually run the country directly (despite occasional conspiracy theories of many on the left). We may live in an advanced capitalist liberal democracy where the interests of business have an extraordinary influence on public policy, yet to a large extent the areas of politics and wealth are not exactly the same thing in New Zealand. This can be seen by looking at the Rich List, in which there are few politicians or even people overtly connected to parliamentary politics – but nonetheless there are some.
The most obvious political figure on the list is the Prime Minister, John Key (#173) with a net worth of $55m. But another National MP is worth about the same – backbencher Ian McKelvie made his money in farming and now chairs Parliament’s primary production select committee.
National Party president Peter Goodfellow is high on the list, as the Goodfellow family are worth $550m – up ten per cent from last year. Not only is Goodfellow busy running New Zealand’s ruling political party, but also has interests in the family’s “fishing, food, finance, property, clothing and engineering” businesses.
The National Party is linked with a number of other Rich Listers. Barry Coleman (the former publisher of the NBR) is valued at $145m, and last year donated $50,000 to National. And Parliament’s Speaker, David Carter, has a brother on the list – Philip Carter who owns about $120m.
Of course other parties have supporters amongst the rich. For example, Philip and Jackie Mills are listed as being worth $110m, but support the Green Party. Long-time Act Party supporter Alan Gibbs is high on the list with his $495m fortune. And Greg Loveridge ($55m) worked for the previous Labour Government and donated $5000 last year to Trevor Mallard’s election campaign.
Café Pacific
Zinedine’s wonder try.
By Jack Gaughan for MailOnline
FRANCE 98 victors have taken on European rugby union champions Toulon in a charity match – with World Cup star Zinedine Zidane scoring a stunning try from his own half.
The two sides played 45 minutes of football and then rugby at the Toulon stadium headquarters on Tuesday.
Christian Karembeu popped a three-metre pass off to Zinedine Zidane on halfway and the mercurial Frenchman looked up and saw a miniscule gap in which to drive towards.
He dropped a shoulder, weaved in between two defenders and from there, just inside the opposition half, space opened up.
Two more trailed in his wake as 43-year-old Zidane moved through the gears, accelerating beyond them before nonchalantly checking back to see if they were giving chase.
They weren’t, this was a lost cause, and Zidane had plenty of space to move into and just one more man to manoeuvre.
That didn’t bother Zidane, however, who was the main attraction at Stade Felix Mayol
Once in possession with that much room there is no stopping him. The final man gave up as the World Cup winner danced past to score.
All rather familiar, nothing surprising. Until it becomes apparent there is no ball at Zidane’s feet, but in his hands. It turns out he’s fairly handy at rugby too.
The last man was Delon Armitage.
All proceeds from the match went to the Association de Pascal Olmeta, a children’s charity, and followed the same pattern as a game two years ago.
Toulon took on Marseille back then, with Eric Cantona turning out as referee.
Toulon coach Bernard Laporte was on hand to officiate, while Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly and Robert Pires were all involved.
Pires also went over for a try, teasing the home defence into charging at him before touching down.
Zidane’s weaving was impressive but the defending was charitable on a good evening.
Toulon eventually ran out 30-20 winners in rugby half, while goals from Pires helped France to a 6-3 victory in the football 45.
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This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 7 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Friday 31st July.
NEWSROOM_MONITOR
Top stories in the current news cycle include the progress of the controversial controversial Health and Safety Reform Bill through Parliament, concern that that the Trans Pacific Partnership will not result in increased trade access for dairy exports. and news that frontline police are to start carrying tasers at all times when on duty.
In a milestone for New Zealand’s term on the UN Security Council, and its first month in the chair (there will be one more opportunity), an Open Debate has been held, titled Peace and security challenges facing Small Island Developing States. A copy has bee posted on our Journal news-log here: http://newsroomplus.com/2015/07/31/united-nations/
Note: As well as providing a precis of leading broadcast bulletins each day, our NewsRoom_Monitor service does a daily paper round with succinct ‘news picks’ from the main metropolitan papers emailed by 9am each morning. If you’re interested in a free trial please email monitor@newsroom.co.nz
POLITICS PULSE
Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included:
Government: Students encouraged to remember Passchendaele; Report reveals Manawatū-Whanganui opportunities; Aranui education vision takes shape; Carrying Tasers a welcome move; Site purchased for Pt Chevalier Kindergarten and Community Education Hub; New premises for Auckland addiction service; NZ deeply concerned at Israeli settlements announcement; New Metroport Christchurch brings healthy competition; More than 1.2m flu vaccine doses distributed; Winston Churchill Fellows honoured; Joyce to visit the Philippines and Vietnam; Appointments to the New Zealand Film Commission
ACT Party: World Cup audiences shouldn’t be stuck at home
Greens: Wellington case another sign the Govt must do more to fix the state of our housing stock; Global Community loses opportunity on climate change
Labour: Bennett’s legacy a test for Tolley; Will poor TPP dairy outcome stop National selling out our homes?
New Zealand First: Businesses need helping hand to deliver new health and safety requirements; Protecting our Police-its about time; Time for the Government to wake up over rail; More farmland falling into foreign hands, despite English saying only kiwi farmers can make a profit
FLU VACCINE: Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the Government has reached its target of immunising 1.2 million New Zealanders with the influenza vaccine this year. For advice about influenza immunisation visithttp://www.fightflu.co.nz
FUTURE OF NZ MARINE: By 2050 New Zealand will have a fleet of ocean gliders undertaking scientific measurements, an aquaculture industry powered by marine energy operating far offshore and weather forecasts available 18 months in advance. To read the paper: www.royalsociety.org.nz/publications/journals/nzjr/
NZIER INSIGHT: Responding to obesity, the most pressing health issue facing New Zealand, will require working differently to design policy responses. Rather than top down policy interventions like ‘sugar taxes’, we need mixed strategies designed with those who experience obesity. Read more: http://nzier.org.nz/publication/sitting-down-on-the-job-nzier-insight-51
REMEMBER PASSCHENDAELE: Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss says a multi-media competition for year 13 students will help ensure the bravery and sacrifice of New Zealand troops during the Battle of Passchendaele is not forgotten. For more information visit: www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz/for-veterans/commemorations/passchendaele/
WHITEBAIT SEASON STARTS: The Department of Conservation (DOC) is reminding whitebaiters to be aware of whitebait regulations, as the 2015 season begins in a couple of weeks. Click here to find out more:http://www.doc.govt.nz/whitebait
WTO STATISTICS: The WTO updated its Statistics Database on 30 July 2015. It now includes revised data for 2014 on global exports and imports of goods and on trade in commercial services. The data are available by country and region. More extensive data on trade in goods, with further breakdowns, will be made available by 1 September. News item: https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news15_e/rese_30jul15_e.htm
And that’s our sampling of “news you can use” for Friday 31st July 2015.
[caption id="attachment_1844" align="alignleft" width="150"] Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]
A legal challenge to the secrecy of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations will be launched in the High Court next week.
An urgent application for judicial review will challenge Trade Minister Tim Groser’s blanket refusal to release any of the categories of information sought by University of Auckland Professor Jane Kelsey under an Official Information Act request on 25 January this year.
The request reflect the categories of documents recommended for the release in an own-initiative report by the European Union Ombudsman into the secrecy of the parallel negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and EU.
Co-applicants in the proceedings include Consumer NZ, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Greenpeace and Oxfam, among others.
Under the Official Information Act, the Minister’s refusal to release documents must be reviewed by the Ombudsman before it can be judicially reviewed. That process has taken four and a half months. The final report from the Ombudsman was only delivered two days ago, on 29 July.
‘While we would have preferred to bring the case earlier, it remains crucially important to secure release of information before any deal is done and dusted, and to clarify the rules for future negotiations’, Professor Kelsey said.
Publisher: Little Island Press in association with the Pacific Media Centre
Author: David Robie On 10 July 1985, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand. Portuguese-born photographer Fernando Pereira died in the sabotage outrage that shook the world. The bombed ship was scuttled off a New Zealand bay in 1987 to form a living reef and Rainbow Warrior II was commissioned.
Eyes Of Fire tells this story, but it also tells the story of nuclear testing in the Pacific. In 1954 the United States government tested a nuclear weapon in the Marshall Islands that posioned Rongelap Atoll. Thirty years later the people of Rongelap, who were still suffering from radiation poisoning, asked the crew of the Rainbow Warriror to move them to Mejato, 180 kilometres away. This was the Warrior’s last and most dramatic mission, before it sailed to Auckland to meet its fate.
The 30th anniversary edition has a Little Island microsite with plenty of Rainbow Warrior resources. Little Island Press has created this site in partnership with the Pacific Media Centre and AUT journalism and television students in the lead-up to the 30th anniversary of the bombing to provide context and capture interviews with the Warrior’s crew members.
The top nine Smokefreerockquest national finalists were announced today, the crème of the 700 bands and solo/duos who entered the nationwide youth music contest this year.
Contenders have played off in heats and finals held in 23 regions, vying for the chance to take the big prizes at the national final in Auckland on September 11.
Judges from the music industry today named the top six bands and three solo/duos, selected from DVDs submitted since the regional finals. The judges were Rockshop Promotions Manager Hamish Jackson, Jane de Dong (aka performer Ruby Frost), Chris Mack from Six60 and Edge TV Station Manager Damien Daniels.
Spokesman Damien Daniels said it was really quite intimidating to see such a high level of talent from such young people, and heart-breaking not to let all of them through to the final.
“The real standout was the high level of musicianship from people of this age,” he said. “That, and the diversity that there is now in New Zealand music. We may be small but we’re quite eclectic – the finalists range from metal band Alien Weaponry, the Brit-pop sound of Joe Says No, there’s the psychedalic rock band Joe’s Van and then Reciprocate with a soul upbeat funk sound.”
The top six bands are:
Alien Weaponry Bream Bay College, Otamatea High School, Northland
Courtney Hate Green Bay High School, Auckland
Joe Says No Mt Albert Grammar School, Auckland Grammar
The Big Gus Green Bay High School, Auckland
Reciprocate Alfriston College, Auckland
Joe’s Van Mt Maunganui College
And the top three solo/duos are:
Solomon the Crook St Peter’s School, Cambridge
Ben Mollison Bethlehem College, Tauranga
Joseph Balfe Waitaki Boys’ High School
The judges also named some acts as highly commended, though they will not be going through to the final. These are (bands): Tetra, Nelson College for Girls; Future Class, Garin College, Nelson; Forlorn Bloom, Hagley Community College, Christchurch; Altero , Lincoln High School, Canterbury; and (solo/duo) Situation Vacant, Hamilton Boys’ High School and Hamilton Girls’ High School; and Talia Dalton, Otumoetai College, Tauranga.
There is still a chance for one of the top 30 acts to get through to the final as the People’s Choice winner, selected from the 21 acts who were in the top 30, but not in the top nine. Voting will open next Wednesday, with the text number to be announced on Facebook on Tuesday night.
The national final of Smokefreerockquest is at the Raye Freedman Centre at Epsom Girls Grammar on Friday September 11, start time 7pm. Tickets will be offered first to the fans and families of the finalists and will then be available from iticket.co.nz, $20 plus booking fee.
Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and the solo/duo winners that include $22,000 in Rockshop vouchers, a $20,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package’ a ‘Decent Exposure’ campaign on FOUR, a photo shoot with Thievery Studio, a branding package from Imaginary Friends and the Unleashed Travel ambassador award – a seven day trip to Fiji.
There is also the MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) Scholarship for Outstanding Musicianship, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award and the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award. The People’s Choice award is voted by text with the opportunity to open the Smokefreerockquest national final.
The finalists for Smokefree Pacifica Beats will be announced on 10 August, with the national final for that event, also at the Raye Freedman Centre at Epsom Girls Grammar, on Saturday September 12.
Smokefreerockquest – 27 years of musical success: Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music, youth event. The series of around 50 events provides young musicians with the opportunity to perform live in a professional setting, in venues from the Far North to Invercargill. Smokefreerockquest 2015, powered by Rockshop, aims to motivate young musicians to prove their abilities, to realise the opportunities available in music careers, and to encourage their peers to support 100 percent original New Zealand music. The original founders Glenn Common and Pete Rainey were honoured with the MNZM in 2013, and continue to lead the team that now runs this New Zealand institution. For more information visit www.sfrq.co.nz
Hall of Fame: Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 26-year history include Broods, Kimbra, Aaradhna, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Streets of Laredo, Joel Little, Tiny Ruins, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, the Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Kora, Thomston, Anna Coddington, Midnight Youth, Steriogram, Phoenix Foundation, Estere, Devilskin, The Black Seeds, Grayson Gilmore, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, Julia Deans, The Naked and Famous, and Delete Delete.
Smokefree’s – Smoking Not Our Future Campaign: Smokefreerockquest plays a large part in helping students make protective connections to their schools, other students and communities. It enables them to develop new skills and aspirations for their futures. Smokefree has been the naming rights sponsor of Smokefreerockquest for 25 of its 27 years and this longstanding partnership has been mutually beneficial. Smoking Not Our Future is a direct to youth strategy and Smokefreerockquest provides the opportunity for youth to connect and engage with its messages. This year, young people will be asked to think about the benefits of being smokefree and get more involved in helping New Zealand become smokefree by 2025. For more information visit Facebook.com/notourfuture.
Smokefree Pacifica Beats: Smokefree Pacifica Beats recognises and reflects the unique cultural identity of Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific. The event started in 1994 as the Urban Beats Award within Smokefreerockquest and has steadily built over the years into a competition in its own right. In Smokefree Pacifica Beats participants must incorporate Polynesian language, instruments, dance or movement in their performance and songs. The event motivates young musicians to prove their ability with cultural relevance, and to encourage their peers to support 100 percent original Aotearoa Kiwi music. The event’s Hall of fame includes Nesian Mystik, the only New Zealand band to ever have ten singles all certified gold or platinum.
NewsroomPlus.com
Contributed by Amanda CarringtonWellington celebrated a milestone last weekend, reaching 150 years as New Zealand’s capital.
Thousands of Wellingtonians were enticed to explore the many churches, universities, museums and government buildings the city has to offer.
But Wellington has not always been New Zealand’s capital. Auckland took that title for 25 years back in 1841.
However, when Members of Parliament arrived in Onehunga they found the roads muddy and accommodation expensive. So the issue was raised to move the seats of government to some place near the Cook Strait.
The people involved in choosing the location of the capital were three Australians. And after touring 13 Cook Strait locations, the three men chose Wellington in 1865.
Still thriving as the capital today, Wellington opened its many historical buildings and famous locations to the public and I was spoilt for choice on which events to choose from.
While I could have chosen to walk the corridors of Premier House, the official residence of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, I made a beeline to one of Wellington’s famous churches, Old St Paul’s.
INVITING: Old St Paul’s was built in 1866 from native timbers and is an historical building in Wellington. Copyright: Olexander Barnes
One of New Zealand’s greatest historical places, Old St Paul’s is constructed entirely of native timbers and was built in 1866.
Not long after entering the strikingly beautiful church, you start to feel the connection the church has with the USA.
During World War II, the US marines chose Old St Paul’s as a place of peace and worship.
American and US marine flags hang from the pillars and manager of Old St Paul’s for Heritage New Zealand Silke Bieda says the flags were left there as a gift from the marines as a mark of friendship after going through the war.
FLYING PROUD: US Marine flags hang from the pillars and walls of the church. Copyright: Olexander Barnes
The event at Old St Paul’s was held in partnership with the US Embassy to commemorate the end of WWII.
A mass re-enactment of the Times Square kiss, with men wearing marine hats, saw hundreds of people take part, including two US marines, Lieutenant Dan Brown and Lieutenant Christopher Patton.
V-J Day: Lieutenant Christopher Patton and wife Petra join the hundred of people who re-enacted the famous “Kiss In” photo that marked the end of World War II. Copyright: Olexander Barnes
Lt Brown has been in the military for 18 years and has only been in the country for one month. He will be here for three years working with the New Zealand Defence Force.
“[They] had this great opportunity for me to come down and work with counterparts in New Zealand establishing relationships,” he says.
MAN IN UNIFORM: Lieutenant Dan Brown moved to the country a month ago to work along side his New Zealand Counterparts. Copyright: Olexander Barnes
Lt Brown took part in the Kiss In re-enactment with wife Amanda Brown.
Lt Patton has been in the military for 24 years and moved to New Zealand a year ago with wife Petra.
The event also gave the public an opportunity to learn some swing dancing, if you were that way inclined, and get up close with early American cars brought from Wellington’s Early American Car Club, which caught the attention of many people.
DANCE PARTY: Amy Burt and James Guidera show the public a few moves during the swing dance display. Copyright: Olexander Barnes
Cars like a 1934 Chrysler Airflow, 1936 Plymouth, 1937 Chevrolet, 1977 Pontiac, 1937 Chevrolet Sedan, 1936 Ford V8 Coup and a 1939 Buick – a real character car in WWII – were on display.
LIKE NEW: A 1977 Pontiac was one of the many cars on display at Old St Paul’s. Copyright: Olexander Barnes
Early American car club member David Mears says all the cars were original and restored and are used today. They are also hired for static displays and weddings.
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who wanted to drive home in one of those cars.
–]]>
Brent Edwards, political editor of Radio New Zealand, reports on the gap in transparency about discussion of two decisions impacting on the future of New Zealand – the national flag and the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
COMMENT: Power Play – Politics is always full of irony and this week has been no different.
Never, perhaps, has the contrast been as great between debate on changing the flag and on the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
Both are about identity. Both are about the future of New Zealand.
But only on one are New Zealanders being given the opportunity to decide the outcome.
In Parliament during the debate on the legislation to hold a referendum over changing the flag Government minister Nikki Kaye had this to say:
“This debate is actually about nationhood. This is about democracy and nationhood. When we look at the purpose of this Bill it is, should the New Zealand people have the opportunity to have a vote on nationhood and where our country is going? I absolutely believe they should,” she said.
A day later her colleague, Associate Trade Minister Todd McClay, had a different attitude to calls for more openness about the TPP negotiations, which is also about nationhood and “where our country is going”.
Demands rejected McClay rejected demands the negotiations should be more transparent.
“The people who want us to make public these documents actually don’t want to see the texts. They just want to derail the agreement, an agreement , if concluded, [that] will deliver benefit to the New Zealand economy,” he said.
When it comes to the flag the government is spending $26 million ensuring the public have their say. It has asked for public submissions on the design of a new flag and eventually four will be chosen to put up against New Zealand’s existing flag. That is democracy in action, even if there was little public demand for the debate.
But on a more substantive matter, the TPP, the government supports secrecy, effectively telling New Zealanders it is in their best interests not to know what is going on.
Public concerns about the possible implications of any trans-Pacific trade and investment deal are met with the standard response that no agreement has been signed.
Under the process being followed by all 12 countries in the negotiations their respective publics will only see the agreement once a deal is done.
Trade ministers were in Hawai’i this week trying to put the finishing touches to the deal.
Medicine costs While the government has refused to release details of the negotiations, the Prime Minister, John Key, has admitted the cost of some medicines might rise because, under the deal, the patents on medicines would likely be extended.
If that happens it means it will take longer before cheaper, generic drugs become available.
Key gave an assurance, however, that the rise in the cost of medicines would be met by the government, not “consumers”. Patients will continue to pay just $5 for each prescription for subsidised drugs.
The Prime Minister appears to concede there might be some disadvantage to New Zealand by arguing the full deal needs to be taken into account.
He said greater trade access for New Zealand exporters would result in more tax income for the government, more than making up for the increased cost of medicines.
That conclusion is based on New Zealand gaining access to the United States, Canada and Japan for its dairy products.
In part, it plays up just one of the disadvantages New Zealand has in these negotiations.
Trade away Since New Zealand has already scrapped its tariffs on imports, it cannot offer greater trade access to other countries in return for them cutting tariffs on dairy products.
Instead it appears New Zealand must trade away non-tariff factors, such as access to medicines, to get possible trade concessions from other countries in the TPP.
Yet no one can be really sure because information about these trade-offs is being withheld.
It is only once the deal is signed, if it ever is, that the public will know just what concessions have been made in return for whatever benefits the government argues have been gained.
By then, of course, it is too late. Given the secrecy of the negotiations the public has no influence over the agreement.
While there will be some sort of parliamentary process if an agreement is reached, that does not give the public the ability to re-negotiate any part of it.
The government might rightly pat itself on the back for its adherence to the democratic process when it comes to changing the flag, but its handling of the TPP negotiations falls well short of that democratic ideal.
[caption id="attachment_3755" align="alignleft" width="300"] FiveAA Australia’s breakfast show hosts Dave Penberthy, Mark Aiston, and Jane Reilly.[/caption]New Zealand Report: Selwyn Manning joins Australia’s FiveAA breakfast team Jane Reilly Dave Penberthy and Mark Aiston to discuss how some of New Zealand’s politicians want the NZ National Anthem changed + NZ Prime Minister criticises the UN Security Council veto rules – Recorded LIVE on 31/07/15.
ITEM ONE
It may come as no surprise that politicians love flag waving and singing the national anthem, especially when there’s an audience.
But the current bunch of Kiwi political leaders really take the cake.
After months of criticising the Prime Minister John Key for spending up to $26 million on a roadshow and referendum in an attempt to support his desire to design a new flag… opposition leaders now want their time in the spotlight.
The leaders of the Labour and New Zealand First parties want a new National anthem. They argued this week that the current national anthem, God Defend New Zealand, is nothing more than a dirge!
Every year at the beginning of its national conference, the conservative New Zealand First party members stand and sing the anthem. But this week, it’s leader Winston Peters said: “I’ve never heard anyone singing our anthem when they’re happy.”
Not to be upstaged, Labour’s leader Andrew Little also said the Kiwi anthem was a dirge, and confessed he prefers to sing Advance Australia Fair!
ITEM TWO
New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has criticised the constitution of the United Nations security council after Russia vetoed a move for a UN-backed investigation into the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH17.
John Key told reporters yesterday he was disappointed but not surprised that Russia blocked a push to secure security council backing for a tribunal to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of 298 people who were onboard MH17.
He noted that Australia had persuaded 11 or the 15 member nations of the security council to vote in favour of an investigation. China, Angola, and Venezuela abstained, but Russia vetoed the move.
New Zealand has long opposed the use of veto by the powerful permanent members of the security council and it is understood New Zealand diplomats are attempting to garner support for reform of its constitution.
John Key said his Government will support Australia in its efforts to establish an investigation, independent of the security council, into the crash.
New Zealand Report broadcasts liv eon Australia’s FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nzLiveNews.co.nz and ForeignAffairs.co.nz.]]>
NewsroomPlus.com
[caption id="attachment_2269" align="alignleft" width="150"] New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully. Image courtesy of Scoop.co.nz.[/caption]
The speech text below was used by Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully used to open the Open Debate: Peace and security challenges facing Small Island Developing States, at the UN Security Council, July 30, 2015 (New York time).
I thank our distinguished briefers for their informative contributions and the heads of government and Ministers who have come to New York to participate in this debate.
Of 44 small island developing states, only 6 have served on the Security Council.
We called for this debate in order to give the Council the opportunity it rarely has to hear what security looks like to small island developing states.
And to give small island developing states, which constitute about a fifth of the UN membership, a chance to have their voices heard in this Council.
New Zealand is a Pacific country with a significant stake in the peace and security of the small island developing states in our region.
By their very size, isolation and nature, SIDS can often walk a thin line between success and failure. Let’s look at some key characteristics.
SIDS are small: three quarters have a population of less than a million. The majority in our region have populations below half a million.
They are islands with Exclusive Economic Zones significantly larger than their land masses and are often without the capacity to conduct surveillance of their zones, let alone defend them.
They are developing: most receive some level of development assistance to balance the books.
Their size and capacity limitations make them a target for transnational criminal networks, including those involved in piracy or the smuggling of drugs, arms and people.
Today I am sure we will hear directly from representatives about the impact of climate change, as we have from our briefers, and natural disasters on small island developing states.
The recent cyclone in Vanuatu caused US$360 million worth of damage – about 45 per cent of Vanuatu’s GDP and Hurricane Sandy cost US$315 million across the Caribbean.
But the important point here is not just about the impact of climate change or natural disasters themselves – it is about the impact on countries that are already vulnerable.
Most SIDS simply do not have the economic diversity or the resources to handle major shocks.
Being a small island developing state is to have an inbuilt force multiplier whenever a natural disaster or man-made conflict occurs.
And these security and development challenges can have regional consequences.
New Zealand views its own peace and security as being directly affected by the prosperity and stability of the SIDS in our region, the Pacific.
So the important strategic question for this Council and for the wider UN community is, in my view: how do we take some meaningful steps to make SIDS less vulnerable in the face of threats to their security from natural disasters and from man-made challenges.
I want to discuss two areas in which we have been working with partners in our region to increase resilience.
First, we can build the resilience of SIDS by helping them to derive full benefit from the sustainable use of their often limited resource base.
The Pacific’s largest asset is the only truly healthy tuna fishery in the world, which should be used to make its owners more economically sustainable than they are today.
Last year the value of the tuna caught in the Exclusive Economic Zones of Pacific countries was US$3.4billion- double the development assistance to the region from all sources.
Around an additional US$400million of tuna was estimated to have been taken from the zone illegally or through under reporting.
They, the Pacific owners, receive around 14 per cent of the market value of the resource. Many other players clip the ticket along the way.
My point is simple: SIDS need the international community to cooperate to ensure that they receive a fair return from their economic assets.
And we need a concerted international effort to stamp out illegal fishing and under-reporting practices. They amount to literally stealing from some of the poorest people on our planet.
For the SIDS in our region, the practical impact of achieving these goals would be, quite simply, transformational for their prosperity and security.
My second point relates to an equally transformational change that can be made on the other side of the economic ledger: dealing with energy insecurity caused by dependence on hugely expensive fossil fuels.
The Pacific, in common with most of the SIDS, is heavily dependent on diesel for electricity generation. Yet a litre or gallon of diesel in the Pacific costs more than double what you will pay here in New York.
Up to a third of the total import bill of SIDS is the cost of oil for electricity; on average 10 per cent of their GDPs.
That’s why my country has been at the forefront of an attempt to quickly move the small island states in the Pacific from fossil fuels to renewable electricity.
I can report that we are making good progress. When you are small, you can make things happen quickly.
All three atolls in the Tokelau Islands, previously wholly dependent upon fossil fuels for electricity are now effectively 100 per cent renewable, through the installation of solar generation.
All five islands in the Northern Cooks have been, as of this year, moved from 100 per cent dependency on fossil fuels to 100 per cent renewable.
Most of the Southern Group islands will follow this year.
By the end of this year, all of the islands in Tuvalu, except for Funifuti, will be 100 per cent renewable.
And in more populated parts of the region, significant progress has been made in substituting renewables, mostly solar, for diesel-generated power in Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands capital of Rarotonga.
More recently we have become involved in transporting some of the renewable energy skills acquired in our region to some of the states in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.
These are not only life-changing developments in their own right- they make a huge contribution towards making small island developing states more resilient, less vulnerable to economic shocks and serious acts of nature.
In conclusion, I want to revert to a point I made earlier.
Being small has its disadvantages, but it has one huge advantage: you can make things happen quickly.
That is the approach we need to take in ensuring that small island developing states become better equipped to deal with the challenges to their security today.
This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 6 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Thursday 30th July.
NEWSROOM_MONITOR
Top stories in the current news cycle include information showing that Social Development Minister Anne Tolley has confined anew predictive modelling tool to being used with historical data and not using children as ‘lab rats’, news from the TPP talks in Hawaii – via Special Agriculture Trade Envoy Mike Petersen – that dairy is proving a sticking point and more concessions are needed before New Zealand accepts the deal and a study from Auckland University being disputed by Katherine Rich of the Food & Grocery Council which found about 84% of packaged food available in supermarkets is unhealthy and over-processed to the point of no longer bearing any resemblance to their original ingredients.
Note: As well as providing a precis of leading broadcast bulletins each day, our NewsRoom_Monitor service does a daily paper round with succinct ‘news picks’ from the main metropolitan papers emailed by 9am each morning. If you’re interested in a free trial please email monitor@newsroom.co.nz
POLITICS PULSE
Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included:
Government: NZ expresses deep disappointment at veto of resolution on MH17;$200 million repaid through overseas student loan borrowers scheme; Trades Academies “overwhelmingly positive”; Customs changes bringing yachts to our shores; Applications open for Great Rides funding; NZVIF board appointment announced; Mobile surgical services contract extended; Road to bring Bay of Plenty closer together; $846,000 for more nurse practitioner trainees; Appointment of Auckland Coroner; PM acknowledges passing of Sir John Todd
ACT Party: New catchphrase “global brand” won’t soothe rate pain
Greens: Urgent action needed on family and sexual violence
Labour: Mainfreight ‘appalled’ by Government’s rail madness; Technology critical to the Future of Work; Troubled school wanted $25,000 dollars to fence farm
New Zealand First: New Zealand at risk of losing 30 per cent of red meat sector to foreign ownership; No excuses, bring unsigned TPPA home for scrutiny as Malaysia will
Maori Party: The Māori Party Stands Firmly Opposed To The TPPA
United Party: Dunne Speaks – This week on prison violence; Time to listen to workplace victims’ families
LINKS OF THE DAY
Links of the day have been a feature of NewsRoom_Digest since we first started production in August 2014. We are currently building an archive of these at: http://newsroomplus.com/resources/resourceful-links/
IPCA REPORT: An Independent Police Conduct Authority report released today has found that Police unlawfully detained two women and three young children following an armed response which developed from the attempted arrest of a male in Mangere on the evening of 7 November 2013. Following this investigation the Authority has recommended that Police amend their policy to ensure Police clearly inform people whether or not they are detained and the reasons for that. The report can be found at : http://ipca.govt.nz/Site/publications/Default.aspx
RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE: Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley have launched a new work programme to ensure government agencies respond better to family and sexual violence. Part of the new approach, as announced yesterday, will see more involved in coordinated decision-making through the Ministerial Group on Family Violence and Sexual Violence. They will also ensure that NGOs have a bigger role to play. The Ministerial group replaces the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families. The Ministerial Group On Family Violence And Sexual Violence Cabinet Paper can be found at https://beehive.govt.nz/webfm_send/68
Analysis by Keith Rankin. This article was also published on Scoop.co.nz.
On Morning Report on Friday (24 July), I heard the following exchange between Guyon Espiner and Finance Minister, Bill English.
Guyon Espiner: “So what’s the good bit about allowing foreign buyers to buy [existing] houses in Auckland? What’s the good bit?”
Bill English: “New Zealand traditionally has not had sufficient savings to fund all the investment that it does, … we’ve traditionally always been open to foreign capital because in the long run it enables us to have more people and more jobs and more houses.”
[caption id="attachment_4146" align="alignleft" width="300"] Finance Minister Bill English – Budget 2015.[/caption]
Bill English is arguing that all money coming into New Zealand for the purposes of securing an income stream or a capital gain enables actual investment (in new structures and equipment) to take place that otherwise would not have. Essentially, he says that New Zealanders have a longstanding aversion to saving, and therefore we need any kind of foreign money to come into New Zealand to compensate.
Mr English’s view represents an ‘over-consumptionist’ interpretation of a country’s balance of payments. Aggregate private demand is deemed so great that New Zealand perpetually has to incur foreign liabilities in order to maintain economic growth. And that somehow, any foreign liability that New Zealanders incur will eventually be reflected in the national accounts as ‘investment’.
It’s simply not so. New Zealand has the capacity to save; many New Zealanders certainly do save. But the price signals that New Zealanders face lead New Zealanders to spend considerable amounts on imports. For every year since 1973, New Zealand’s Gross National Expenditure has exceeded New Zealand’s Gross National Income.
This is what really happens. The world suffers from a global savings glut, and has done so for the last 25 years. So foreign savers, and the financial professionals who act for them, are constantly on the lookout for good financial returns. Year after year, New Zealand has ticked their boxes. New Zealand, open for business with all-comers, advertises itself through its comparatively high interest rates, its high credit ratings, and it’s very low record of default to foreign creditors. So money that New Zealand does not need flows into the country, setting exchange rates that have been significantly higher than they would otherwise have been.
Two prices in particular have distorted the market: interest rates set by a bureaucrat rather than by market forces, and an exchange rate set by market forces though strongly influenced by the bureaucratically-set interest rate. (A third price has also distorted the exchange rate in recent years; the price of milk. That, too, has influenced the exchange rate, imposing systemic effects on the non-dairy tradable sector. The good news, for now, is that the non-dairy tradable sector is in full recovery mode, thanks in large part to the fall in the international milk price.)
The inflow of financial capital – such as foreign money used to buy existing houses – is equal, by definition, to the deficit on the current account of the balance of payments. (Likewise, in countries like Germany and Singapore, the outflow of financial capital is equal, by definition, to their current account surpluses.) New Zealand’s perpetual current account deficit (our “traditional” overspending and undersaving) is a direct and immediate accounting consequence of these inflows of foreign money seeking a quick return.
How does it work? All money making a one-way trip into New Zealand causes the exchange rate to go up. The higher exchange rate makes traded goods (and services such as overseas holidays) cheaper. Following the basic laws of demand and supply, when traded goods and services become cheaper we buy more of them and sell fewer of them. The balance of trade and the current account fall. This fall in the current account achieves the monetary outflow that balances the speculative inflow, and an equilibrium is established with an overvalued exchange rate and perpetual current account deficits.
The cause of our balance of payments current account deficits is not because we will not save. It’s because New Zealanders follow the basic economic principles of demand and supply when confronted with cheaper prices of traded goods and services. And those cheaper prices are caused by these unrequired one-way inflows of foreign money.
What can our policymakers do about it? First, allow the market to set interest rates, or at least aim to have interest rates that reflect the actual perception of risk that foreigners have of us. Thus, our Official Cash Rate should be as close to zero as is consistent with exchange rate stability. (‘Exchange rate stability’ means that the exchange rate should be determined only by fundamentals such as the terms of trade and comparative domestic inflation rates).
Non-distortionary interest rates may be enough, though other disincentives, such as taxes on land purchases, will help to quell excessive inflows of foreign money. But, if such price-and-tax based disincentives are not enough, or are not even tried, then we need to re-‘invest’ these unrequited monies ‘offshore’ (as they say).
But surely very low interest rates will just stimulate the housing market even more, and will reduce saving? Actually, no. Lower interest rates will encourage businesses to take on more debt for investment (as the economy needs them to do), and will encourage banks to lend to businesses more and to house-buyers less. We save income mainly when we have enough for present needs, and decide it’s better to save the rest for the future. We may be suckers for seemingly good deals on deposit interest rates, but interest rates rarely have much effect on our save-versus-spend decisions. It’s mainly rising exchange rates that induce increased household spending, not low interest rates.
People around the world save because they have enough, or because they are fearful of the future. There is a glut of unspent money worldwide, despite very low interest rates.
In recent months, the New Zealand exchange rate has come down quite a lot; 70 on the TWI compared to 80 in April, a fall of 12.5% from its recent highs. It suggests that less foreign money is being used to buy used houses now than in the summer and autumn. Yet house prices are still rising.
While Bill English is wrong to say that we need foreign speculators’ money to offset low domestic savings, he may be right to suggest that foreign money is not (or is no longer) the principal driver of the Auckland housing market. It may turn out to be that resident kiwi landbankers are much more active than we had ever imagined. I note that “Matt Bowden’s clifftop Torbay property” has been bought up by a well-known “local investor” who plans to landbank the property (‘Party pill godfather Matt Bowden’s $2m house sale‘; New Zealand Herald, 29 July).
We should note that ‘landbanking’ appears to be a euphemism for leaving a property empty with the intention of future resale for capital gain. And we should note that former Reserve Bank economist Michael Reddell pondered on TVNZ’s Q+A (26 July) that “houses are being left empty here”. (See transcript on Scoop.) TVNZ’s Simon Dallow failed to pick up on this comment, as he had failed on similar comments the week before. Our mainstream media is still largely silent on the real scandal; that houses are being bought for rental or investment, and that ‘investment’ may often be another euphemism for empty. (New Zealander residents and non-residents alike have a history of acquiring and holding real estate that precedes the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi.)
We don’t want foreign money coming into the country unless it is an export receipt, another form of income such as interest earned overseas, a gift, or a genuine and worthwhile investment in something newly produced in New Zealand. And, we do not want anybody, resident or non-resident, buying houses that have had people living in them and subsequently leaving those houses empty.
That may be the real story about housing supply that Bill English should address. Houses left empty. My feeling is that there are now rather more empty houses in Auckland’s desirable suburbs than the considerable number that were empty at the time of the census, more than two years ago. (Maybe not as bad, yet, as in Vancouver where the Radio NZ interviewee, a Vancouver resident of Chinese descent, noted with sorrow that the problem of ghost houses is almost becoming a problem of ghost suburbs; refer Checkpoint, 23 July ‘Auckland housing unaffordability pales against Vancouver’s‘.)
We are in danger of following the experiences of Spain and Ireland where, before the global financial crisis, too many houses were started and many of those were never finished, caught up in the bankruptcies brought about by that crisis. The first rule of housing supply is to ensure that all of our presently occupyable houses are occupied.
PERRIAM on national stage at New Zealand Fashion Week 2015
[caption id="attachment_12633" align="alignleft" width="660"] Merino sheep being mustered on Bendigo Station overlooking, Lake Dunstan.[/caption]
Luxury merino fashion brand PERRIAM has been selected for a special showcase on wool in fashion at the prestigious New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) in August.
PERRIAM is among some of the country’s iconic labels chosen for the Choose Wool show, taking to the runway with Sabatini, twenty-seven names, Tanya Carlson, Hailwood, Liz Mitchell and Wynn Hamlyn on Tuesday, August 25.
Curatedby leading Kiwi stylist Anna Caselberg, who is known for her work with NZ wools, Choose Wool represents an important aspect of the NZ fashion industry.
The Choose Wool show is supported by an elaborate host of influential international media and fashion delegates, including ASOS, Marie Claire, global fashion and entertainment channel Fashion One, Glamour magazine and Vogue UK.
Wanaka-based PERRIAM designer Christina Perriam says it’s an honour to be featuring in the biggest event on New Zealand’s fashion calendar, and to be able to gain valuable media exposure for her relatively new brand.
“After growing up on a high country merino station in Central Otago, I have a deep understanding of the wool industry and working with merino wool in fashion is something that’s very close to my heart,” Christina says.
“The heart of the PERRIAM brand is about conscious living and conscious fashion. PERRIAM represents slowing down and appreciating life and I want to create pieces that focus on quality, not quantity – flattering wardrobe essentials that will last for many seasons, with a contemporary, sports-luxe vibe.
“I choose to support the NZ wool industry by using NZ merino wool, manufacturing here and using complementary fabrics that leave a lighter footprint on the planet,” Christina adds.
The PERRIAM Woman Winter 2016 collection teams luxurious cable knitwear with classic silhouettes for a modern, relaxed style and features splashes of animal print and flashes of signature gold trims. Merino leather and rabbit fur also make appearances on some of the collection.
It’s been a huge year for Christina, who launched PERRIAM in October 2014, along with a flagship retail store in Tarras and her online store www.perriam.co.nz. She launched her babies and children’s brand Little PERRIAM in February this year and then unveiled her PERRIAM Woman Winter 2015 collection to widespread acclaim at the 2015 iD Dunedin Fashion Week in Apri. She has been busy working on new collections since then.
“Being able to take part in NZFW is a huge privilege and I’m excited about the opportunity to show my brand to the world,” Christina says.
MIL OSI – Source: BNZ Community Blog – Blog/Information:
Headline: World Dairy Prices 101 with Tony Alexander
We’ve heard about Greece and China. This time, in a Q+A session, we asked BNZ Chief Economist Tony Alexander to explain why international dairy prices are so low, whether farmers should be able to farm through them, and what it means for the New Zealand economy. Here are his answers.What’s behind the fall in international dairy prices?
There are a variety of reasons why prices are low. We have the slowdown in China’s economy, which is reducing demand for commodities in general, and China looks like they’re more over-stocked in dairy products than people had originally thought. In other parts of the world, we’re also seeing production increasing, and associated with that European production quotas came off in April this year. So people are thinking that’s surely going to beef up their output. Across in America, too, production has been fairly good recently. Then, of course, the previous high prices have caused a bit of a back-lash from consumers as well. People in New Zealand have been wondering for a while why they’re paying so much for milk. Now there’s a bit of a pull-back on the demand side as well, and none of these factors look like they’ll be changing in the very near future.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy recently said that New Zealand farmers will be able to farm their way through low dairy prices. Do you agree?
Yes definitely. The price of dairy products falling swiftly in a short period of time isn’t something new. We’ve seen it before, and it’s a useful reality check. I’m definitely of the view that the overall dairy sector will be fine going through this. Because of our high dependence on China, now we’ll forever face greater volatility in dairy prices, simply because of the Chinese inventory cycle; everybody buys at once and everybody stops buying at once. There are also plenty of farmers out there ready to use the situation to buy more land, because there’s likely to be some indebted people who’ll need some of their property taken off their hands. It’s the same case as in the past; the last ones into the dairy boom pay the most for the animals and the land, and with the highest debt, are most at risk of being caught out. There will be a handful who are finding it particularly difficult, there always are.
When can we expect to see prices bounce back soon?
For dairy, we need to remember that when prices fall sharply the chances are they’ll recover strongly at some point as well. Once the Chinese are buying again, rebuilding their inventories, we’ll see prices rise 30 percent over a period of two to three months. That will happen someday, but it looks like it won’t be happening in the very near future. That’s the big change we’re seeing – people aren’t so optimistic. There’s a feeling that no, they’re not going to rise right now, and you’re seeing that with the recent Fonterra job cuts. But, eventually, yes they will bounce back.
What’s the long-term outlook for New Zealand?
The long term demand outlook for New Zealand dairy product is very positive. With milk, there are different set of fundamentals at work compared to, say, Australia’s export commodities of iron ore, coal and gold. Australia has ridden the boom of China’s investment phase. Whereas, New Zealand has a positive long-term outlook based on the growing incomes of Chinese families and the 650 million other people in ASEAN countries as well. That’s why there is no shortage of capital in New Zealand and overseas wanting to get exposure to our dairy sector, and it’s also a strong mitigant to the dairy sector falling much further.
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MIL OSI Analysis – Source: BNZ Economist Tony Alexander – Analysis:
Headline: Sporadic Number 16 – July 30 2015
[caption id="attachment_3709" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tony Alexander, BNZ economist.[/caption]
The sharp fall in dairy prices happening at the same time as falls in business and consumer confidence readings has led some people to predict recession and further large falls in interest rates and the exchange rate.
However ahead of our last two recessions in New Zealand both interest rates and the exchange rate rose sharply to high levels. This time both are falling.
In addition all, when the dairy payout fell by 32% in 2003 the economy kept growing over 4%.
The over 50% payout decline from the peak two season’s ago is bigger this time around, but it is associated with recent farm debt growth of 6% and not the 25% peak back then.
Thus while dairying regions are going to feel pain this coming year, there are many mitigating factors and recession for NZ remains a low probability outcome – though not an impossibility.
Insulating Factors Helping – Unlike 1997/98 and 2008/09
Lets have a look at what the Kiwi dollar has been up to recently. This is an important thing to do because with dairy prices falling 64% from their peak two years ago with a 41% decline since March, warnings of El Nino appearing, Christchurch’s rebuild perhaps plateauing and not adding to existing levels of activity, Greece entering a new extended recession, China’s economy slowing and sharemarket bubble bursting, one might slip into automatically thinking that we are heading for recession.
The last time we did that in 2008 however we had seen the NZ dollar rising from US 55 cents in 2003 to US77 cents at the end of 2007. We also saw floating mortgage rates rising over the same period from 7% to 10.5%. Exporters across the board were being badly affected and borrowers were facing huge pressures with the household debt servicing ratio rising from 9% to eventually over 14% of disposable income.
But this time around as we watch dairy incomes fall the Kiwi dollar has already declined 22 cents from its 88 cent peak against the greenback while debt servicing costs are below 10% of household income from over 14% in 2008.
What about ahead of the 1997/98 recession? Ahead of that the NZD had risen from 52 cents in 1993 to 70 cents in 1997. Floating mortgage rates had risen from 7.4% in 1994 to 10.4% in 1997 then 11.25% in 1998. Note that for both this recession and the 2008 one interest rates were not cut by the Reserve Bank until after the economy had started shrinking. Tardy monetary policy easing is a factor which has tended to make our recessions worse than could otherwise have been the case. Household debt servicing costs rose from 6% of disposable income in 1994 to a peak of almost 10% in mid-1998. The ratio is currently near 9.5%.
To repeat, this time around even before our economy has started shrinking the RB has embarked upon a phase of monetary policy easing and the NZD is trending downward. This latter development is very important because of the strength we have previously noted in many non-dairy export sectors such as pipfruit, Kiwifruit, wine, education exports and tourism.
Thus some of the forecast flying around regarding the Kiwi dollar plummeting a lot further and the Reserve Bank slashing interest rates a long way are probably reflecting too pessimistic a view of where our economic growth will go over the next couple of years. Especially in light of the numbers out yesterday from the Building and Housing Ministry showing projected construction spending of $200bn over the next five years.
And to look at this from another angle, does a decline in dairy incomes tend to lead to recession in New Zealand? No. Notice in the following graph the large payout decline in 2003 – after which our economy grew by 4.4% in 2003 then 4.6% in 2004. The 2009 decline was somewhat different as a lot of other things revolving around the GFC were in play and the economy shrank by 1.4% in 2009 then grew 1.6% in 2010.
If I Were A Borrower What Would I Do?
I am still hoping that the focus of bank mortgage competition will shift from the one to two year fixed rates to the three to five year area and deliver the 5% three year and 5.5% five year rates I have been targeting since February. But there is of course a level of rates for shorter terms which I would accept rather than take the punt of waiting. When our two year rate was specialled down to 5.39% earlier this year I remained committed to waiting. And the recent rate of 4.99% also left me prepared to wait. But now we have a two year fixed rate of 4.69%.
If the alternative to that is a three year rate of 4.99% then by fixing two years the rate I pay for the missing third year will need to be higher than 5.59% to make me worse off. So do I think it highly likely that in August 2017 the one year fixed rate will be above 5.59%? It is currently 5.19% reflecting an official cash rate of 3.0% which is expected to go down another 0.5% by the end of the year. Will the Reserve Bank be tightening monetary policy in 2017?
Our view is they will and that the cash rate will be 3.5% in two years time. The chances are high that in two years the one year fixed rate will be at or above 5.59%. So, if I think our forecasts prove accurate I would opt for a three year rate at 4.99% rather than a two year rate at 4.69%.
However, the three year rate is currently 5.29%. The other main banks are at 5.59%, 5.75%, 5.69% and 5.49%. Frankly, the chances that I get the lovely rate I have been waiting for are not all that high. In addition, essentially all interest rate forecasts since 2008 have been too high so the risk is interest rates are not rising over 2017 as we currently forecast.
Thus my incentive, and perhaps yours as well, is to fix two years at 4.69%, rather than hang on hoping that Greece goes completely pear-shaped, China’s economy tumbles anew, or the NZD shoots up 5 – 8 cents and encourages extra rate reductions by our central bank. None of these scenarios can be ruled out. But whereas the 5.39% rate earlier this year and recent 4.99% were not good enough for me, the new 4.69% is a good enough rate to get my business.
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Selwyn Manning and Peter Godfrey’s Across The Ditch on FiveAA Australia – New Zealand Prime Minister Cited Over TPP Slip + Musicians Getting Poor Returns From Streaming – Recorded LIVE on 30/07/15.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has been cited by the Australian Green Party after revealing that the costs of medicines and pharmaceuticals will likely increase if the Trans Pacific Partnership is agreed to.
The TPP is entering the last stages of negotiations between 12 nations including the USA, Australia, New Zealand,,Canada, nations of South East Asia including Japan, but excluding China.
The negotiations are taking place in secret, however some chapters of the negotiations have in part been leaked.
In New Zealand there is much skepticism surrounding the said benefits of the TPP, particularly due to an understanding that countries will lose in part their sovereign right to legislate and regulate in their own interests.
Also, it is understood that the public health budget will suffer should negotiators agree to pharmaceutical corporations being able to claim intellectual property rights, and patent rights, for longer. That move will prevent Pharmac, New Zealand’s public pharmaceutical procurement entity, from being able to purchase more affordable generic medicines.
This is what the Prime Minister John Key was referring to this week. In short, Key said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will result in longer patent lengths meaning that medicines will be more expensive for longer.
And that, is what the Australian Green Party referred to yesterday afternoon and added “It shouldn’t require a comment from the New Zealand PM for Australians to learn that the overall cost to taxpayers for medicines is going to rise due to the TPP.”
However, John Key, who wants his Government to sign up to the TPP, argues that the benefits to the country will outweigh the costs.
The medical fraternity is not pleased with the TPP. The chair of the New Zealand Medical Association, Dr Stephen Child, sought and was refused an independent assessment of what the Government’s negotiators are agreeing to in our name.
This week, Dr Child said: “We need to have a clear understanding of the possible effects of the TPPA on current and future policy settings and directions—before we are committed to such a deal.”
He added that before New Zealand commits to an agreement, we must be assured of the right to be able to protect public health, safety and the environment, through regulation or legislation should it be necessary.
“To do this we must have an independent assessment focused on these aspects,” Dr Childs said.
And globally, the United Nations Human Rights Commission has voiced its concern about the possible ‘chilling effects’ of the Investor-state-dispute settlement (ISDS) chapter in the TPPA.
The UNHRC said the regulatory functions of states—and their ability to legislate in the public interest—may have been put at risk by provisions in the TPPA chapters.
ITEM TWO
A New Zealand Herald report shows how musicians are missing out on their fair share of returns, especially from music streaming.
The Herald reported last night:
• Local band She’s So Rad earned multiple 5-star reviews for their album Tango and have two songs on A-rotate on Hauraki.
• Yet they’ve only sold a total of 20 physical CDs and 50 digital albums.
• They have had 90,000 songs streamed on Spotify, earning them $130
• Toy says: “It’s just much worse than we expected. I expected it to be bad, but this far surpasses it.”
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[caption id="attachment_1844" align="alignleft" width="200"] Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]
‘The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) has given up another secret – unprecedented new restrictions on state-owned enterprises (SOEs)’, says University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey who has monitored the SOE negotiations intensively. ‘Labour needs to add this chapter to its “red lines”.’
The SOE chapter is new. No other agreement, including US FTAs, has such sweeping restrictions on the right of governments to support their SOEs.
Wikileaks has just posted a ‘guidance’ document for TPPA ministers on SOE-related issues (https://wikileaks.org/tpp-soe-minister/). Although dated December 2013, Professor Kelsey, who wrote the analysis for Wikileaks, believes it reflects the content of the current text.
The rules seem to prevent SOEs from having hybrid public good and commercial roles, as TVNZ did under the Clark Labour government. The TPPA could make it impossible to re-establish a genuine public interest broadcaster that also receives revenue from advertising.
Nor could SOEs receive government support, such as subsidies or guarantees, if that adversely affects ‘another country’s interests’. That may spell trouble for KiwiRail, which competes with road operators like Toll Holdings, now owned by Japan Post.
It could also prevent the government from providing guarantees for KiwiBank or KiwiSaver that were not also provided to foreign firms, or taking less or no dividends from an SOE, because that would give it an unfair commercial advantage.
Creating a new SOE, such as Labour’s proposed KiwiAssure, would require initial injections of capital and support while it became established. Again, that seems to breach the rules.
‘The TPPA will make SOEs prime targets for privatization on the familiar argument that if they are purely commercial the state should no longer own them’. Professor Kelsey observed that Bill English’s attack on public ownership of remaining SOEs may not have been a coincidence.
‘National should remember its disastrous experiments of turning public hospitals into Crown Health Enterprises, and the fully commercial Crown Research Institutes’, Kelsey recalls. ‘Now it wants to lock that model in for the indefinite future and tie the hands of future governments who believe state enterprises have a public good role.’
‘John Key needs to continue his newfound openness and tell us what handcuffs the TPPA will place on future governments when it comes to existing and future SOEs and show us what protections theyhave negotiated’, said Professor Kelsey.
Technical notes:
SOEs would be subject to the entire TPPA agreement, such as the intellectual property, government procurement and investment chapters, where they exercised authority delegated by the government. That could expose them to investor-state disputes where foreign competitors consider an SOE’s actions have breached the special rights of foreign firms under the investment chapter, including investor-state dispute settlement.
The document shows at least some governments are nervous about the chapter. Questions posed for ministers included:
How should an SOE be defined?
Would there be exceptions to protect sensitive SOEs?
Should the rules apply to state, provincial and local government enterprises?
Most importantly, how can countries protect their pursuit of public policy goals and their autonomy to make future decisions on existing or newSOEs?
The US clearly wants the rules to be fully enforceable by the state parties, backed by sanctions. Other countries want more emphasis on dialogue and reviews. Ongoing monitoring and review will put SOEs and governments under constant scrutiny anyway.
[caption id="attachment_4808" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr Bryce Edwards.[/caption]
$100,000 a year to imprison a person is a lot of money. That’s the striking figure at the centre of the current prison scandal and debate, in a country that likes to lock up more and more criminals.
No one likes prisons. This means that when they’re not being conveniently ignored, politicians are likely to treat them as a tool for populist campaigns or a target for cost cutting. There’s a mixture of both of these elements in play at the moment. But, crucially, it is the financial drain of New Zealand locking up such a large number of people that is at the centre of understanding the current debates over prison violence and mismanagement.
For the clearest enunciation of the problem of prison costs and the drive to reduce them see Chris Trotter’s column from The Press yesterday: Human rights cost lots of money. Trotter very clearly lays out the conflict between a “duty of care” and making a profit from prisons, and suggests that in both private and publicly-run prisons the Government has shifted the focus onto the latter.
In fact, Trotter goes a step further and writes that it involves “blatant collusion” on the part of the State. Why? Trotter says: “The explanation, sadly, is the same as the private sector’s: to make a profit. Except, the State doesn’t call what it does “making a profit”. It’s preferred term is “achieving a surplus”. In brute, political terms: it reduces expenditure on the prison system, which the public doesn’t like, in order to free up funds for spending on things the public does like – such as schools and hospitals, or tax-cuts”.
So much of the current debate about prison violence and mismanagement needs to be seen in the context of money. Regardless of whether it’s a private or state-run prison, the Government is keen to cut costs, while allowing the prison population to keep increasing. And it is indeed increasing, as described very well today by Brian Rudman in his must-read column, High incarceration rate is the real prison scandal.
Rudman argues that “penal populism” is causing the problem. Under both Labour and National governments the prison population has surged – for example, going from 4445 in 1995 to 8831 in 2015. He argues that we are out of step with comparable countries: “At about 200 per 100,000 population, our incarceration rate is now on a level with countries we do not normally compare ourselves with – Gabon, Namibia, Moldova and Slovakia. Compare that with Sweden on 66, Germany on 83, France, 102, Australia, 130, and England, 154”.
Our imprisonment rate is going up at the same time that crime rates are going down according to Rudman, and he suggests that some imprisonment is unnecessary: “Why, for instance, are 10 per cent of prisoners inside for traffic offences?”.
For a further insight into unnecessary imprisonment (and the problems it causes for prison violence), it’s well worth reading a blog post by Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, one of the “Urewera Four” convicted and sentenced to prison following the Operation 8 saga. His blog post, Government is Hiding the Truth Behind the Serco Debate, is a very long but important analysis of the violence in prisons, based on his own observations while in prison. He puts forward many interesting recommendations for reform, but much of the lesson of this analysis is about the extreme underfunding and understaffing of prisons (regardless of whether they’re public or private).
An indictment of prison privatisation
The fact that cost-cutting is at the heart of the prison scandals is reiterated by Andrea Vance in her very good article, Serco: the company no one has heard of but everyone is talking about. She argues that Serco has to find savings in order to make a profit: “Private companies cannot risk cutting corners in security. But there is room to move when it comes to the well-being of inmates”. Vance also provides details of the history of Serco and its scandals.
The Government’s response has been to argue that the Serco scandal – while unfortunate – is not actually an indictment of the system. After all, it shows that contracts with private providers carry penalties that don’t exist under the state model. The private system is therefore more accountable.
But does the system really work? The Southland Times says that this episode demonstrates the opposite – the problems weren’t brought to light by the system, but by leaks: “None of which was triggered by anything remotely resembling internal checks and balances. It was only once the scale of the problem came to the attention of the Opposition and news media that the official view ceased to be that things were hunky-dory” – see: When corrections need correcting.
Reflecting on how the scandal came to light, today’s Herald editorial says that while there might be an element of political game-playing involved, “the Government can hardly complain about that, since the political sensitivity of private contracts was one of the checks that was supposed to ensure they would perform better than the public prison administration” – see: Serco must be made an example of. Similarly, see The Press editorial, Serco must be held to prison service standards.
The story of Serco’s involvement in New Zealand prison management and the contracts negotiated is covered very well by Paul McBeth in his article, Prison ‘fight club’ furore comes as Serco NZ enters renegotiation period. It seems that the company was “appearing” to do very well in its management until the latest scandals eventuated, calling into question some of the reporting methods for prison management.
An alternative version of prison statistics are put forward by Talia Shadwell in her article, ‘Anarchic’ Mt Eden is New Zealand’s roughest prison, figures show. University of Canterbury criminologist and former prison inmate, Greg Newbold, is quoted as saying “The monkeys are running the zoo. It’s a disgraceful situation. This is like a third-world country.”
There are certainly many experts and insiders willing to detail their problems with the Serco-run prison. According to Whangarei lawyer Kelly Ellis – also a former Labour candidate – “Serco has brought a culture of profiteering, bullying, intimidation and corruption to Mt Eden prison” – see Shabnam Dastgheib’s Serco prisoners live in fear of violence – lawyer. See also, Kelly Ellis’ own interesting blog post, Prisoners scapegoated while Serco lives high on the haul.
Problems for National’s private provisioning agenda
The fallout from the prison scandal is likely to have larger ramifications for National than just the use of private prisons – it could jeopardise the Government’s whole private provisioning agenda. This is the main point made by Tracy Watkins in her column, Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga not the only reputation shattered in prison crisis.
Watkins says that “The Government knows, meanwhile, that the public will hardly be shocked by accounts of violence inside prison and it is on safe ground politically. But ideology cuts both ways – and the crisis throws a serious rock in the path of the Government’s planned reforms in other areas where the private prison experience has been held up as a template”. She suggests that the current debacle will be particularly problematic in leading the public to question the use of private providers – Serco included – in the care of vulnerable children.
Similarly, Andrew Dickens – who generally supports such public-private deals – argues that this episode suggests the government just isn’t competent enough to draw up sufficiently robust contracts with providers like Serco – see: Big risks in public-private deals.
For Dave Armstrong the prison debacle shows that the whole private provider agenda is flawed, especially the idea of league tables – see: Private prisons need time off for bad behaviour. Armstrong also points out that “There are calls for [Judith] Collins to be reinstated. Given she was minister when the prison was privatised, that’s like making the person who started the blaze the new fire chief”.
The Minister of Corrections has been dubbed “Serco Sam”, and there’s plenty of debate about how damaging the scandal has been for him and how much of the blame should be apportioned to him personally. The latest annual Herald ratings of ministers certainly suggests that he’s not performing well and his Cabinet career might be short – he gets the lowest rating in Cabinet with four out of ten – see Audrey Young’s Ministers’ ratings: Lotu-Iiga bottom of the class. The article reports on all the other ministers too (for example, Nick Smith gets 5/10, Bill English, Simon Bridges and Steven Joyce all get only 6/10, Hekia Parata gets 8/10 and Michael Woodhouse is at the top with 9/10).
Another very interesting “inside account” – by “Prisoner Rights activist and current Prisoner” Arthur Taylor is: What’s really going on inside Serco from a Prisoner. He also argues that understaffing is causing problems – along with the ban on smoking – and that gangs get exemptions from searches by guards.
Former MP Keith Locke puts forward his own recommendations for reform, citing interesting experience from Norway – see: How to reduce violence in our prisons.
For a socialist view on prisons, from an activist who’s spent some time there – see Don Franks’ Prison violence, where’s it heading? He opposes prisons in general, and says: “Prisoners are quite right to lash out and fight. They are just fighting the wrong people”.
Sociologist Jarrod Gilbert has put forward his contribution to the debate by telling the story of an important prison riot of fifty years ago – see: The night all hell broke loose at Mt Eden Prison. He argues that prison violence always reflects management and institutional problems.
Finally, a protest is being held in Auckland on Saturday against Serco and private prisons. To find out why, read John Palethorpe’s blog post, Protesting private prisons. And for cartoonists view on the issues, see my blog post, Cartoons about the Serco prison scandal.
High-seas transshipping is an enabler of both human rights and environmental abuses. It’s the fisheries equivalent of money laundering, where illegal or “dirty” fish can enter the supply chain and become impossible to differentiate from the “clean”.
weekly Beehive press conference on Monday 27 July by delivering a casual-as, un-noticed “Kia ora tatou” … but ended the week poorly when his answer to a 16-year-old’s idea at a school assembly at Waiuku College of extending the celebration of the language to a month, was that it would leave people “bored”.
Michael Woodhouse. Image courtesy of TheStandard.org.nz.[/caption]
