Insulting

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 4:58 pm, October 1st, 2008 - 139 comments
Categories: crime, dpf - Tags:

David Farrar really is a disgusting person at times. He writes that we shouldn’t look at overall crime rates (although he made a big fuss when the overall recorded crime rate went up because of changes in recording practice in 2006). Instead we should just look at violent crime, after all “having 1,000 less [sic] cannabis crimes and 500 more rapes is a net decrease in crime, but would be a worrying trend”. He then goes on to act all shocked over the recorded violent crime stats. First, he’s trying to make you think there are more rapes (in fact, the number is down and he’s hardly one to fret about rape when he’s good mates with a pornographer). Secondly, this professional statistician is deliberately trying to mislead you regarding the change in the crime stats. He knows that the explanation from the professionals is reporting of domestic crime is up but he hopes you don’t.

Crime is down because poverty and the conditions that breed crime have been reduced. At the same time, reporting of crimes is up. Thefts, car thefts, and burglaries (together, the largest group of crimes) have halved in the last ten years. Homicides are down. In fact, all classes of crime are down except two. Recorded violent crime is up because reporting is up. Recorded property damage offences have climbed in the last three years thanks to the moral panic over tagging. But those rises are attributed (not by me, by the Police) to higher reporting.

Farrar needs to misrepresent the statistics to create the impression of a wave of crime where there is none. It’s all part of National’s ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign. It disrespects his readers and the victims of crime. Disgusting.

[crime stats]

139 comments on “Insulting ”

Comments are now closed

randal 1

1 October 2008 at 5:09 pm

farrar is a windbag and a fool with oversize dewlaps but we have to put up with him because we live in a democracy. anywhere else and he would be laughed out of town!
Robinsod 2

1 October 2008 at 5:11 pm

To be fair to david his audience is really only the MSM and his retarded chimp commenters so it’s not like he can expect to be caught out…
Phil 3

1 October 2008 at 5:12 pm

Anywhere else and you would have been sent to a re-education camp
Hamish 4

1 October 2008 at 5:17 pm

That is the worst article I have ever seen.

I’m not going to comment at this time on his “apparent” mis-use of crime statistics because i’m not going to pretend that I know anything about it. But personally attacking Farrar by calling him disgusting just makes you look like a prick.

And how is the fact that he is friends with a pornographer even relevant to his mis-use of crime statistics? Never a dull moment for the standard when it can use cheap shots at it’s opposition.

Your link to the stats doesn’t work as well. So basically you’ve made a variety of claims but not backed them up with any evidence.

[try here. It’s the Stats table builder, you can find the number of offences down to a hundred-odd sub-catagories. SP]
higherstandard 5

1 October 2008 at 5:20 pm

Evidence Hamish damn you eyes Sir !

Don’t you know that any stats that reflect poorly on the present government are lies.

The real question is where was John Key when all those thefts and car conversions were going on !
gobsmacked 6

1 October 2008 at 5:22 pm

SP, why do you keep doing this?

Yet again, you make a valid argument about the facts and figures, and then you chuck a totally gratuitous self-destruct line in there along with it. A gift to those who don’t want to debate the issue. If they then seize upon your stupid comment, that’s nobody’s fault but yours. And another opportunity goes begging.

Try this in future: write the post, step away from it, read it again, and then ask yourself what you want people to discuss. Anything that distracts from the issue: delete. And if you can’t hear the alarm bells, ask someone who can.
Steve Pierson 7

1 October 2008 at 5:28 pm

gobs. the lines are there on purpose and with a mind to the consequences. And they’re not just rhetoric. I mean every word
travellerev 8

1 October 2008 at 5:32 pm

Dewlaps. LOL. I actually had to google that one.
Being a tulip I didn’t know the man so I looked him up and he has them too.LLOL
Hamish 9

1 October 2008 at 5:35 pm

Got them working now. Thanks!
Pete 10

1 October 2008 at 5:35 pm

in fact, the number is down and he’s hardly one to fret about rape when he’s good mates with a pornographer).

I love this line from a person that obviously supports a party that legislated to legalise prostitution. Afterall, pornography is just videotaped prostitution for the mass market.

Steve you’ll next be espousing a Clintonesque line like “I’ve watched pornography once but I didn’t touch myself”
Steve Pierson 11

1 October 2008 at 5:35 pm

HS. don’t be a dick, you’re better than this. Read the stats, read the Police analysis. It’s not me who’s lying, I’m just relaying the stats and telling you what the experts say.
Steve Pierson 12

1 October 2008 at 5:38 pm

Pete. Prostitution happened anyway, so the sensible question is ‘how can we make the best of an undesirable situation?’ decriminalising prostitution was the best way to help minimise the dangers to prostitutes. I support that, doesn’t mean I think prostitution is a good thing. You need to start thinking in terms other than black and white.
travellerev 13

1 October 2008 at 5:44 pm

HS,

Probably buying and selling railway shares and lying about it while he was making a fast buck on his own shares and using his political position to help out mates. Ooh oops, who were caught insider trading and had to buy themselves out of the crapper with 20 million.

It’s called white collar crime. The difference with rich white men committing “white collar” crime and burglary is that the burglar goes to jail when caught and when you’re rich you get elected prime minister by idjiets like you so you can bamboozle some more.

[let’s not get personal in our criticisms. That goes for me too. Sorry for before HS. SP]
Pete 14

1 October 2008 at 5:45 pm

Steve I’m all shades of grey and usually a little green on a Sunday morning 😉

But I’d like to know how you link being a pornographer with being a rapist? Moreover how you link having a pornographer friend makes a person any less able to find rape repugnant?

Or were you just attempting a nice disgusting smear?

[being friends with a pornographer shows a disrespectful attitude to women at least. Many feminists argue porn promotes rape – so associating with someone like that while writing beat up stories abotu rape is pretty awful in my books. Of course, that’s just one element of Farrar’s misogyny and I have a problem with misogynists trying to make political capital off rape. SP]
spot 15

1 October 2008 at 5:50 pm

I’m rubbish on stats, so I’ll ask the “idiots guide” question.

How do the reported/recorded crime stats (and any increase) stack up against the crime which is actually occuring as a whole? Eg, how do you distinguish between the capturing of the data (increase) and any actual lift in “real world” crime activity.

Does that question make sense, probably not – but strikes me that assessement against these sorts of stats must be a bl**dy nightmare unless you have a rock solid baseline.
travellerev 16

1 October 2008 at 5:55 pm

Without disrespecting your request for decent debate what is personal about my response Steve. Ah, the “idjiet”, I get it.

HS, Is pretty personal too Steve.

“Birds of a feather” “I hope they don’t procreate”. Pretty insulting.
And he may not agree with my ideas about 911 but his constant dogwistling about paranoia is and hinting at conspiracies is also pretty nasty and stigmatising.
sean 17

1 October 2008 at 6:01 pm

Unless you have hardcore proof, then violent crime has increased – harping on about someone who claims to be an expert saying that they know it all and its really just better reporting is just hot air and smoke and mirrors.

The cold facts are that there are more reported violent crimes – therefore, it is safe to assume that more violent crimes are happening. No matter what statements you throw up around this, you are just clutching at straws as it is the logical hypothesis.

How on earth can someone claim to know that while reporting has improved, actual violent crime has decreased – unless they know what happens in every single household in New Zealand?

Words of advice: never try getting a statistical or operational research type job – you would fail big time.
Steve Pierson 18

1 October 2008 at 6:05 pm

yeah. ev. I know. The request goes for all of us.

spot. victimisation surveys are one attempt to capture the actual crime rate. But it is important that we acknowledge there are three elements that could vary the recorded crime stats –
– actual crime level changes
– changes in reporting levels
– changes in recording practice (that happened between 2005 and 2006)

So, when we see a change we ask which of these could be the explanation. Have we seen an worsening of the conditions that lead to crime (more poverty, unemployment, fewer police etc)? That may mean the increase is due to an actual increase in crime. We haven’t seen those conditions worsen signficantly in the last year, in fact most of them have improved.

Have we seen an improvement in the conditions for reporting? Yes, the family violence campaign too place and we had a 30% increase in the reporting of family crime. Unlikely to be a coincidence. Note, you take out family violence and crime has dropped several percent. If crime was rising, it would be unlikely it would confined to this single type of crime.
r0b 19

1 October 2008 at 6:08 pm

Unless you have hardcore proof, then violent crime has increased – harping on about someone who claims to be an expert saying that they know it all and its really just better reporting is just hot air and smoke and mirrors

Yeah sean, what do those police “experts” know about crime eh. Not as much as you right?
Pete 20

1 October 2008 at 6:10 pm

Steve bro you need to get out more. Many women enjoy watching porno alone or with their partners. Sex toy sales are on the up and up. Quite frankly I find it rather disgusting that you suggest a woman that enjoys these things isn’t really a “woman” but some man toy. Of course there are problems within the industry – there always have been and always will be – much like any other industry.

Your perspective is just another form of misogyny – one which suggests that a woman is not capable of looking after herself or intelligent enough to select things that are pleasurable to her. Nice one…

Remember all the freaky people make up the beauty of the world.

[bro, I know plenty about the freaky side of things and I know well there are many empowered women who are into all kinds of things but I also know that the pornography industry is primarily disempowered women being used by men. SP]
ghostwhowalks 21

1 October 2008 at 6:10 pm

There was Farrars mock umbrage today over the Brash emails saga with this comment
..The alleged theft was notified to Police in August 2005
The Police did not begin their investigation until September 2006 – 13 months later!

But Hootens comment put the formal complaint laid by Brash was September 2006. Of course Brash was making noises before this but didnt want to complain until he realised his political career was over.

Some stats about Farrars results from election campaigns he has had a formal role.
Wellington Regional Vice Chair- lost all seats except 1
Wellington Central- campaign manager, lost , even with dream candidate of ex mayor
Steve Pierson 22

1 October 2008 at 6:11 pm

r0b. Sean’s a genius he knows everything. No, he doesn’t need to look anything up, do any research, rely on the findings of experts – he already knows all the answers, he’s just waiting for the questions.
Being an ignorant conservative means never having to say ‘I don’t know’
r0b 23

1 October 2008 at 6:15 pm

r0b. Sean’s a genius he knows everything.

What a terrible burden that must be for him. And so misunderstood.
spot 24

1 October 2008 at 6:31 pm

All fair points SP, guess one of the things I was trying to get at was (as you note) the coincidence vs causal relationships.

Never fails to dissapoint me where the cheap point scoring gets the coverage, or how far they lot of em will actually go to push a line they know really doesn’t stand scrutiny, but by which time it matters it’s “yesterdays fish n chips wrapping” etc.

Politics though huh, elections and desperation (to get in, and to stay) will always make for a good hunk of “conservative truth telling” and definitely cheapshot campaigning.
Ben R 25

1 October 2008 at 6:34 pm

“Crime is down because poverty and the conditions that breed crime have been reduced.”

Labour also deserve credit for the Sentencing Act 2002 which has lead to longer sentences. Also since the Parole Act 2002 people are serving a greater proportion of their sentences.

This, together with increased police numbers has probably also helped reduce the overall crime rate.
Ag 26

1 October 2008 at 6:38 pm

Why does anyone think this will make any difference? The conservative movement abandoned truth a long time ago. Truth only matters to them when it accidentally agrees with them. Otherwise they don’t care about it. That’s what happens with a faith-based (in the broad sense) political movement.

Hell, I remember the Herald once having a headline about the increase in crime over an article that described the decrease in crime. Words start to lose their meanings when this becomes prevalent.
Ben R 27

1 October 2008 at 6:42 pm

“That’s what happens with a faith-based (in the broad sense) political movement.”

I thought a conservative was by nature skeptical & wanted to see evidence before making changes?
Ag 28

1 October 2008 at 6:49 pm

“I thought a conservative was by nature skeptical & wanted to see evidence before making changes?”

Would that it were still so. I actually liked those people, since you could at least talk to them and they had some sense of shame. I guess there are still some of them left, but today’s self-appointed “conservatives” are a misnomer. They espouse what seems to be a radical faith-based politics driven by some sort of primal rage against “socialists” or “liberals” (where those words lack their customary meaning).

They’re like the reporters from 1984: “The chocolate ration has been increased this week from 25 grams to 20 grams. All praise Big Brother!”

Captcha: Casual reports. 😉
outofbed 29

1 October 2008 at 6:52 pm

I can never understand why Farrar hangs out with Slater He would garner a modicum of respect from me he didn’t hang out with that nasty misogynist pornographer.
They say You can judge a man by the company he keeps.
RedLogix 30

1 October 2008 at 6:52 pm

And I suppose it would be tiresomely technical of me to point out that this report uses absolute numbers… uncorrected for population increase.
bustedblonde 31

1 October 2008 at 7:12 pm

Common boys – leave my mates alone. Or are you going to have a wack at me for putting up pics of naked men bums?

I can’t see how you can support legislation decriminalising prostitution and yet get rabid about porn.

There is a big range of porn from erotica – which is what most people tolerate to the hard ass stuff I had to put up with for four years in a medium security jail.

The world is not black and white boys its many hues of grey.

BTW – Farrars right about the stats, thats why its called right wing politics we tend to be, well right. And at the moment you guys are being left in the dust..

The truth is our lovely country is less safe than it once was.

So instead of trying to defend the stats, which are quitefrankly appalling, think about the one thing that can be done to help to make it a little bit safer and do us a favour and blog about that…
Draco T Bastard 32

1 October 2008 at 7:23 pm

Ben R

I thought a conservative was by nature skeptical & wanted to see evidence before making changes?

Nope, a conservative is someone who wants things to stay the same because they’re too terrified of change.
Draco T Bastard 33

1 October 2008 at 7:27 pm

RedLogix:

And I suppose it would be tiresomely technical of me to point out that this report uses absolute numbers uncorrected for population increase.

Corrected for population increase – crime has decreased.

The figures showed 107 more offences were recorded in the year than in the June 2007 year. Adjusted for the population increase in the same period, it was a 1 per cent decrease, police said.
RedLogix 34

1 October 2008 at 7:32 pm

The truth is our lovely country is less safe than it once was.

More likely:

1. You know more about life than you did once.

2. You’ve become more risk-averse than you were when you were young.

3. As a result your perceptions about ‘safety’ have changed.

The truth is complex. NZ has always had a dark violent underbelly; but mostly it was confined and hidden away from middle-class sensibilities. Our mean streets were always.. well mean.

Two things have changed. We are less tolerant of violence than we once were; while at the same time P has changed our crime/drug underworld from sad and thuggish… to freaky and brutal.

think about the one thing that can be done to help to make it a little bit safer and do us a favour and blog about that

What exactly do you have in mind?
vto 35

1 October 2008 at 7:53 pm

ha ha, putting aside the actual topic, this is a bwilliant example of pots and kettles SP.

But I gotta say that on average Farrar’s threads and topics are more balanced, bipartisan (where appropriate) and researched than your own by a country mile. And he gives kudos to the left where deserved etc too.

Re this actual topic, it seems he may have stepped a bit too far in his interpretations and conclusions, but that is not common imo.
bustedblonde 36

1 October 2008 at 7:57 pm

Well one thing that gets me going is seeing people like Eugene Ryder parading around in gang colours saying he is working to stop kids from getting into gangs . He should not get any money until he stops advertising black power. what is needed is for the ex gang leaders to drop the colours and explain why they have to the young ones contemplating getting involved. Older guys like Denis O’Reilly and Harry Tam who have walked away from the old life but who have a history of turning kids lives around.

I saw too many like Ryder inside the jail. They still glory in the colours and the creed and that is not the way to go.

I am also a firm believer in keeping the little buggers busy.. It is labour and cost intensive but again it works..

Everything has to be about giving them hope and opening their eyes to the possibilities in the world.

But it should be against a backdrop of near zero tolerance..

I speak from some experience but I also know that youth crime is one of the most difficult problems to solve. If I had my way I would work for a cross party accord – a few ideas from here and there – the will and buy in from everyone and then maybe we could get some programmes going that work. That being said there will be some out there that do work – the trick is replicating them.

Hell it might even happen if the Maori Party and the Nats have a little korero after the election..

BB
randal 37

1 October 2008 at 8:04 pm

so the question is: is farrar going to call 0800newcop or just hang around blagging about it?
travellerev 38

1 October 2008 at 8:09 pm

bustedblonde, now there’s a name for ya. I’ve seen that tag somewhere before but is had a different name attached to it, I think.
burt 39

1 October 2008 at 8:23 pm

Steve P.

being friends with a pornographer shows a disrespectful attitude to women at least. Many feminists argue porn promotes rape – so associating with someone like that while writing beat up stories abotu rape is pretty awful in my books. Of course, that’s just one element of Farrar’s misogyny and I have a problem with misogynists trying to make political capital off rape. SP

Feminists have also said in the past that all men are rapists. Are you a rapist Steve?

I like porn, I’ve never raped – never would rape. I know plenty of woman who like porn as well.

I suggest it’s you trying to make political capital off rape.
Chris 40

1 October 2008 at 8:41 pm

Yeah, come on steve, as a social liberal leave the porn out of it! remember, we’re pro-choice? Or are you one of those social liberal till it crosses your values type guys?
Brett Dale 41

1 October 2008 at 8:55 pm

I don’t think David is a disgusting person, but the fact that you would call someone a disgusting person says a lot about you.

I said it a thousand times, walk thru Christchurch at night during any day of the week, and you will see what effect a soft approach to crime has.
slightlyrighty 42

1 October 2008 at 8:57 pm

Great. Shoot the messenger as opposed to a constructive debate. Keep it up cos it’s working really well isn’t it!

(captcha hysterical an. appropriate isn’t it!)
Dean 43

1 October 2008 at 9:20 pm

“First, he’s trying to make you think there are more rapes (in fact, the number is down and he’s hardly one to fret about rape when he’s good mates with a pornographer).”

I’m not sure why you’re trying to make yourself seem stupid SP but I’m sure you’re aware that:

a. Porn does not equal rapist and
b. Many feminists don’t have a problem with porn

Perhaps it’s the sheltered world you live in.
GPT 44

1 October 2008 at 9:25 pm

This blog claims to have “standards” for commentators and seems very quick to ban any and all for anything deemed a personal attack and yet you find it necessary to call Farrar “a disgusting person” and intimate that b/c he is apparently friends with a pornographer (how is this relevant?) that he somehow condones rape?

Is their one rule for you and one rule for everyone else?

Hypocracy of a Winston Peters level.

[lprent: What the posters write is their own opinion. The blog site doesn’t have an opinion – it is a program running on a machine. Read the About. ]
Dean 45

1 October 2008 at 9:26 pm

“[bro, I know plenty about the freaky side of things and I know well there are many empowered women who are into all kinds of things but I also know that the pornography industry is primarily disempowered women being used by men. SP]”

This is even better.

I don’t think you know much about the modern day porn industry, SP. But as always you’ll speak out against it because you’re looking to score points. Have you considered activism for the EBs? You know it makes sense.
Tony Norriss 46

1 October 2008 at 9:34 pm

I heard the deputy commissioner talking to Larry Williams on ZB today. He said that only 30% of crime is reported. He gave me the impression that he thought that was great!! However, it seems that the low level of reporting makes comparisons with previous years fairly meaningless unless the level of non-reporting can be accurately estimated for the previous years as well. If the level of non-reporting has been steadily increasing, as many believe, then the stats may indeed be misrepresenting the figures.

In any case, it is misleading to state that the increase in violent crime is due to the increase in domestic offences. The stats show that many other aspects of violent offending have also increased.
RedLogix 47

1 October 2008 at 9:36 pm

As with SP I don’t get overwrought by the freaky side of life; it exists and all sorts of people have all sorts of predilictions in their private lives, and I’m not about to come over judgemental about it.

But Farrar is no longer an altogether private person, he’s spent years working assiduously to make himself a public person. As such his open friendship with the odious Slater is a mistake; the sort of mistake if say for instance John Key was mates with Steve Crow.

It’s poor judgement and not a good look, whatever position you want to take on the politics of porn.
Dean 48

1 October 2008 at 9:42 pm

redlogix:

“But Farrar is no longer an altogether private person, he’s spent years working assiduously to make himself a public person. As such his open friendship with the odious Slater is a mistake; the sort of mistake if say for instance John Key was mates with Steve Crow.”

And that makes him A-OK with rape?

You need to get a grip on reality and leave the politics behind.

“It’s poor judgement and not a good look, whatever position you want to take on the politics of porn.”

You couldn’t have said it better yourself. I suggest that you and SP have a good long think about that.
RedLogix 49

1 October 2008 at 9:52 pm

And that makes him A-OK with rape?

I’ll add that to my barn full of strawmen.

Slater is slime. And his creepy and demeaning porn exudes slime… the kind that sticks to everyone around it.
Disengaged 50

1 October 2008 at 10:15 pm

I’m sorry Steve but once again you have me confused. DPF has put a different slant on the figures than you. There is no suprise in that. One is looking from the left, the other the right. I fail to see how that makes him disgusting.

More importantly I fail to see how just because he knows a pornographer means that he condones rape. One of my friends from school was arrested for armed robbery, does that mean that I condone violent crime? No.

As to your statements about porn being responsible for rape, I think that you are being deliberately obtuse. Perhaps you and your significant other should check out some of the erotica for couples available on the market and see if you think that is encouraging rape. Also tell me another industry where women routinely get paid five times (if not more) as much as their male counterparts?

Capture: Stock Problem – Tell me about it!!!
Bryan Spondre 51

1 October 2008 at 10:29 pm

Hmm, I detect significant anger being directed at the right side of the blogo-sphere. Including a (deleted) post by Irishbill directed at one of my colleagues. Does this indicate panic on the left that the election campaign is not going well ?
Tane 52

1 October 2008 at 10:36 pm

You want to talk anger, Bryan, have a look at some of the hatemail we receive from your friends on the right.

In any case, no, what that post indicates is that your colleague is being somewhat less than honest in his dealings. But that’s what we’ve come to expect from his blog posts.

While we’re on the topic, Bryan, I might as well point out that you and Matthew are both in breach of policy.net’s Privacy Policy. You might want to check that out.
Anita 53

1 October 2008 at 10:41 pm

Probably the Privacy Act as well.
Bryan Spondre 54

1 October 2008 at 10:53 pm

I will take that as “Yes,things are not going well!!!!”.
Pascal's bookie 55

1 October 2008 at 10:56 pm

Is Tame Wilson a colleague? Will he be commenting again?
burt 56

1 October 2008 at 10:59 pm

randal

so the question is: is farrar going to call 0800newcop or just hang around blagging about it?

Excellent point. He could start up KiwiPlodBlog.
GPT 57

1 October 2008 at 11:01 pm

Ah Tane. Moral relativism at its best. It’s ok to say vile things about Farrar b/c he’s wrong.

lprent – so posters can be as insulting and vile as they like but commentators cannot?

[lprent: I agree with SP on this about DPF’s use of statistics. Have a look at the analysis on 08wire

http://08wire.org/2008/10/02/farrar-vs-the-standard-on-massaging-crime-statistics/

The point is that DPF was doing the classic focus on the crime stats by only reporting them in a way to show conclusion that he wished to it to show. I’ve read DPF’s response and it is pathetic because he hasn’t even acknowledged his manipulative bias. Good on SP for pointing out the DPF’s lack of statistical integrity.

The comment about Whale is actually unrelated and probably detracted from SP’s post. However I’d also describe Whale in similar terms because of his habit of pasting kids heads onto porn and then publishing them on the net, plus many other instances. The pornographer even boasts about his ability on photoshop.]
Bryan Spondre 58

1 October 2008 at 11:05 pm

So why has the post by IrishBill about Matthew been taken down ?
Tane 59

1 October 2008 at 11:10 pm

GPT. I don’t know what you think I’m referring to, but you sound like you’ve got it all backwards.

Bryan. I took it down because while not in breach of our policy, upon further reflection and reader feedback I decided it wasn’t the kind of thing we should be engaging in.

In any case, you haven’t addressed my point. Are you planning to make your site compliant with your privacy policy, or is it just there for a laugh?
Bryan Spondre 60

1 October 2008 at 11:17 pm

Given that I am a 100% sure that Lynn is correct about the static IP’s matching it looks like someone was pretending to be Matthew Hooton pretending to be Tame. The comments by the person purporting to be Matthew Hooton don’t look as if they were written by the real Matthew Hooton.

Has the real culprit been identified and was this the reason for IrishBill’s post being pulled ?

Fascinating, better than Coronation Street!!!!
burt 61

1 October 2008 at 11:23 pm

Retrospective validation at the standard.
Bryan Spondre 62

1 October 2008 at 11:32 pm

When someone impersonates me I insist they spell my name correctly, have a look at Robinsods blog for an example of what not to do.

burt- I guess retrospective validation is what the left does best 😉
Bryan Spondre 63

1 October 2008 at 11:33 pm

Tane – “I took it down because while not in breach of our policy, upon further reflection and reader feedback I decided it wasn’t the kind of thing we should be engaging in.”

I applaud your decision to adhere to a higher standard.
GPT 64

1 October 2008 at 11:38 pm

Apologies if I got it backwards Tane – you were referring to a “colleague” (of Bryan’s) being less than honest in his blog posts. I took that as referring to DPF and, given your reference to the ‘hatemail from the right’ I took your comment as justifying the tenor of this post.
Carol 65

1 October 2008 at 11:44 pm

On Checkpoint Mary Wilson interviewed the police spokesperson. He compared the reported statistics with the Crime Survey. This is a anonymous survey of a large number of people about their experiences of crime. Apparently this survey shows about one third of violent crimes are not reported. He says that the increase in violent crime is solely accounted for by domestic violence. He also said that the increase in youth violence is also in this category:i.e. more violence from young people in domestic contexts.

The police guy said that the stat that points to more domestic violence being reported, is the one that shows more reporting of low level domestic disputes. He says this indicates that people are more aware of the importance of reporting domestic disputes/violence.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint
Checkpoint NZ Crime Reporting: 18.11 hrs.
Steve Pierson 66

2 October 2008 at 12:08 am

I have no regrets about calling Farrar disgusting. He’s purposely misrepresenting crime stats for political gain. The fact is crime was much worse when his ilk were in power and it would get worse again if they got back into power but Farrar and National aren’t actually concerned about the victims of crime, they just want to run their NZ sucks campaign and get back into power. It’s disgusting.
QoT 67

2 October 2008 at 12:12 am

Steve … sure, you’ve made concessions and elaborations in response to comments on this thread, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who said “being friends with a pornographer” = “unlikely to care about rape”.

It doesn’t matter what “many feminists say” about the pornography industry.

It doesn’t matter that “this is only part of Farrar’s misogyny”.

Because your post still says “Farrar cannot actually care about rape because he’s friends with a pornographer”, and the clear insinuation is that we’re meant to say, “Yes, Steve, you’re totes right, befriending pornographers means not caring about rape”. It’s a cheap shot, it’s judgemental, it’s an inaccurate generalization, it’s not backed up by anything in your original post.

Admitting this, and not making excuses in the comments, would be a great thing for you to do.

If you want this thread to stay on-track with regard to Farrar’s misuse of crime statistics, you can be the one to not make bullshit personal attacks in the original post.
rave 68

2 October 2008 at 1:01 am

I’m happy to accept that Farrar gets worried about rape. I’ll take his word for it. But he gives a different impression with his dismissive attitude towards family violence as accounting for the increase in violent crime in the last year. He doesnt think that the police explanation is ‘credible’ because he cannot conceive of an increased reporting of serious and grievous family assault. This is the old ‘just a domestic’ in new guise.

He and his rightie mates seem to be more worried about pinning the increase on violent crime on the Labour led government rather than accept that the police may be right and that family violence accounts for the increase in violent crime.

Myself I’m not inclined to take the Police testimony on anything for very different reasons. But when they adopt a serious attitude towards family violence compared to the kneejerk blaming of a criminal underclass created by Labour welfarism I’m inclined to believe them.

I would say that the “It’s not OK” campaign needs to be widened from the ‘domestic’ to the ‘global’. The real perpetrators of family violence are people like Key’s mate Lord Ashcroft ripping money intended for slum renewal off the people of Belize or Key’s former associates at Merrill Lynch getting rich off subprime mortgages that are making millions homeless in the US.
A National government cutting taxes by cutting social spending will make life much worse for low income people in NZ and lead to a growth in family violence.
JG 69

2 October 2008 at 1:31 am

Articles like this – completely detached from reality and laced with personal insults – demonstrate how unreasonable and ill-informed the commentators (using the term loosely) on this blog are.

It’s obvious that National wiping people like you out of positions of authority is the only thing that will shut you up. Not long now.

[lprent: You are a complete dork. Are you suggesting that the Nay’s will be trying to censor a blog site paid for and run by an individual and written by other individuals? Or are you stupid enough to believe Whale who technically couldn’t find his arse without access to a mirror. He lies when he doesn’t have enough ‘evidence’ to justify his preconceptions. That is the basis of most of his assertions about this site.]
r0b 70

2 October 2008 at 1:56 am

Articles like this – completely detached from reality and laced with personal insults – demonstrate how unreasonable and ill-informed the commentators (using the term loosely) on this blog are.

Comments like this – completely detached from reality and laced with vague threats – demonstrate how unreasonable and violent the commentators (using the term loosely) on the right wing are.

It’s obvious that National wiping people like you out of positions of authority is the only thing that will shut you up. Not long now.

Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! We’re being repressed!
mattyroo 71

2 October 2008 at 4:10 am

Any of you losers that are saying that actual crime has decreased in relative terms to population, are by extension saying that this crime is alright. This may well be true that it has decreased relatively, however on the whole violent crimes are on the increase, and probably more so in the areas of society, where the population, is not increasing as proportionately as the crime.

clinton, I can only hope that next time you are out of your house, some asshole comes round and steals everything you own. Being a loser socialist though, you probably don’t own anything, as you’ve never got off your pimply ass to actually earn a respectable living and get ahead.

Having been the victim of two significant crimes this year, this is right now a hot issue for me. Having lived in the same place for a long time and not had any crime ever, for me personally it has increased tremendously.

And worse still, I had one of your horrible ilk tell me recently that one of these crimes was ok, as these “down and outs” “need these chances to get ahead”.

I loathe, actually hate, anyone who is defending the current “crime wave” we are having in this country. If I ran into you smith, I would perpetrate some of mine own crime on you, for good measure.

Horrible little puke. Keep defending the undefensible.

IrishBill: that’s a ban for life and I’ll be asking Steve if he wants to lay a complaint with your ISP for threatening him.
Razorlight 72

2 October 2008 at 7:03 am

SP that was the most over the top response I have read on the blogosphere. I have enjoed reading your posts because they challenge my political opinions. I rarely agree with them but I understand where you are coming from.

I have no idea where you are coming from with this garbage though. It simply shows an irrational hatred towards those on the right.

How can you now pretend to hold the moral high ground over people like Whale when you write deeply offensive comments like “and he’s hardly one to fret about rape when he’s good mates with a pornographer” DPF is justifiably offended by this and feels he has been defamed.

I am worried about how wound up and angry you will get in the very probable event that the right sweeps into power in a few weeks time. My suggestion is breath, relax and try to get rid of this hate you have built up inside you. The right are Kiwi’s as well. They aren’t evil. Don’t be afraid.
Anita 73

2 October 2008 at 7:38 am

burt,

Excellent point. He could start up KiwiPlodBlog.

Hee!

This is why I hang out in the comments threads brilliance! 🙂
Santi 74

2 October 2008 at 8:13 am

Travellerv sais “And he may not agree with my ideas about 911…”

Ahhh, the delights of being obsessed with innumerable conspiracy theories and the desire to ram them down on others.

Your imagination knows no bounds Dutch Einstein.
illuminatedtiger 75

2 October 2008 at 8:21 am

Good on ya SP! About time more people took Farrar to task. For too long now he’s been viewed as independent, even as an independent political commentator (which I consider a bit of a joke).
vidiot 76

2 October 2008 at 8:23 am

So it’s OK to adjust the crime rates by allowing for annual population growth, but for some reason this method doesn’t extend to the road toll ? Now what was that again ?

“being friends with a pornographer shows a disrespectful attitude to women at least.”

What happens if he only shot gay pron ? Would that be disrespectful to woman too or is that a double standard ?
travellerev 77

2 October 2008 at 8:29 am

Hey Santi,

vto, HS, Lucas and Billy want you to hang with them. They are starting a club. The “lets keep our fingers in our ears and say,” lalala, I can’t hear you” club.

Feel free to ignore my comments if you don’t like them.

In the mean time you are about to vote for John Key a proven liar who can’t stop gambling and who was the managing director of the debt (bonds and derivatives) for Merrill Lynch. The very products now blowing up the Western financial world. Sucker.
vto 78

2 October 2008 at 8:32 am

travellerev stop attacking me without justification or evidence or this will all end in a very nasty way.

ffs, if you were a rightie you would have been banned some time ago. this is total crap.
lukas 79

2 October 2008 at 8:39 am

vto, HS, Lucas and Billy want you to hang with them.

What the crazy? I havent said boo to you in ages…. its proving good for my sanity levels.

Eve… you always spout on about how many people “read” your blog. With the amount of link whoring you do, anyone could get as many hits as you do. What probably counts more is how many people comment and engage with you on your “blog”, from my visits there (still washing my computer screen from the coffee spouting) the general trend is for there to be a grand total of zero comments.

Eve, as much as you would like for me, HS, VTO etc etc to fit your picture of us all being angry, middle class, middle age white males… we are not (well at least I am not). I am a young, well educated white male just starting out in this world. I work part time for my self and part time for someone else and the other part of my time I volunteer at my local church. I am by no means angry at the world or anyone, infact I just got married this year so am fairly happy with life and the world in general. Yes I am white though… oh well, can’t win them all a?
travellerev 80

2 October 2008 at 9:01 am

vto,

Was that a threat?

I have never pre-emptively attacked you, it was you who started to ridicule me for my views and you did so in a patronising, misogynist way. In fact I never called you personally patronising nor misogynist until you took sides in a confrontation I had with I think HS.

If you do that than don’t expect me to take it lying down.

Evidence? What do I accuse you off that would justify you asking me for evidence.
I only give you my view on you. My opinion. You may not like it but there you have it.
Feel free not to react to my comments and ignore them. I don’t ask you for anything but if you comment expect a reaction.

If you can’t stand the heat I suggest you get out of the kitchen mate.
I react very badly to threats and bullying.
travellerev 81

2 October 2008 at 9:05 am

Lucas,

Congrats with your wedding. Feel free to keep on ignoring me, it proved quit pleasant for me too.

I don’t invite comments to my blog although people seem to do it more.
Added to that a couple of sites are pinging so the information clearly means something to those people as they want to spread it.
vto 82

2 October 2008 at 9:07 am

Shut the fuck up travellerev, I have never ridiculed your views. I actuallyy think they have some substance.

You attacked – first white middle class males and then me.

You have still provided no proof for any of your allegations.

Take that threat any way you want you racist sexist creep.
Matthew Pilott 83

2 October 2008 at 9:26 am

Is anyone else getting really sick of eve’s long-running personal battles?
Vanilla Eis 84

2 October 2008 at 9:35 am

Aye
Pascal's bookie 85

2 October 2008 at 9:39 am

MP

Yep. But she’s not the sole person to blame. Lot’s of commenters go at her with boring, repetitive responses, with equally predictable results.

yawns all round on mulitiple threads, all at the same time.

They should all just quit it, and learn ignore each other. For the rest of our sakes if not their own.
vto 86

2 October 2008 at 9:46 am

Agreed, apologies to you others. I just don’t can’t stand hollow unjustified abuse.

Anyway, back to the boondoxx for me today for a few more daze. Chase them wee fishes and get some sanity back. Or not.
travellerev 87

2 October 2008 at 9:47 am

MP
Go play with the other boys will you.

No vto I called HS a typical middle class Pakeha and you identified with him and joined the fray telling me you were a typical class Pakeha and proud of it and than you told me to get fucked. Which was echoed by T-rex.

Telling me to shut up is not a good look. Freedom of speech and all that. Feel free to ignore me.

But on a positive note I seem to be on good footing with the Rex at the moment. So let me ask you which of my views you think have some merit.
T-rex 88

2 October 2008 at 9:53 am

“In fact I never called you personally patronising nor misogynist until you took sides in a confrontation I had with I think HS.”

Ahhhhhh.

Says it all really.

Matt – Yes. As I said on the other side, it’s embarrassing. I’m sure the mods feel the same way. It’s just harder to kick someone who’s on your side (at least in vague, general ideology terms).
T-rex 89

2 October 2008 at 9:57 am

“MP
Go play with the other boys will you.”

This would be an example of the “abuse by provocation” you’re referring to PB?

As she so wonderfully illustrated above – all that’s actually required is for someone to disagree.
Steve Pierson 90

2 October 2008 at 9:57 am

trav etc. please cool it.

I recommend 08wire’s post on this debate. He does fair and dispassionate much better than I.

And this is my definitive comment on my reference to Farrar’s friendship with Slater the pornographer:

“I admit I hit the line and I did it intentionally. It seriously pisses me off to see a creep try to make political capital out of rape victims and victims of other crimes. Especially when the body of evidence is that it was the policies that he supports from the 1990s that pushed up crime, whereas the full employment polices since 1999 have been instrumental in giving young men constructive activities and a sense of belonging, thereby bringing down crime (and suicide).

To people like Farrar this is all just a game. They don’t actually care about finding ways to bring down crime (or improve living standards for the poor in other ways). If they did care, they wouldn’t misrepresent the stats.

I was prepared to burn a bit of my personal reputation for analysis to call them on it.”
T-rex 91

2 October 2008 at 10:00 am

“But on a positive note I seem to be on good footing with the Rex at the moment.”

We’ve our ups and downs I think it’s probably fair to say 🙂

Just don’t get so mad when you can’t get people to think like you.
higherstandard 92

2 October 2008 at 10:06 am

Clinton does your pomposity and singular occularity know no bounds ?
T-rex 93

2 October 2008 at 10:09 am

“If they did care, they wouldn’t misrepresent the stats.”

Or endorse policies which have been proven to worsen the situation.

re: The homicide stats you had for Auckland in the other post on the topic though, there is a bit of an upward trend there. In mean it’s still no worse than it was at the end of the 90’s, but after a slump early at the start of the decade it’s been rising back up again. (Retracted – went back and reread the point about small numbers: 21 a year is pretty tricky to draw any useful conclusion from considering how few are actually “random acts of violence”)

That said, I don’t think you made enough of the increased rate of resolution. It’s been steadily increasing for some time, there’s not just a step change when those new cops came on board. Food for thought for those who tireless b*tch out our police force – I can’t be bothered going back to that page of stats to check, but wasn’t the resolution rate up around 85%?
Good job, cops.
travellerev 94

2 October 2008 at 10:11 am

MP
Go play with the other boys will you.

No vto, I called HS a typical middle class male Pakeha and you identified with him and joined the fray telling me you were a typical middle class male Pakeha and proud of it and than you told me to get fucked. Which was echoed by T-rex.

Telling me to shut up is not a good look. Freedom of speech and all that. Feel free to ignore me.

But on a positive note I seem to be on good footing with the Rex at the moment. So let me ask you which of my views you think have some merit and see if we can get this back on track in a more positive way.

I’ll start with ignoring the insult “racist sexist creep” how about that for a positive step.

Hello guys,

Why is it with you guys that you always take one of the sides and always that of the male.

All males against one woman for standing up for herself. You clearly aren’t used to that.

Thanks Pascals bookie for pointing the role of the others out.

I’ve invited each and every one of them to ignore because that is just fine with me but I will not be bullied into silence because I say things they do not want to hear.

And as for the ongoing “personal” stuff. This site only gets higher ratings if treats go on longer and since the only people reading these threads who can’t stop reading them while the rest move on to newer and better threats the moderators are probably happy to let it go on for a bit. LOL.

Especially since I do comment pertinent to threads as well and some people actually do want the information I give as I always link to background info.
lukas 95

2 October 2008 at 10:27 am

was that a copy and past re-mix of your previous comments?

Thanks for the congrats on the wedding… was a beautiful day with a beautiful wife. Clever thing was having the wedding on the 29th of February!
travellerev 96

2 October 2008 at 10:45 am

hi T-rex,

I don’t want people to think like me. In fact I invite people not to believe me and do their own research. Please, Please don’t believe me or anyone and do your own research and make up your own mind. That is my advise.

I just present the facts as I see them and they differ vastly from theirs which invites their ridicule and insults.

Whereas I have to say that other than the 911 issue I seem to be seeing eye to eye with you on a lot of issues.

And to get back to the thread compared to the Netherlands this country is crime free. I’m not suggesting that those who are hurt in violent attacks or killed don’t exist and their pain should be ignored but the amount of murders and burglaries and white collar and real estate fraud are massive compared with here.

Nobody can leave their doors unlocked anytime of the day or night, You have to lock your bicycle to Rain pipes with at least three chains and forget about leaving your car radio in your car. And this goes for cities as well as rural areas.

I saw that Holland was on the 7th place of the corruption scale and I’m sad to say I’m not surprised.

The year I left Holland there were 6 broad day Mafia style executions of Real estate agents in streets with children running around alone. One of them being the richest guy in Holland.
Russian mobsters have taken over in many branches of business after the wall came down and I’ve only seen it get worse.

The only thing I found disconcerting when I arrived here was the rape case against those three cops.

And in the three years I’ve been here I’ve seen every major case cracked in remarkably short times where as in the case of the real estate murders they are still investigating in Holland so that’s saying something about the quality of the policing here I reckon.
r0b 97

2 October 2008 at 10:45 am

SP: “I was prepared to burn a bit of my personal reputation for analysis to call them on it.’

Someone needs to call them on it, and while I’m not sure of your method, I do admire your motive.

Those who are self righteously attacking SP on this one would do well to direct their energies to cleaning up the sewer that is the Kiwiblog comments section. The log on your own eye eh?
QoT 98

2 October 2008 at 11:01 am

Steve … I don’t know how this can be explained more clearly.

Your post makes an explicit link between being friends with a pornographer and not caring about rape.

You do not mention Farrar’s history on this issue.

You do not offer any elaboration.

Are we supposed to pat you on the back for the noble sacrifice of your “reputation” just to get off a cheap shot which shreds the credibility of what would otherwise be a really important post?

Are we supposed to be impressed that you think it’s okay to make statements and assumptions about people’s beliefs based on nothing more (and again, this is your post, SP, you wrote it, you chose not to elaborate or provide supporting details) than who they are friends with? Because that is what you did in this post. The problem isn’t Farrar’s personal beliefs. It’s what you have said about them and based your statements on.
Matty K 99

2 October 2008 at 11:11 am

Aside from Farrar’s motivations for pushing his version of the statistics, the fact is that violent crimes have increased under Labour (even as a per-1000 people ratio) and significantly in the past year in some regions. Arguing that it hasn’t is displaying the same sort of blindness that Farrar is accused of by many here.

Disregarding any personal opinion on it, the statistics show violent crime – the one’s which keep people awake at night and have the greatest personal/family effects – is still on the increase. And markedly so in the areas targeted as being the most impoverished.
r0b 100

2 October 2008 at 11:21 am

Matty K, if you read the original post at all, you clearly didn’t understand it.

QoT, please get your self righteous ass on over to Kiwiblog. There is plenty of work for you there.
lprent 101

2 October 2008 at 11:28 am

Matty: As the police have acknowledged, the majority of violent crime probably doesn’t get reported. The usual estimates are that only about a third gets reported because it happens inside the domestic disputes. Over the last few years they have run a active policy and advertising campaign to increase the rate of reporting.

It appears to be working. Consequently the reported violence stats have been increasing. If you look at the violent crimes that always gets reported like murder, they have remained static or reduced when you look at them over a few years. Read the 08wire analysis http://08wire.org/2008/10/02/farrar-vs-the-standard-on-massaging-crime-statistics/

DPF just ignored all of that because it didn’t fit the picture he wished to portray.
Quoth the Raven 102

2 October 2008 at 11:45 am

I said it a thousand times, walk thru Christchurch at night during any day of the week, and you will see what effect a soft approach to crime has.

I don’t see what your problem is Brett as I said earlier I feel perfectly safe in Christchurch. Maybe you’re just paranoid Brett. This government has been much harder on crime than the last government. Its increased sentences to ridiculous levels and given a stupid amount power to the police. What more do you want, a police state?
Matthew Pilott 103

2 October 2008 at 12:14 pm

Eve, just pointing out that a majority of what you say seems to be abuse. Here’s what I’ve seen so far over the last few months:

You will post and link to your blog and articles – all very well and I’m sure many people have popped over to read it and check out the links you suggest (as have I, on several occassions).

Then someone will make a cheap jibe, along the lines of ‘conspiracy theorist’, or some unimaginitave variant.

You generally take the bait and run a mile, but instead of attacking them for being small-minded etc, it’s more of an attack against entire sections of society, which irks people who might fit into the section of society you’re attacking, but haven’t said a single bad thing against you.

For example, there are a fair few white males, aged 20-40 here, if my presumption is correct. Whether I got the wrong end of the stick or not, it seems to me that several times you’ve attacked that group wholesale, because of one person. As evidenced above, that annoys people.

If I can make a request, it would be that you refrain from attacking groups or making assumptions about people – the effects of it are plain to see. The latest is a classic – we’re all attacking you because you’re female, apparently.

I was criticising you because I’m sick of your long-running personal battles – what has that got to do with you being female? Are you implying only females are that annoying? If so, you’re being a bit sexist, towards your own lot.

I’d also be happy if people stopped baiting you, though those who do aren’t likely to listen to me. You have the option of ignoring them though – a lengthy personal attack isn’t exactly likely to change their views!
marco 104

2 October 2008 at 12:34 pm

The actual rate of recorded crime depends on policing methods which vary between districts.

In Auckland police are less likely to prosecute people for minor crimes when they are not currently considered a risk. They perfer warnings but they are now finding that by doing this people are starting to try their luck with more serious crime. What the lack of reporting is doing is lowering the rate of crime when its actually not lowering at all, its increasing.

In Christchurch police take a tougher approach with minor offences. They target the so called gateway crime to get the young offenders into the system in an attempt to ensure they recieve the help they need.

The result is the Christchurch crime rate is accurate. The Auckland crime rate is about 2% lower than it should be in the reported statistic.
weka 105

2 October 2008 at 3:13 pm

For the people that think that Farrar has genuine concern about rape as a politcal issue, please show me where he’s written about this. Of course most men care at some level about rape, but we’re talking about a political context here.

Steve, thanks for making visible the connection between rape and pornography, even in a small way. It’s problematic that it was said in passing, because it’s brought out a large amount of comment negating the connection, by people who don’t understand what the connection even is. But it’s good that it was said, there will women who appreciate that.

all men are rapists

Whoever brought that up as a way of writing off feminist thought, I suggest you go and look up the provenance of that quote and see what it really means.
Ben R 106

2 October 2008 at 4:11 pm

Weka,

“It’s problematic that it was said in passing”

Isn’t that the main problem with SP’s comment? It was dropped in as a personal attack & was not addressing the point Farrar was making. His point was that overall crime rates may not be as useful as the particular type of crimes being committed.
Mike 107

3 October 2008 at 12:01 am

I think all those ads promoting violence on TV are the reason violent crime has gone up so much.

Every night I see so many ads showing you how to swing your child around and bash them into things.

Or showing you how to drink and drive and kill your mates.

I think it’s appalling that good people should be subjected to a constant barrage of this crap. This is punishing the whole country for the crimes of the few.

[I’m not sure whether this is a parody or not. So confused. SP]
Clint Heine 108

3 October 2008 at 5:57 am

[Tane: Heine, you’re still banned. Furthermore, as someone who photoshopped Helen Clark’s head onto a transsexual’s body for kicks I don’t think you’re in any position to moralise.]
Matthew Pilott 109

3 October 2008 at 9:54 am

Mike, you had to watch an ad to figure out how to put a child into a wall while drunk? Comes instinctively to the rest of us.

Just out of interest, I reckon those ads work pretty well: so you’d prefer kids to actually be bashed into walls, because you’re too precious to see a few ads on telly?
QoT 110

3 October 2008 at 11:23 am

Wow, rOb. How about you respect my ability to choose what I want to read, and critique people whose writings I otherwise respect and enjoy reading? Or how about offering an actual response to my point instead of the classic, “but you can’t complain about THIS bad thing unless you also complain about every other bad thing happening” diversion?
QoT 111

3 October 2008 at 11:26 am

Also, @weka – again, missing the point. Nobody here is arguing “Waaa, Steve’s persecuting The Mighty Farrar, champion of womanhood!” and pretending we are in order to yet again turn the thread away from what Steve said is disingenuous.
r0b 112

3 October 2008 at 11:33 am

Wow, rOb. How about you respect my ability to choose what I want to read, and critique people whose writings I otherwise respect and enjoy reading?

Wow, QoT. Sounding a little defensive there. Read what you like, knock yourself out, you don’t need my blessing.

Or how about offering an actual response to my point instead of the classic, “but you can’t complain about THIS bad thing unless you also complain about every other bad thing happening’ diversion?

Selective morality is interesting because of the agenda that it reveals. You appear to me to be on a highly selective crusade against SP, despite the fact that there are other much more worthy targets for your righteous zeal. So you could say I guess that I’m interested in your agenda.
Mike 113

3 October 2008 at 4:32 pm

Matthew

Those ads if anything just make me want to bash the a-holes in them to a pulp – like the guy that shoves the guy with the drinks, then elbows the woman in the face.

How does instilling that feeling in me help me or the country?

What about the rest of the 99% of this country who are decent people and don’t need constant reminders not to get boozed and bash people, or speed, or take drugs. How do these ads make them feel? Do these ads help them? I don’t think so. At best it’s insulting. I think many of them just get what I get out of them – a heightened state of aggression.

You don’t see ads like these in other countries. Come back here from a while overseas and they are a real shock. Personally I think it’s abuse of viewers on an enormous scale.
Matthew Pilott 114

3 October 2008 at 4:48 pm

“What about the rest of the 99% of this country who are decent people and don’t need constant reminders not to get boozed and bash people, or speed, or take drugs.

If only it were 99%… If that’s what you genuinely believe then no wonder their utility is lost on you.

If those ads provoke such a violent response in you, then I hope you are a very moderate drinker. For me, and (I suspect) most other people, they are simply a reminder of the causes and consequences of bad actions. I don’t think they’re terribly relevant to me, but if they reduce the chance of a random assault, for example, then I’m not fussed.

I also suspect most viewers have a bit more ‘toughness’, for want of a better word, than you, and see the usefulness of the ads more than they feel ‘abused’ by them.
Mike 115

3 October 2008 at 5:08 pm

Matthew

what do you believe the proportion is then? You saying more than 1% of the country are crims?
Dean 116

3 October 2008 at 5:58 pm

Qot:

“Also, @weka – again, missing the point. Nobody here is arguing “Waaa, Steve’s persecuting The Mighty Farrar, champion of womanhood!’ and pretending we are in order to yet again turn the thread away from what Steve said is disingenuous.”

You’re wasting your time. A lot of people around here will twist and spin anything and fool themselves into believing it’s justified as long as it involves National, Key, foreign (often American) bagmen, the word “slippery” (because the focus groups told them to use that word) and so on.

If you really want to see them go on the defensive, mention an airport and Peter Davis. r0b just loves that one and I’m sure he will oblige you and call you a disgusting human being for daring to bring a politicians family into focus, while conveniently forgetting Mallard and co over Brash’s extramarital affair.
Matthew Pilott 117

3 October 2008 at 5:58 pm

Gee, I don’t know, Mike. Are you saying that everyone who gets drunk and does something stupid is a criminal?

Is everyone who had a near miss at an intersection a criminal?

The problem is more widespread than those who are officially charged and found guilty.
Matthew Pilott 118

3 October 2008 at 6:00 pm

“You’re wasting your time.”

What’s that about fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me… What are you still doing here then? More ‘m’ than ‘s’ I guess.
Mike 119

3 October 2008 at 7:36 pm

Matthew

Sure, the problem is more wide-spread. I believe people who get drunk and bash people are performing criminal acts, and therefore are criminals, whether or not they get reported.

I think we should be aiming to reduce our tolerance to violence, not increase it by desensitising ourselves with a constant barrage of it on tv, least of all through tax-payer funded ads.
T-Rex 120

3 October 2008 at 10:26 pm

“I think we should be aiming to reduce our tolerance to violence, not increase it by desensitising ourselves with a constant barrage of it on tv, least of all through tax-payer funded ads.”

That’s the whole point of the ads Mike.

Most people are already quite intolerant of violence, however they may be more tolerant of significant factors in violence (e.g. excessive drinking). So, the ads create a direct association between the two.

Clearly they’re not desensitizing YOU to violence, because you think they depict terrible circumstances. Do you know anyone who watches it and goes “hmm, seems like a standup guy to me”?

Having ads like that on TV is just like tax – another part of living in society and trying to develop systems that make it good. I mean I assume you don’t have cancer, yet you’re not complaining about contributing to the healthcare costs of people who do, right?

You watch those ads and think “That is TOTALLY unacceptable”. All the ads are trying to do is create similar feelings in people who may see such behaviour more often than you do. You shouldn’t feel guilty watching them… that is, unless you have a friend who drinks too much and kinda gets out of hand and you never say anything despite feeling you should… in which case I’d say the ads are doing exactly what they should be.

You’re attitude basically takes “It’s not ok” and turns it into “It’s not ok to be reminded about it because I like my fantasy world of denial”.
Dean 121

5 October 2008 at 12:46 am

MP:

“What’s that about fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me What are you still doing here then? More â€˜m’ than ‘s’ I guess.”

I just get a kick of of seeing you quote people selectively and then pretend to have the moral high ground.
Mike 122

5 October 2008 at 10:21 am

There’s the point of something, and then there’s the real effect of something.

Just because the goal of those ads is to do something good, doesn’t mean they achieve it.

We can have the best intentions in the world but we will be judged by the results of our actions. It’s pretty common for an action to have the reverse effect of what was desired.
jh 123

6 October 2008 at 7:39 am

People can’t relate to probabilities or they would never buy lotto tickets, but when an accountant is bashed with a baseball bat as he walks home after a late night bash, this puts others off walking home at night. What people see is heated floors in prison and a society that doesn’t believe in punishment (disincentive)and so they don’t feel safe. The crime we face is largely a product of our liberal establishment.
r0b 124

6 October 2008 at 9:07 am

What people see is heated floors in prison and a society that doesn’t believe in punishment (disincentive)and so they don’t feel safe.

Tougher sentences and nastier prisons do not deter crime. In general crime (apart from “white collar” crime) is committed by people who don’t plan ahead much, who don’t ponder consequences.

The crime we face is largely a product of our liberal establishment.

The crime we face is largely a product of relative poverty. That explains why over the last years, while poverty has been decreasing (and aspects of our establishment getting more liberal?), crime has been decreasing too.
randal 125

6 October 2008 at 9:09 am

jh…lucky we not living in roman times. Julius Ceasar and his mates used to lie in wait and kill anybody coming home latea t night for a bit of practice. Now its just yer typical kiwi bloke full of booze and latent anger and aggression because he didnt get to go to the grand final or doesnt own a xr8. As for heated floors only the crims see them and maybe the visitors and it pays off in the life of the building and the decrease in medical expenditure on prisoners. If you want to make them live in stone age conditions and then release them into fulltime medical care beacuse of complications from the prison environment. and if you are jealous beacause you cant afford underfloor heating yourself and feel somewhat lesser of a man then you can compensate by lying in wait and bashing up someone up who you dont know late at night.
travellerev 126

6 October 2008 at 9:16 am

Randal,

LOL
higherstandard 127

6 October 2008 at 9:34 am

r0b

Poverty is a CONTRIBUTING FACTOR in some criminal behaviour but it is unfair to those millions (may billions) living in relative poverty throughout the world who are not criminals to say that poverty causes crime.

Agree with you though on those that many who commit crime are either unable to fathom the consequences of their actions or simply don’t care.

In my opinion if one would crack the problem of how to make them fathom the consequences (and make sure those consequences occurred) that would be a step in the right direction.
randal 128

6 October 2008 at 9:41 am

hs…we are not talking about the billions somewhere else. we are talking about what happens here in a small country filled with arrogant consumers who love to rub it in the face of the have nots. There is no community spirit not underlying altruism in New Zealand. Only gimme gimme gimme and there is a corollary to conspicuous consumption and a media that works twenty four hours a day ttelling people thaey are no good if the dont have the goods. Now hs. how about addressing income inequality here in new zealand and stop waffling about the uncounted hordes somewhere else or is that too hard?
higherstandard 129

6 October 2008 at 10:08 am

Randal

Not sure what part of the country you are living in but I find there is plenty of community spirit and altruism in NZ.
jh 130

6 October 2008 at 10:16 am

“As for heated floors only the crims see them and maybe the visitors and it pays off in the life of the building and the decrease in medical expenditure on prisoners. If you want to make them live in stone age conditions and then release them into fulltime medical care beacuse of complications from the prison environment.”

A large proportion of our homes are cold and damp so that creates a moral hazard as they will be better off in prison.

“Tougher sentences and nastier prisons do not deter crime. In general crime (apart from “white collar’ crime) is committed by people who don’t plan ahead much, who don’t ponder consequences.”

On the other hand people gain an appreciation of the sort of consequences that their actions will provoke and they will have learned that they live in an environment where the state will do them no harm.
Phil 131

6 October 2008 at 10:45 am

Tougher sentences… do not deter crime

Let me type this slowly, so you can keep up:

When… someone… is… in… prison,… they… are… not… out… on… the… street… committing… other… crimes.

In order for your claim to be true, you have to believe that other criminals commit more crime, in order to keep up the averages.
randal 132

6 October 2008 at 11:11 am

these natoinal business people will do anything except find jobs for these people. get of ya bums ya bums.
bill brown 133

6 October 2008 at 11:13 am

When someone is in prison, it doesn’t stop other.. people.. out in the street committing crimes.

Filling… prisons… with… people… who… have… nothing… to… lose… will… escalate… the… problem…

Perhaps we should just hang ’em, cures problem, provides entertainment.
travellerev 134

6 October 2008 at 11:44 am

I’ve been thinking about the porn/anti porn undercurrent in this thread for a bit and thought to share something with you.

Let me start by stating that Farrar’s friendship with a known pornographer is very revealing and makes me dislike the little turd even more than I already did but that has nothing to do with actual porn but everything with the way porn seems to be perceived in this country.

This is what I have gleaned so far from the previous discussion.

To some of you, it seems, porn=rape.

And some of you pointed out there are women who enjoy porn.

And this gets a funny “male” response. Steve delegates those women to the freaky site of the sex spectrum and this is taken up by other males.

What is telling is the total absence of women in the discussion.

As you know I am from Holland, in fact I’m from big bad Amsterdam.
The big bad super tolerant dope smoking, red light toting, gay, hetero porn capital of the world.

I have been surrounded with “porn” in abundance my entire live and by the reasoning of some of you, rape should be a fixture in the live of Amsterdam women far in excess of anywhere else in the porn free world.

But it isn’t. Does rape never happen in Amsterdam? Sure, but I have seen more rapes and more violent ones being committed here than in a comparable time frame in Amsterdam which like Auckland has more than a million inhabitants but unlike Auckland is build far denser and on perhaps 1/4 of its territory.

There are only 4 million people in this country and in Holland on an area the size of Northland 17 million people have made their homes but contrary to what some of you assert Hollanders would be well and truly shocked with the behaviour of those policemen and their raping orgies.

It would be totally incomprehensible to us that men in places of such delicate power would use that power to subdue and debase women like that, so clearly our exposure to abundant porn has not caused us to think that it is OK for women to be raped or debased, in fact there is less tolerance and exposure to the possibility of being raped.

My whole live, from the tender young age of 14 until the time I left I have as a good Tulip is wont to do bicycled and or walked all over Amsterdam and when the time came that I could decide my own bedtime which was at the tender young age of 16 I did the same at any time of the night. In fact some of the hottest porn free haunts were right in the middle of the red light district and although I have certainly had my moments of fear it was never there and I have always been free and unharmed in my nightly exploits in that big bad city.

(Yeez, I just remembered were I spend my first years. My bohemian artist parents had an apartment next to one of the most beautiful old houses on the oldest canal of Amsterdam, right in the middle of the red light district. In fact my pram came from one of the prostitutes next door. LOL. God see what you guys do to me? That way back down memory lane)

In Amsterdam a group of students researching the function of porn, and whether porn was actually exploitative to women and they decided to do a test. The hypothesis? If porn was exploitative to women than women by and large should be massively turned off by watching it.

They organised two groups. One male and one female. All volunteers but carefully screened to be of the most average middle class/ working class (Not a big distinction in Holland) background.

One by one the members of these groups were exposed to hardcore porn.

They measured the physical sexual response by attaching sensors to their genitals.

After they had watched the movies they gave the participants a questionnaire.
The questions were about what they thought of the movies, how they felt they reacted physically etc.

The result was predictable. The man had mostly enjoyed them and the women rejected them as exploitation and suppression of women.

The test revealed something very significant. Their physical reaction did not support their words. While the bodies of the men supported their statements (Hard to lie about a hard on really)
it revealed that the bodies of the women betrayed their statements for without exception their bodies had exactly the same response to the hardcore video’s as the men. Their bodies were as much exited when they watched porn as the men.

One can draw several conclusions from the test:

Either the researchers had accidentally picked closet case masochists for all of their female subjects and the subjects were all lying or in denial,

or all women secretly want to be raped (which I can assure we don’t) or,

women feel compelled to deny and or lie about how they experience sex in general.

What did become clear is that porn is perceived by both the female and the male body as sexually exiting but while men acknowledge that enjoyment women deny it.

I have met several young kiwi men in the last couple of years and in conversations with them gleaned some of the current youth culture in this country. These were not exceptional kids, they were your average kiwi youngsters, trying to learn a trade and make sense of a confusing world. In fact I really like these kids.
But talking to them about their male female relations proved very shocking to me.

Without exception, while actively pursuing sex as much as they could these kids referred to sexually active young women as slags and hoes and in fact one kid thought all sexually active girls were skanky hoes.

So while these kids acknowledged their own sexuality as totally normal they completely condemned the necessary reciprocal emotion in the other sex.

In fact I bet you that lots of males have a secret stash of hardcore porn somewhere in the shed while they would be appalled if their wives had a similar stash hidden away in her crafts room.

In light of the previous, I have to condemn Steve’s rejection of Farrar’s relationship with a pornographer because he reinforces the myth (as proven wrong by physical evidence) that porn is exploitative and I equally have to condemn his delegation of women who enjoy porn to the sexual fringe.

Both are as sexist as Farrar’s relationship with said Pornographer because both Farrar and Steve use porn as a way of marginalising and denouncing female sexuality.

Farrar by assorting with someone who films the human sex act ( in whatever setting of fantasy) in a country that by enlarge reject the normalcy of female sexuality and Steve for reinforcing the myth that women have to hide behind in order not to be thought of as slags or hoes and which inhibits them from enjoying their sexuality with or without the aid of porn.

(not to mention that it disables both sexes to deal with each others sexuality as a bonding, intimate act with ample space to explore and enjoy.)

One last note: This comment is not in defence of the porn industry which like many industries has it’s share of abuse and exploitation but also has its share of women making lots of money and enjoying a huge fan base while enjoying sex.

And no, I have never been in active in the sex industry and I am probably an exception to the rule as I have never strayed from any monogamous relation I was in and the one I’m in now has lasted 21 years and going.

I apologise for the length but I hope some of you will enjoy it anyway.

Captcha: the Femina. Awesome. I felt the force as I was writing this. Guess the captcha thingy felt it too. LOL.
Phil 135

6 October 2008 at 2:08 pm

Bill,

Continuing the theme:

Crime… tends… to… be… recidivist…
This is simple maths and physics – you can’t be committing a crime if you’re already in jail. I’ll accept that this sometimes doesn’t hold true, and should perhaps be modified to “You’re much less likely”.

Suporting… longer… sentences… does… not… mean… you… always… want… to… throw… away… the… key.
This isn’t a zero sum game, and like all law enforcement needs to include a variety of tools. To paint the argument as such (ie; you’re either for longer sentences, or for rehab, but never both) is deliberately misleading from you.
Mike 136

6 October 2008 at 11:22 pm

I think a major conducive factor to becoming a criminal is lack of hope about any reasonable possible alternative.

I think people don’t really have much hope that they can get ahead any other way, and their expectations about how they should rightfully be living is still shaped by the rest of our society.

Unlike in bangladesh where you consider yourself lucky if you don’t drown in the annual monsoons, and even luckier if you get some food some time, over here, you feel cheated and bitter if you don’t have a 42″ LCD TV.

So there are 2 problems… 1, setting reasonable expectations (and I can’t see that changing, since the rest of us still want our TVs), and 2, having some hope of being able to get ahead.

That’s where people need opportunities. Opportunities to make a decent crust, meet their expectations, and do something worth while. I don’t think even hardened crims want to think of themselves as bad people.

In the end, I think many don’t realise is the people they hurt a huge amount is themselves. Damaging your self image can be a life-long hurt. It’s not like you’re ever going to see someone else looking back out of the mirror at you. If you grow to consider yourself a bad person, you’re in real trouble.

They need to teach that lesson in schools – why it is important to not compromise yourself. Why you shouldn’t do things you consider bad. What happens to you if you do think you’re a bad person etc etc etc…

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The Deep Divisions of Local Government

The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

5 days ago
Willis’ austerity strategy just isn’t working

Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

6 days ago
Sabin 33 #7 – Are solar projects hurting farmers and rural communities?

On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...

Skeptical Science

6 days ago
Join us for a pop-up Hoon at 5pm on HYEFU

Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

6 days ago
‘Ideas Worth Saving’: A Call for Papers

Some years ago, I found myself pondering the power of literature to endure. Or at least the power of some of it to endure, while the rest vanishes in mere decades: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/look-on-my-works-ye-mighty-and-despair-the-literary-future/. I have similarly had fun with the subject in some of my short stories, such as Another Alexandria ...

A Phuulish FellowBy strda221

6 days ago
Corrections is torturing prisoners again

In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

6 days ago
HYEFU and BPS data shows New Zealand is way off track

New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...

NZCTUBy Jack McDonald

6 days ago
“Better economic management”

At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

6 days ago
Shameless, clueless

AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

6 days ago
Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...

NZCTUBy Jack McDonald

6 days ago
Crazy ’bout a Sharp-dressed Man

Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

6 days ago
How much should you worry about a collapse of the Atlantic conveyor belt?

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson In this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...

Skeptical Science

6 days ago
8% ACT Party Creates One Ring To Rule Them All

In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour 1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tūī

6 days ago
When austerity worsens public debt & cuts GDP

Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

6 days ago
Govt to double number of toll roads

On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

6 days ago
Luxon’s pre-emptive strike

The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

6 days ago
Gordon Campbell On The Coalition’s Empty Gestures, And Abortion Refusal As The New Slavery

This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

6 days ago
More public service contempt of parliament

Back in 2023 the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties raised concerns about the inherent conflict of interest involved in public service agencies supporting parliamentary select committees. Our parliament is run on a shoestring, so depends on the public service for advice. But public service agencies work for Ministers, not ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

7 days ago
If There Is A God

And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

7 days ago
A Lipstick Government

Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tūī

7 days ago
NZCTU open letter to Treasury on undue restrictions on restricted briefings

Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...

NZCTUBy Jack McDonald

7 days ago
Why you won’t hear me advocate for electric cars

This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate. I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...

Greater AucklandBy Guest Post

7 days ago
Coalition forced to back down on tolling Pahiatua track

A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

7 days ago
Thank You

Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50

A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...

Skeptical Science

1 week ago
Making Gravy

I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
Nothing here but the shadows

Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 week ago
The United Right: the FSU’s Continued Efforts to Undermine Academia

The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

1 week ago
Showing the Americans how to do it

Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
2 Men, 1 Haircut

Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

1 week ago

National’s Greatest Misses 2023-4

National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...

Labour Blog

3 days ago
Release: Minister’s plan for tertiary sector a backwards step

Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...

Labour Blog

3 days ago
Release: National buries 1019 planned homes

It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...

Labour Blog

3 days ago
Release: Rule-Czar bill a right-wing power grab

The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...

Labour Blog

3 days ago
Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...

Labour Blog

4 days ago
Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom

The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...

Greens

4 days ago
Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession

The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...

Labour Blog

4 days ago
Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis

Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
ECE no place to cut corners

The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...

Greens

5 days ago
Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders

A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects

Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects

The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...

Greens

6 days ago
Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity

The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...

Greens

6 days ago
Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less

The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis

With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’

Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...

Māori Party

6 days ago
Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again

For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards

The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...

Greens

6 days ago
Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes

All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again

The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...

Greens

7 days ago
Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers

The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...

Labour Blog

7 days ago
Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex

The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...

Greens

7 days ago
Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty

The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat

The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction

New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day

The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families

Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas

Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation

Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker

The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
One year on, still no progress on new ferries

Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more

After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban

The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare

After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh

In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation

The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech

Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...

NZ First Press Release

2 weeks ago
Swarbrick calls on Auckland Mayor to end delay of revival of St James Theatre

Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
He Ara Anamata: Greens launch Emissions Reduction Plan

Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction Plan–He Ara Anamata–a blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago

Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

22 hours ago
PM appoints business leader to APEC Business Advisory Council

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
New intelligence oversight appointments

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
New housing developments able to progress more quickly

Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Actions to speed up air travel delivering results

The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Ending contracted emergency housing in Rotorua

The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions

The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Reducing the environmental impact of synthetic refrigerants

The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Ngāruawāhia section of Waikato Expressway back to 4 lanes for Christmas

People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Appointments to the ENZ board

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ

The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
More gangs added to Gangs Act list

Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Judicial appointment announced

Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
GDP data highlights importance of growth

The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Strengthening Free Speech in Universities

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Launch of Emergency Cellular Priority Service

Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Minister reopens Mangamuka Gorge

State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Funding confirmed for second Ashburton Bridge

The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Government boosts support for avian influenza response

The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Levelling the playing field for media advertising

Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Inspector-General of Defence appointed

Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Fire and Emergency New Zealand final levy rates confirmed

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
More AML relief on the way for Kiwi businesses

The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Hawke’s Bay Expressway moving at pace

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Government seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land

The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient

Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Diverse skills in community trust appointments

A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit

The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
A busy year in the House

It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Consultation opens on working with engineered stone

“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments

Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
New appointments to the Charities Registration Board

Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Building consent processing times improve

More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Faster access to support through Innovation Fund

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response

New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis

The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Review recommends ECE regulation shakeup

Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading

The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Local Government (Water Services) Bill passes first reading

Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Gene Technology Bill passes first reading

New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago

Public service cuts: ‘Rough’ months ahead for those out of work

Laid-off public servants have been slogging it out on a months-long job hunt, and for some that will continue into 2025. ...

Radio NZ – political

55 minutes ago
Māori ‘under siege’ in 2024, must fight back in 2025 – Ngarewa-Packer

Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...

NewsroomBy Marc Daalder

2 hours ago
The real story behind the Government’s maths narrative

Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...

NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy

2 hours ago
Pretty much every common nut in Aotearoa, reviewed and ranked

At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...

The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias

3 hours ago
What it’s like to be made redundant by the Ministry of Education

I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...

The SpinoffBy Anonymous

3 hours ago
Why can’t I pick up my own dropped phone on a plane?

Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...

The SpinoffBy Gabi Lardies

3 hours ago
Juggernaut: The ghosts of 1984

Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...

The SpinoffBy Toby Manhire

3 hours ago
Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December

Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

3 hours ago
Govt walks away from infrastructure alliance

The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...

NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva

3 hours ago
Daily crossword, Monday 23 December

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NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

3 hours ago
Vanuatu quake: Warnings as bad weather threat looms for Port Vila

By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

9 hours ago
Signs of the hīkoi: More than just ‘words on cardboard’

The placards seen at the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti conveyed "huge kōrero with immediacy", expert says: "People know the power of the word." ...

Radio NZ – political

18 hours ago
A final Ode to .. King Luxon

Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...

NewsroomBy Victor Billot

1 day ago
A hater and an enthusiast review The Royal Free by Carl Shuker

Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...

The SpinoffBy Claire Mabey

1 day ago
Survive to 25 (December, that is)

Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...

The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell

1 day ago
All I want for Christmas is modern day slavery legislation

Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...

The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias

1 day ago
Israeli-American historian describes attacks on Gaza as ‘war of annihilation’

Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

1 day ago
NZ govt plans to make ‘heavy handed’ change to free speech rules for universities

The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

1 day ago
Caitlin Johnstone: Where does the aggression really begin?

Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...

Evening ReportBy David Robie

1 day ago
OECD Report Highlights That More Is Needed

This report reflects that gap in our dealings overseas, and it shows that legislators, the public sector and businesses need to walk the talk. ...

Scoop politics

2 days ago
Government quietly scraps waste minimisation policies

The government has quietly cancelled plans to improve recycling and roll out a kerbside food scraps composting scheme. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
MEAA welcomes News MAP funding ‘leg up’ for Australian journalism

Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

2 days ago
Transmission Gully partnership breakdown will not hurt future public-private partnerships, Infrastru...

The roads partnership unravelled under a confidential settlement this week, meaning NZTA will now finish off what it had said was incomplete work. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Funding cuts to charity particularly felt over Christmas period

The number of people seeking help from Lifeline is expected to increase by 10 to 20 percent over Christmas. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Nelson Hospital conditions ‘unbearable’ – staff

One worker says the building is decrepit and falling down around them. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Early-onset dementia under the microscope

Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...

NewsroomBy Shruti Sharma and Dr Brigid Ryan

2 days ago
Keeping the pirates at bay: Should the Australian ‘Blocking Order’ case prompt a discussion in N...

Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...

NewsroomBy Tania Goatley and Oscar Zambuto

2 days ago
The Secret Diary of .. Luxon at Xmas

MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...

NewsroomBy Steve Braunias

2 days ago
Stand by for cricket’s Smash Palace

It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...

NewsroomBy Aiden McLaughlin

2 days ago
‘We were as famous as Tom Cruise’: Craig Parker on 90s Shortland St fandom

As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...

The SpinoffBy My Life in TV

2 days ago
‘I prioritise the mission, not my health’: Adam McGrath’s perfect weekend playlist

The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...

The SpinoffBy Weekend playlist

2 days ago
The rescue dog bringing joy to Christchurch retirement homes

Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes. Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...

The SpinoffBy Alex Casey

2 days ago
Fiji pro-Palestine nativity scene exposes Gaza as ‘hell on earth’ at Christmas

Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

2 days ago
Vanuatu quake: ‘Our shop was flattened like a deck of cards’

By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

2 days ago
How diplomats have broken the law in NZ – and what happened next

A handful of foreign diplomats have misbehaved during their time here - and not all of them have been brought to justice. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 days ago
Swim schools report sinking enrolments as downturn deepens

Being able to swim is often considered a life skill, but tough economic times are forcing many families to pull their children out of lessons. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 days ago
‘There will be deaths because of this’ – Warning over Health NZ IT cuts

A West Coast IT worker is warning patients will die as Health New Zealand aims to slash its data and digital staff. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 days ago
Polytech sales possible but unlikely when Te Pūkenga disestablished – minister

In a surprise move, the sale of polytechnics will be on the table when the national institute of technology Te Pūkenga is disestablished. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 days ago
Parliament’s final sitting day an insight into party factions

On Parliament's last day of the year, there was a rare glimpse of the factions within the major parties. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 days ago
Former Labour MP, North Shore mayor Ann Hartley dies

Former Labour MP and mayor of Auckland's North Shore City Ann Hartley has died. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 days ago

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