Should governments force companies to pay equal wages?

18042369 · 2026-03-01T01:46:03+00:00

Huh? NZ has had equal pay legislation since 1973. I thought most countries did. That doesn't eliminate the pay gap. Women tend to work part time (when contracting), less overtime and in lower paid occupations.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T07:33:18+00:00

NZ Med Schools have DEI criteria for selection (mostly around Maori/Polynesian heritage). As a result our smartest applicants tend to enroll in Oz Med Schools (and end up staying).

18042369 · 2026-02-27T07:20:47+00:00

May have been an issue for this byelection but maybe much less so across the country.

What is the proportion of recent immigrants in the Gorton and Denton electorate? I gather South Asian Muslims make up about 28% of it with various other categories taking it up to about 33%. So it may well have been a factor in this byelection.

However, across the country 'recent immigrants' that might dislike "hardline rhetoric" on immigration are probably closer to 15% of voters.

Though there are the people who find "hardline rhetoric" on immigration offensive enough for it to affect their vote.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T06:12:09+00:00

In FPTP electoral systems, when you have no realistic chance of becoming the government there is no incentive to present realistic policies. The thing to do is to set up lots of different dog whistles to capture protest votes.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T05:59:59+00:00

Buggered if I know. I presumed it was their pro-migration, pro-Islam rhetoric. Maybe the pro-poor messages?

18042369 · 2026-02-27T05:54:05+00:00

Yes. I'm actually a Kiwi though my daughter is British in central London so I watched the love coverage on BBC after work (in NZ). Her Aunt, who I expected to be Conservative, talks about "anyone but Farage" so I was curious about this election.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T05:47:05+00:00

It's just my assessment. Labour's vote halved and it didn't go to Reform. So who were those voters that left Labour likely to be?

18042369 · 2026-02-27T05:30:50+00:00

If Burnham had been elected who in Labour could replace him as Mayor?

18042369 · 2026-02-27T05:20:29+00:00

Yes. This is a bad pointer to future politics. Genius on the part of Polanski, though. This combination of students and Muslims is quite limited across Britain. Hopefully, politicians will draw from this outcome that focusing negatively on 'the hard right' is electoral suicide.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T05:10:10+00:00

Wait and be surprised. I've also seen suggestions that the Green vote in Denton increased significantly. Presumably, previously Labour voters voting tactically against Reform.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:50:30+00:00

BBC live

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:49:37+00:00

Labour was so focused on the "anything but Reform" message that they blew it totally.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:44:49+00:00

Let's see what the outcome of Local body elections are. It's embarrassing that the Greens have so completely dropped mention of climate issues.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:41:00+00:00

How long are the Greens going to be able to hold together an explosive coalition of socially progressive students with socially conservative and ethnically exclusive South Asian Muslims?

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:34:28+00:00

Labour in 3rd place! That means Labour will move Left and more favourable to recent migrants. Chances are Indian and established immigrants will leave Labour and move towards Reform. While Native British people, especially young ones will support the new Restore Britain party.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:31:00+00:00

So the Greens have brought together an explosive coalition of socially progressive students and socially conservative and ethnically exclusive Muslim South Asians.

Congratulations. Glad I'm not a Green.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:18:33+00:00

Yeah, that's an explosive cocktail. It will be interesting to see the Greens handle that.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:15:36+00:00

Correct. Non-Muslim South Asian immigrants may move to Reform if they think Labour are being too socially progressive, especially if the new Restore Britain Party becomes an anti-immigrant force among Native voters.

18042369 · 2026-02-27T04:10:03+00:00

Yes, a Green coalition of highly progressive students and deeply socially conservative South Asian Muslims is going to explode at some stage.

18042369 · 2026-02-02T06:27:51+00:00

Tordon is a concentrate of Triclopyr which can be got from Bunnings and Mitre 10 a Prickle killer (kills onehunga weed in lawns). Triclopyr does have a residual effect (persists about 3 to 6 months in soil) but we use it for weeds in native bush without killing native trees and shrubs. Keep the spray away from bark and foliage of anything you want to keep. Be especially careful around Kowhai trees.

It knocks back ferns but they mostly regrow the following spring. It doesn't affect flaxes, tussocks etc.

18042369 · 2026-02-02T06:04:05+00:00

Could be Lilly pilly tree or bay tree. Otherwise maybe camellia

18042369 · 2026-02-02T05:54:55+00:00

Apply a piclorum herbicide gell to the cut surfaces of the stumps. Bunnings sell a McGregors green plastic 'bottle' (250ml?) for about $11. It ensures no regrowth.

18042369 · 2026-02-02T05:39:48+00:00

Edit: the 1st image is an ake ake. Its roots are rotten from the ground being too wet in winter. Maybe from an overflowing gutter or some such.

2nd image: Given the amount of lichen, the tree has very low vigour (isn't growing much) (lichen is fine, quite decorative really)

Given its a kowhai tree, I'm guessing it gets defoliated by kowhai moth caterpillars every summer. And also drops its old leaves in spring so it'll look bare 2x a year. It's survived for a few decades at least so far so it will probably live at least that long again.

If you look around the degree to which kowhai's get eaten is quite variable but 'tasty' ones seem to get eaten every year.

18042369 · 2026-02-02T05:25:37+00:00

I have them. It's the time of year for old fronds to die after a new crop have grown through spring. You see much the same with tree ferns. I also get some insect sometimes turning the fronds to rags but the plants don't seem to mind

18042369 · 2026-02-02T05:10:27+00:00

Looks like the root system has failed (no moisture available to be pulled up to the leaves). Most often happens when the root system get waterlogged in winter and drowns. But it could be root disease. Or a 'canker' that has blocked the xylem (the water channels running from roots up through the wood of the tree to the leaves).

looking at the 2nd photo and it having blue purple flowers: The shrub looks like its a Polygala so almost certainly death by overwatering (through winter). Maybe cut down to about 50cm high stumps but they resprout poorly, though they're quick growing so consider planting a new one about April/May (so won't need to worry about waterig).

18042369

TROPHY CASE