US Democrats forced into action to defend reproductive rights. Gosh they may also have to actually reform the filibuster after sitting on their hands. Then expand the Supreme Court to stop this entirely predictable crap happening again.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that she plans to bring up legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that protects the right to choose to have an abortion, as soon as the House returns from recess this month.
“Upon our return, the House will bring up Congresswoman Judy Chu’s Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America,” Pelosi said in a statement.
…
The Women’s Health Protection Act likely has the votes to pass the House, but it would almost certainly hit a wall in the Senate. Legislation needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate because of the filibuster rule, and there are only 50 senators in the Democratic caucus.
Whilst the recent inequitable and misogynistic decision by the current Supreme Court is entirely predictable following the cynical stacking of the body with right wing fundamentalists by Trump and McConnell, the move by Pelosi and the House Democrats to codify Rowe Vs Wade into the Constitution will go nowhere at the moment. Nancy has no say over the Senate Democrats and the "moderate" Democrats in the Senate are DINOs Democrats in name only, and are responsible for the continued existence of the filibuster. There has to be a major shift in political thinking to the left in the US before any major changes in social justice can be made.
Our Federated Farmer friends have slapped-down the Groundswell leaders as "crazy individuals" and sparked a loopy war of words with the "crazy individuals" who are claiming they'll take national leadership of all farmers, if the Feds, Dairy NZ, Beef & Lamb etc. aren't up to it, which they imply, they are not. It's getting crazy out on farm!
The NZ dairy cow is the Kiwi Trojan horse. Like intestinal parasites fringe nutters hitch a ride undetected by the immune system. They coat-tail unwitting hosts to create a perception of reason, common sense, and normalcy and a platform for spreading their offspring. Only a high dose of ‘ivermectin’ will work and make them squirm …
Hogart was quoted in ODT the night before the howl asking farmers not to take their tractors into town. It was edited out pretty smartly. The farmer owned Co-ops, Fontera and Farmlands, didn’t what to have anything to do with it either with staff banned from attending in brand.
The next question is who financed the thing, and provided the address database to get it underway, and were able to keep the thing reasonably under the radar. Traffic management and H&S plans and the like aren’t cheap and require professional input. Tad ironic for a ‘grassroots’ outfit protesting compliance costs and requirements.
Good questions, Graeme. Incognito's link (above) might shed some light. Or not. I don't doubt there are supporters with money who seek the downfall of the Lab/Green Government and would back any noisy uprising. Farmers are, in my opinion, being duped.
the levin protest seemed to be run by the owner of the local scaffolding company. a huge irony as his business didnt exist a few years ago ,before health and safety insisted. talk about biteing the hand that feeds you.
Someone brought up the subject of Corbyn a day or two ago, with the usual results, here is a new piece from Consortium News out detailing some of the coordinated MSM attacks on Corbyn and Labour, mainly in regards to The Jewish Cornicle…
The Newspaper That Smeared Corbyn & the Left
“Which is why IPSO cannot take any meaningful action against The Jewish Chronicle. To do so would pull the rug from under the anti-Semitism narrative that destroyed Corbyn and is now being used by his successor, Starmer, to purge Labour of the remnants of the left and to distance the party as far as possible from any lingering signs of Palestinian solidarity.
Exposure of The Jewish Chronicle as an editorial wrecking ball aimed at the left would show just how much the paper and the anti-Semitism narrative it bolstered were key to the Conservative party’s successful smearing of Corbyn that helped to keep him out of No. 10. It would highlight the enduring collusion between the corporate media and the political elite.
And it would indicate that corporate media is not really an exercise in capitalist, free-market economics, where profitable outlets drive out those that are unpopular. Rather loss-making corporate media such as The Jewish Chronicle are a price the establishment is only too happy to bear as long as those publications fulfil a more important purpose: ensuring that the political and economic climate remains favorable to the ruling class.
The Jewish Chronicle has played its part in destroying Corbyn and the left. Now it will continue that role by policing the public discourse and ensuring that no one like Corbyn ever gets near power again. Those libel payouts were a small price to pay.”
Keith Starmer has gone along with the false and egregious anti-Semitism attacks against Corbyn, suspending him from the Labour Party. Because of this he currently sits in the Commons as an independent.
"Bring back Corbyn I say." I agree, he is without doubt the most honest, principled major politician in the UK by a country mile (probably in western political anywhere)..of course the usual suspects will poo poo any suggestion of having him back, but then they would, it turns out that the last thing they would ever want to see is a real Left wing government…no just the same old safe centrist bullshit is all these free market fundamentalists can handle….yep they would rather watch the world burn than even consider trying anything outside of the current neoliberal ideology.
I agree with your assessment of Corbyn, Adrian, however it must be remembered that his decision to appease the Blairite rump was a catastrophic error on his part. Under a barrage of fantastical, totally unsupported allegations, snarled at him with relentless malice, and amplified by the media—not only the Murdoch outlets but also the Grauniad and the state broadcaster—he kept on apologizing for something he had never done.
The American journalist and activist Max Blumenthal was astonished by Corbyn's refusal to fight back against the slanderers. In 2015 he went to an event in London featuring the new Labour leader, and a woman claimed, sans evidence, that he (Blumenthal) was "an anti-Semite." Blumenthal, angry, told the organizer that he wanted to make a statement immediately to call her out as a liar. Someone from Labour's "management team" insisted that he actually say nothing; in their experience, the best thing to do was to keep quiet and not make a fuss. It would soon blow over, Blumenthal was assured.
Blumenthal said the woman was " a gentile": it sounds like it was the egregious Joan Ryan. She can be seen in the Al Jazeera documentary The Lobby accusing an elderly female Labour Party member of "repeating an anti-Semitic trope". When the accused woman protests, Ryan simply repeats her absurd accusation, and then contemptuously refuses to engage with her.
Yes I totally agree, his biggest single mistake was not purging out the third way centrists as soon as he could, but that is because his very nature is to be inclusive. his second was not shutting down that anti-semitic bullshit hard.
I guess if he is lacking anything as a politician, he is lacking a bit of the mongrel.,,which can't be said for any other politician I can think of, but non the less, is a serious fault in a politician…sadly.
It was not only Jeremy Corbyn that failed to shut down that character assassination campaign, it was almost the entire Labour "leadership". I died inside every time one of them, as well as "supporters" like Owen Jones nodded solemnly and endorsed the accusations.
This sort of abject capitulation to fantastic charges happened in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, but those poor souls were being terrorized into submission by a machinery of terror run by Stalin, Vyshinsky, and Beria. By stark contrast, Corbyn, John McDonnell, and the rest of them were apologizing for offences they had never committed, and constantly appeasing lightweights and buffoons like Joan Ryan, Luciana Berger, and Andrew Neil.
I spoke to a school principal a few months after school lunches were introduced and he said the students were more settled.
I did not ask if he thought it was because children had a lunch or that there was less sugar and salt in the provided school lunch or that the vitamin and mineral content in fruit and vegetables in the lunch were making a difference. Probably all the above.
Lately I have been trying to only but cans which do not have sugar or salt added. When I cannot find an item with no sugar and salt added I go for the reduced sugar and salt.
It is important to eat well for physical and mental health especially during a pandemic to strengthen the immune system.
I am concerned about children missing out on having a school lunch provided during lockdown. I also think it is about time for the sugar and salt content in cans and packaged food to be reduced.
There would be some treat items, mainly desserts, I would still allow to have a high sugar content to satisfy a craving.
In Whangārei the local Hare Krishna group run a bakery/cafe and well supported stall at the Saturday farmers market. They also supply local schools with several thousand servings a week (COVID notwithstanding) and their lovely vegetarian offerings have to be a good option for the kids. “Food for Life” as they call it.
Only certain ‘thought’, but other thought is suppressed and punished; leave it to the Leader and/or leadership. That’s why they’re cults. Many political parties are no different.
Is that why when our PM makes some sort of policy announcement there are usually about 5 other Ministers standing mutely behind her with their heads nodding in unison?
Are they demonstrating that only the Leader's thoughts are to be spoken aloud? As an example
Conservative (Chapman): (droning)Well… well… as the Conservative candidate I just drone on and on and on and on without letting anyone else get a word in edgeways, until I start to froth at the mouth and fall over backwards. Ooo-aaahhh. (THUD)
Na it's a stupid thing we copied from the fucking yanks, nothing makes people look more like gormless toadies than 4 or 5 of them nodding their heads behind their leader.
Likely not. The local Krishnas however have got provincial people eating reasonably well spiced Samosas and other vegetarian food. They have achieved something in the material world regardless.
Good works are the camouflage of many a bad arse sect, but really these NZ Krishnas are the least of our worries in 2021.
"Food for Life" Would be great to see this replicated. I do know there are other groups who do good work trying to provide nutritious food.
I do think that orchards and market gardens could offer produce instead of it rotting on the ground. It is about organising the foraging of excess nutritious food. Not easy to do during a lockdown when needed the most.
So we are still behind the point that countries like the US and the United Kingdom were 3 months ago. And many other countries as well that are not in this selection
Alwyn we have a much better vaccine rates than some states in the US especially the more extreme right wing states that are controlled by the GOP have less than 30% of the first dose of much poorer quality vaccines.
If you look at our latest rates we are ahead of the US.
Boris is a dysfunctional disaster for the UK. Opening up the economy before a high enough rate of immunity has been achieved.
Just like his stupidity signing up to brexit another disaster gathering place especially in the modern world of just in time delivery needed for profitable business and manufacturing.
"than some states in the US". That is irrelevant in my view. After all I am sure I could find parts of New Zealand where the vaccination rate is lower than the worst of the US states. I mean I would just have to find a house where nobody had been vaccinated and that would count.
"our latest rates we are ahead of the US". Well that might, or might not, be true but even if it was we still got to the level on the graph shown 3 months later than they did.
"stupidity signing up to brexit". What would have had him do? The UK had a referendum and the majority voted for Brexit. Was that stupid? Of course it was, at least in my opinion but they did it and that was that. I think that the New Zealand public have down stupid things in referenda and elections but I wouldn't think that if I was the GG I would have been justified in refusing to accept them.
So Alwyn the UK and US infection rate in the millions the death rate between the 2 countries nearly 1 million. Even with nearly 70% of people people immunized in the UK 200 plus people are dying a day 10s of thousands still getting infected.
Alwyn the bottom 25 states with the lowest rates of vaccination all Republican controlled states all less than 50% fully vaccinated on sept 2 mayo clinic stats
We could have had a much higher rate of vaccination if we had used less safe vaccines with much lower efficacy.
Pfizer has a efficacy rate of 88% against Delta AstraZeneca 60% against Delta.
No doubt you would be happy with the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
Not all is as it seems.
Then there is the length of the vaccines effectiveness us having the vaccine later means we will be protected further into the future than those who went in early.
Pity it took an outbreak to get this result with a ramping up in vaccination rates, if we had been achieving greater numbers earlier this current outbreak may not have been as it is. So you are right it IS politically inconvenient. There are no winners in what has been a slow roll out rate, as we can see by this lock down.
It would be an even greater pity if they hadn’t taken the opportunity to ramp it up – hit the iron while it is hot. The outbreak would not have been prevented anyway, in all likelihood.
Are you for real “taken the opportunity to ramp it up”. Just as well then that the outbreak happened so that it has been ramped up. Also that there now is discussion about making an effort to jab essential workers, Aucklanders and those that are more vulnerable like the working poor, as if any one with a little common sense would not have worked that out previously when we were in a COVID lull.
Until we find out how the outbreak happened we cannot say that it was preventable.
Yes, I was deadly serious. Due to the outbreak, there is huge pressure on health staff for testing and looking after positive cases and patients. On top of that, they had to deal with a huge ramp up of vaccination efforts under Level 4 lockdown – these efforts were temporarily halted because they had to work out how to do this safely under L4. It is the appropriate response under the circumstances, from their and my PoV.
The outbreak happened because someone in the community became infected unwittingly and spread it around. I’m talking about the spreading around in the community given that you mentioned vaccination rates and the ramping up. You haven’t read my link, have you? Pity.
Australia has a problem with the AstraZeneca vaccine which has only a 60% efficacy rate.So While its vaccination rates in NSW is ramping up Quickly it may not be enough even at 70% to prevent hospitals being overloaded as well as the numbers dying.
So far Pfizer at 88% efficacy is giving NZ better and safer coverage to a wider portion of the population.
this is interesting. So either the Wi Spa incident did actually happen and the person who has a penis idi expose himself in front of women including a female child.
OR the Daily Mail and other news website such as the New York Post have utterly slandered Darren, in which case I am sure she will take legal action.
people had said the Wi Spa incident was a hoax and there was no trans women in the women’s area, naked with their penis out.
The point I wanted to make at the time, but didn’t was that protesters often use all sorts of gimmicks, street theatre etc to get a point across.
The point is whether this is a hoax or not, this is what self ID will allow. Any male can identify as a woman, and gain access to sex based spaces, such as toilets, change rooms and day spas. My understanding is under the proposed legislation women’s spas, gyms, pools etc, would have problems challenging this, because the birth certificate would not register that the person was born male. it would likely have to go to court.
males are overwhelming the most likely to commit sex offences.. There is research to suggest the trans gender women have the same pattern of offending as men and trans men have the same pattern of offending as women (I can provide a link if required)
I assume we are all adults on the Standards. We have a responsibility to safeguard women and girls.
BTW according to the report Darren has complained of trans gender harassment
The 5% figure of pregnancy through rape is for one year alone in the US
“So, rape and consensual sex have the same pregnancy rate. This means that of those 64,080 US rapes in 2004-2005, minus the 15% of rapes that are of children under the age of 12 which gets us to 54,468 rapes of almost all reproductively-aged women, somewhere between 1,689 (3.1%) to 2,723 (5%) pregnancies from rape could have occurred in that year alone.
It was a 2012 study in the US and it used the term fertile women. Today the term being fertile to become pregnant would be used. I am not sure if there is a term for this.
Treetop why do we need to change the term? As much as people try to deny biology, only women can get pregnant right now. Perhaps in the future reproductive technology will change this, but now, women get pregnany.
many of us women feel insulted by the change in language, pregnant people, people who menstruate and not that the language is not changed for men, people who have prostates etc.
For me it comes down to the groups who have the reproductive biology who are affected by pregnancy due to rape. This is why the access to abortion is important.
That is an important point Arkie…..as trans men have female biology.
Do I hear a defeaning silence of the issue of the transwomen in the Wi Spa and how this relates to a piece of legislation in NZ, which will allow the same scenario for women and female children?
Again I ask, where is the safeguarding of women and children.
I believe if Darren wasn't Trans, people would be outraged that a cis gender male was legally entitled to access a women's spa and be naked with his penis out….
And despite the proposed legislation the NZ media don't carry this story.
I agree Arkie all Trans gender people are deserving of protection from discrimination.
I have no problem with who people identify as (although with children and young teens I am vehemently opposed to puberty blockers automatically being prescribed).
But I prioritise biology over gender identity ideology and I am posting about the Wi Spa case to raise the alert about the implications of gender self ID. That it will give all men access to women’s private spaces, such as change room where women and girls are vulnerable. The self ID Bill will enable two paraphernalia, vouyerism and exhibitionism, all for the benefit of a tiny minority of people
But allowing gender ideology to trump biological reality doesn’t work for women and girls, who are the vast majority. The examples I have given you are change rooms, sports, spas, women’s prison shelters.
I am not sure how this discriminates against a small minority of trans people. Unisex toilets AS WELL as women’s only toilets, special, separate wings in male prisons for trans women, an open sporting competition for everybody, including trans women AND separate competitions for women and girls, because after all it is bodies that play sport not identities.
I am sorry that this may not be what trans women want, but I think there are ways of catering for them, that doesn’t impact biological women’s right as a group who are at risk for biological males patterns of offending and the biological advantages biological men have in sports
You are saying trans people should be excluded from areas that they legally have access to because of how you identify their gender. This is discriminatory.
Shops, businesses and other public places can’t discriminate against you
It’s illegal for a business to refuse to deal with you or to treat you less favourably than other people because of your sex, gender or sexual orientation. This includes not just shops and restaurants and so on, but also banks, loan companies, and finance or insurance companies.
It’s also illegal for any business to refuse to let you enter their premises if it’s a place that’s otherwise open to the public – like a cinema or bus.
Even if there are separate toilet or changing facilities for men and women (this is legally allowed), you’re allowed to use the one that best matches your sex or gender identity.
You are completely misunderstanding me Arkie and I apologise for whatever my part is in that. I believe transgender people have absolute rights to be in public places such as cafes, shops businesses etc. Of course trans should have the same access to these places as all of us, and I haven't heard of anyone trying to keep them out, but if they have that is not o.k.
Did you know the Huma Rights Act section 43 allows for separate public facilities for each sex on the grounds of public safety and decency. section 49 of the human rights act spedifies separate categories in sport and schools and accommodation as well in some places of work e.g. female examinations (we have a right to request being examine by a women.
In this debate, womens rights are completely overlooked unless women on this site remind others about them.
And yet the Wi Spa is a classic example of how gender self id does endanger women and girls.
When the women confronted the receptionist at the Wi Spa they said that its the law, they have to let trans gender women into the women's section.
Men are self id in the UK to get access to women's prisons and the same in the USA.
There is a huge issue going on in the US with sporting competitions at schools where transgender women are competing against biological women, winning medals and schlorships over biological women.There is a massive fight going on through the courts over trans women accessing female bathrooms and change rooms in schools. These are just a few examples.
As a female, I protest against having biological male classified as female and my biololgy being seen as "it" in the process. Whether in a changing room, spa or any other venue where I want to be exclusively separated by biological gender. I and 50% of the population want to have a say in such matters.
This has nothing to do with what gender anybody wants choose to be the best fit for them for whatever reason but a lot with those who are identifying with their biology. Having to defend the right to privacy, space and rights of women (biological) seems very wrong to me.
Every person needs to feel safe and secure within their environment. Our laws secure this.
Cinder, a law that allows trans gender people to self ID opens up women's spaces to biological males. I believe most women are not comfortable with that and people should not be comfortable about biological males being naked in change rooms with girls or teenagers.
I am not right wing and neither are a lot of the women who object to allowing trans women into some spaces that have be previously preserved for biological women.
If Trans people want a pro trans space I would encourage them to seek it out, but at times biology matters and it matters a great deal.
A recent study in Ireland, where they have self ID has shown that most people object to transwomen using women only toilets.
The person looks to be a sex offender (Wi Spa) and the majority of sex offenders are men. The trouble for women is we can't tell the difference….. even with males we know well. So in a space where women and girls are particularly vulnerable i.e in a change room or a spa where people are naked, I believe we have got good reason to keep the space for biological women only.
These women at the Wi Spa were traumatized. Do you care about that? It sounds like victim blaming on your behalf "what were they expecting going into the wi spa. It is quite feasible these women didn't know or thought trans friendly meant something different from biological males in their spa space.
You can call me a terf or a Karen all you like. To me that suggests you don't have very good arguements.
But you have allowed yourself to become a willing idiot of the right wing Christian bigots.
The complainant very obviously went there to be outraged. As I said, look at their digital footprint. This is the third time you have been told to look more deeply into the issue and you refuse to do so.
Nish Kumar has stated the problems with your logic more succinctly than I care to bother with.
"There are a lot of people, most of them cisgendered heterosexual men, who say things like ‘Oh, if you let trans women use women’s bathrooms then they’ll do sex attacks,'” he noted.
“Now there’s a few problems with that… firstly to be fair, they don’t say ‘do sex attacks’. Secondly, trans people are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual violence more so than they are the perpetrators of it by an unbelievably large amount.
“And thirdly, do you honestly think that if there’s someone out there willing to commit a sex attack… if there’s someone out there, regardless of their gender identity, who’s done the logical gymnastics required [to] perpetrate the worst thing one human can do to another – do you think they’re being put off by a sign on a door?”
The complainant very obviously went there to be outraged.
That's not obvious to me at all. But even if it were true, so what? The fact there was a man in the women-only space with his cock out remains unchanged by that.
so that is your only response Sasha? To divert from the issue and make it about what feminists aren’t doing. Btw you run the risk of looking like someone who is telling women what to do
if you go to SUFW website you can click on a tab and find out about activism theses women have been engaged in over many years as feminists, going back to the 70s including one woman who ran the SOSservice to get women to Australia who needed abortions as they were illegal at the time
Sacha referring to me as Karen makes it look like you have no good or compelling arguements as to why some spaces need to be keep for biological women…….
Sorry I must have inadvertently unscrambled your username while working on other stuff and typing in a hurry. Then my internet connection went down.
Was just repeating the point of the tweet I posted as concisely as I could. I have nothing more to say to you on the topic. No point. I hope you find a better solution for your fear than restricting other people's right to live.
The Taliban Texans – more extreme and fundamentalist than the Taliban Afghans.
Given the size of Texas and the US, it is these American extremists who are more of a threat to the world than Afghanistan.
Read this dissenting Supreme Court judge's opinion here… it should wake us all up to what is continuing to unfold in this out-of-control nation… it is frightening… "bounty hunters" – akin to brown shirts…
Victoria and NSW look like they are giving up on elimination now looking at containment and vaccination.
With vaccination Australia is using the Asra Zeneca and Pfizer Vaccines .The Pfizer vaccine has an 88% efficacy rate the Astra Zeneca around 60% efficacy so NZ's choice to stick with the Phizer vaccine is a very good choice .
Now if we don't eliminate we are in for a rough ride till Chistmas and will need to wait it out till we reach high vaccination rates and on top of that keep socially distancing ,wearing masks, and practising good hygiene habits.
School reopening for younger students could be delayed as trial results for vaccinating those 5 to 12 aren't expected till the end of October.
Our hospital system is not up to coping with any major outbreaks as it is already stretched
So my heart goes out to all those in Auckland you are doing the whole country proud.
Like Winston Churchill said we will fight this virus on the beaches in the supermarkets with our kiwi team spirit.
But you have allowed yourself to become a willing idiot of the right wing Christian bigots.
The complainant very obviously went there to be outraged. As I said, look at their digital footprint. This is the third time you have been told to look more deeply into the issue and you refuse to do so.
Nish Kumar has stated the problems with your logic more succinctly than I care to bother with.
"There are a lot of people, most of them cisgendered heterosexual men, who say things like ‘Oh, if you let trans women use women’s bathrooms then they’ll do sex attacks,'” he noted.
“Now there’s a few problems with that… firstly to be fair, they don’t say ‘do sex attacks’. Secondly, trans people are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual violence more so than they are the perpetrators of it by an unbelievably large amount.
“And thirdly, do you honestly think that if there’s someone out there willing to commit a sex attack… if there’s someone out there, regardless of their gender identity, who’s done the logical gymnastics required [to] perpetrate the worst thing one human can do to another – do you think they’re being put off by a sign on a door?”
I support trans gender women having their own spaces in certain settings that have been traditionally preserved for biological women, such as change rooms, prisons, sport etc. I guess it might be a bit like burglary. If you keep your doors locked that is one more obstacle the burglar has to deal with, but if the doors are open then opportunism may prevail.
I am aware of a study recently and I can post the link that sexual assaults offences are more likely to occur in unisex toilets, change rooms as was the case recently at an Ak gym. The guy managed to get a camera into the change room to film women.
In allowing biological males into our changes rooms you are giving carte blache for biological males to commit two illegal acts, vouyerism and exhibitionism. It is not just the threat of sexual assault women are afraid of. some women, teens are girls are quite modest in change rooms that are women only. Imagine what that will feel like for them with males who identify as females.
Not all men are rapists or sexual offenders. But trans women have the same sexual offending patterns as biological males. Trans men same as women.
As I have said earlier when I am called a Karen or a "willing idiot of the Christian right" it just confirms for me that your arguements aren’t that great. Playing the woman not the ball. No matter
No it was Sasha who called me a Karen on this thread twice.
I would prefer it if you cut the denigrating remarks “your reading comprehension isn’t very good” and stuck to playing the ball not the woman.
the point about the man in the Ak gym was to back up my claim that sexual offences are more likely to occur in unisex spaces. I knew the perpetrator wasn’t trans and I never said he was.
yes I would not be happy if I was aware people were having sex in a change room where I was changing and I would be exceedingly unhappy if they were not behind closed doors in the change room. However I think that is not really what this debate is about.
the women at the wi spa were shocked and traumatised to see a male with his penis out, who turns out to be a sex offender, in their space. I saw the video and the young Asian women filmed, who was asking for her money back, looked shocked and uncomfortable IMO. The wi spa cannot have made it clear enough to these women that in the woman’s section, they could expect to see biological males.
if any man can identify as a woman and change their birth certificate accordingly, then legally they have a case of entitlement to be in a women’s change room In a change room it is almost impossible not to expose part of your body or to notice others bodies. Getting charged does not ameliorate what has happened. Women, girls and teenshave been observed or have observed (even if they haven’t meant to).
from my point of view it defies belief that people appear unable to appreciate that it is a problem having biological males being able to access women, teens and girls changing rooms, spas etc, where women, teens and girls will be in a state of undress
Ok well Sacha, I get we can all make mistakes. All I said was I would prefer it if people did use these terms.
But I accept your apology and that it was a geniune mistake.
And for tongiht I am happy to let Foreign Waka have the final work, unless others comment.
And sure no worries if you don't want to engage in this debate.
The MSM are not doing there job in reporting on this legislation and my opinion is it is being introduced by stealth. So I want to high light the problematic nature of the legislation.
You know, there is a point of no return. Biological women are by nature designed in a certain way. Those who identify with this want their space, their rights and their privacy where it fits. If someone, anyone decides to say they are a different gender, its all good. But please don't march into a changing room etc. pretending that everybody else has to "just go with it". Sorry, no. By taking away the right of every other person will not by default make one persons right of expression valid to override everybody else.
Lets say on the basis of rights: If you enter a room of non smokers and light a cigarette what do you think that a/ the response will be and b/ will the argument of acceptance by default by identifying with some of the people in the room being smokers, stick? Who is right?
Pre-emptive apologies for sending anyone to a rag like the Daily Mail – but this story on suicide rates reducing during Covid lockdown comes as no surprise. From memory our own data showed a similar result. Yet we still hear constantly about how lockdown is bad for mental health. Obviously there are mental health effects that fall short of actual suicide, so you could argue that more study is required to see if the same reduction is true across the full range of mental distress.
We're now awaiting convincing hypotheses to explain it. Personally I'm taking it as an indicator that not going to work (or at least conventional, non-autonomous, employer-dominated work), while still having financial security, might be good for us.
So, best theory i've heard raises lack of opportunity. I'll explain as best I can but wont be as eloquent as it was put to me by a specialist in the field.
In essence many who are suicidal esp Teens and Men with children really dont want to 'hurt' their families in such close proximity which is essentially what lockdown provides hence you get a drop in suicide amongst these groups.
"Throughout this year there has been unhelpful and irresponsible public commentary on the effect COVID-19 would have on the suicide rate," Marshall said.
"During the first lockdown period, I said it was unhelpful to release figures for such a short time frame, as it is nearly impossible to draw sound conclusions, nor do I believe such public discourse is helpful to people in distress."
Robinson agreed the rumours and speculation was "unhelpful and counterproductive to suicide prevention".
(This is a Daisycutter Sports Inc. language alert for Friday 3/9/21.)
1.) Yesterday afternoon, RNZ news covered a man who escaped from MIQ. The newsreader informed listeners that "the man's family reported them missing…"
2.) At today's 1 p.m. briefing, Grant Robertson informed the nation about the payments for the wage subsidy scheme. He burbled: "The criteria is the same…"
3.) The 6 p.m. TVNZ news report on this afternoon's tragic incident at Lynnmall included this gem: "They were an individual known to the police."
Compiled by Serena Sopwith-Fotherington, for Daisycutter Sports Inc.
That wasn't evolution when Grant Robertson used the word criteria wrongly, that was carelessness or ignorance.
And whatever drove those hapless slaves at RNZ to use such absurd pronouns–“the man’s family reported them missing”, for pity’s sake—it certainly was not evolution; it was no doubt a directive from RNZ management—the same people who have instigated news updates and station promos on the half-hour.
Young people are already using 'them' and 'they' regularly.
Wrong. Young people use those pronouns in the clear and unambiguous way that they've always been used. The only people who use "them" or "they" to refer to one person are those who have been instructed by managers to do so. People like newsreaders at Radio New Zealand.
It may threaten older people, like all language change does.
What "language change" are you talking about? The vast majority of people want their communications to be clear and unambiguous, and they employ the clear and unambiguous words that make that possible.
Recent surveys from the US and UK show that not only are 18 to 24-year-olds more commonly identifying as LGBTQIA+, but that they are also becoming much more fluid in the expression of their sexuality and gender.
…
“I’m hopeful that with the generational changes and increased awareness of sexuality and gender in society, over time it will become easier and easier for people to be open about that, get the support they need, and eventually be in a place where it is really normalised and people are treated equally regardless of who they are.”
“It’s something for us to celebrate that we are coming to a time where it is so much easier for people to live their truth and be who they are.”
Nothing's wrong with it, and I don't see a problem with using it, but I also don't see a problem with a health official at a national health briefing using "pregnant people" for brevity or whatever. Language is good like that.
Nearly all 'pregnant people' are women who see themselves as women. A small percentage are uncomfortable with the term women and want to use something else. That is their right. But taking away women's right to our own language in order to support a small group of people with gender dysphoria* just doesn't make sense. Why would we support one group to have their needs met but not the other? Some women don't care. Many do.
In health care it's particularly important because public health messaging works best when it meets people culturally. If you remove women's language and don't engage with women in ways that work for them, you lessen public health. This is exactly why trans people also need appropriately framed public health messaging (and many other groups).
It's weird that women are having this actively removed at the same time as it's being actively increased for other groups. We also know that the same removal isn't happening to men. Whether that's a matter of time or sexism, or both, it's still telling.
I didn't see what AB said, so this is a general comment, not about his wording/context.
* people without GD who want such huge social change for other personal reasons need to step up and make the political argument.
But taking away women's right to our own language in order to support a small group of people with gender dysphoria* just doesn't make sense. Why would we support one group to have their needs met but not the other?
Is this what's actually happening here really?
If your support and respect for trans people ends when you feel like you're 'needs' aren't being met, because of the use of the term 'pregnant people', then that probably says enough.
It's a hypocrisy to support trans rights via a certain mechanism and deny that to women at the same time. Unless one believes that women's rights are secondary, in which case it becomes less hypocrisy and more misogyny.
"Is this what's actually happening here really?"
Yes, this is happening. Women are being told to stop using words specific to being female. It's happening in organisations, public health, and in social settings. Lesbians get banned from lesbian dating apps for saying female only. Women get banned from FB groups for using terms like 'lady parts'. Online health websites remove women's language and replace it with gender neutral, but men's health issues still talk about male bodies. Women get cancelled for insisting on talking about female bodies. Women get called transphobic for talking about their periods.
Menstruators, chest feeders, uterus havers, there are lots of words in use now that describe women in the most reductionist and dehumanising terms. Women are objecting and here you are arguing that we're being unfair to trans people.
There are lots of examples now. If you are unaware of this, please educate yourself.
What is happening here is that I was confused why a commenter could agree that transmen and NB people also can and do get pregnant and give birth and still find 'pregnant people' to be a problem. Women, transmen and NB people are all equally included in the term 'pregnant people', there's no hierarchy in that collective noun, and I certainly find it baffling that 'people' is considered dehumanising; humans are people, people are human!?
Baffling.
As I have said up thread if you think the category of 'women' and 'womens rights' exclude transwomen then I can see how you would feel that way.
Ok, so you believe that 'pregnant people' is a good term to use despite the problems pointed out about that. You haven't addressed those problems, just reiterated that you personally find the term good.
That you don't see a problem doesn't mean there isn't one.
And yes, many women, probably most, don't believe that trans women are literally women and will reject the idea when it is explained fully. Most women also want trans women to be ok in society, so this isn't a transphobic position, it's a position that recognises the conflict between trans rights and women's rights.
This yougov poll looked at various aspects of trans people in society and how British attitudes. Not the bottom section.
Equally that you see a problem doesn't mean there is one. Language allows us to use multiple words and phrases to mean the same thing.
I am well aware of your objections, they have often be reiterated at length on this very forum, and the calls to educate yourself go both ways. To keep it relevant to NZ:
Equally that you see a problem doesn't mean there is one.
True, but I'm not relying on my own belief, it's *very easy to see large numbers of women saying it's not ok to remove our language to describe ourselves. Further, I've explained the reasons, which you seem to be ignoring.
What do you think I should be educating myself on specifically?
It's not just my belief that "pregnant people" includes all people who can become or are pregnant though, it's what the words literally mean! It's your belief there are problems with using the term "pregnant people", that you may see it reinforced by others doesn't stop it from being an opinion. No-one in this thread, least of all me, has said you aren't able to describe yourself however you like using whatever language you want, just pointing out nongendered collective nouns exist and mean the same thing as their synonyms!
A lot of women object to the changes in language that are being imposed on them.
People who menstruate, chest feeders, birthing units, pregnanat people.
How come its o.k. for Trans people to insist we all use their language, pro nouns etc, but when we don't like the changes that are being made that's o.k.?
Those women aren't the only people being referred to as a pregnant person though; as discussed, trans men and non-binary people can and do give birth, so, to be inclusive, the term pregnant people is used.
that is very interesting. The number of people who have capacity to produce Ova and Sprem is infitestamly small. Seem only 11 reported out of what 7 billon people. I couldn't access the full article, but assume she had a uterus to carry the child. People born with mixed sexed charateristics can usually fall more readily into male or female.
She was referred to as a mother and she produced an ova.
There will always be aberations in science. The exception that proves the rule.
Your lack of understanding of this means dialogue with you is pointless.
So far you have missed the point Wi Spa is a trans space. A place for trans people. Women are welcome there, but need to understand its a trans space instead of kicking off when they encounter a trans individual.
Now you have seen a scientific study and assumed the sample size was every person on the planet.
That's truly astonishingly dumb.
As Sasha said, keep living in fear. But try and be better.
These people are not the threat you think they are.
A lot of women object to the changes in language that are being imposed on them. We are being required to change our language but many us what to keep our language because ithe changes are de-humanizing and decontructs what it means to be a women.
People who menstruate, chest feeders, birthing units, pregnanat people.
How come its o.k. for Trans people to insist we all use their language, pro nouns etc, but when we don't like the changes that are being made that's o.k.?
Your lack of understanding of this means dialogue with you is pointless.
So far you have missed the point Wi Spa is a trans space. A place for trans people. Women are welcome there, but need to understand its a trans space instead of kicking off when they encounter a trans individual.
Now you have seen a scientific study and assumed the sample size was every person on the planet.
That's truly astonishingly dumb.
As Sasha said, keep living in fear. But try and be better.
These people are not the threat you think they are.
Your lack of understanding of this means dialogue with you is pointless.
So far you have missed the point Wi Spa is a trans space. A place for trans people. Women are welcome there, but need to understand its a trans space instead of kicking off when they encounter a trans individual.
Now you have seen a scientific study and assumed the sample size was every person on the planet.
That's truly astonishingly dumb.
As Sasha said, keep living in fear. But try and be better.
These people are not the threat you think they are.
If thats the case (Wi spa being a trans space,) I'm puzzled why they would need to record trans people using the space
A local LGBTQ+ paper reported that a spa employee said there were no trans patrons with appointments that day, leading some to question whether the incident was staged.
Patrons would have to disclose they were trans ? In their own space?
Your lack of being able to acknowledge or having any concept that in certain setting biological sex matters. That in the NZ Human Rights Act 1993, they specidfically state that public facilities should be kept separate for the sexes to preserve public decency and safety. There are other clauses in the act around sport schooling and accommodation that allow and preserve seperate spaces for women.
I have heard no empathy from you for the women and girls in the Wi Spa who saw the trans sex offender expose himself. All I have heard from you is its a trans space. Interestingly Darrens defence was he was being harrrassed for being Trans.
The study on hermaphrodites giving birth is about people who are now called intersex. The incidence of people who have both female and male genitalia is rare and is not what this debate is about. I am talking about males who identitfy as women.
I don't think anyone would think it is appropriate for a man to be in changing room naked with him penis out around women and girls (sex offender or not). This is what this thread started off about.
Saying I am "astonishingly dumb" is yet again another insult you have used towards me. As I said before when I get these insults when I discuss this issue, mostly I see it as a sign of poor arguement from the commenters who oppose my view. I have never had these insults before on The Standard. No matter.
"Keep living in fear". Yes biological women often live in fear. Fear of walking alone, day and night, fear of finding oneself alone in a toilet or change room. We are smaller in statue, have less muscle mass and women know that most biological males could easily over powered them. Males are unlikely to fully appreciate this.
That in the NZ Human Rights Act 1993, they specidfically state that public facilities should be kept separate for the sexes to preserve public decency and safety.
No it doesn't. It says that they can be not that they should be.
(1)Section 42 shall not prevent the maintenance of separate facilities for each sex on the ground of public decency or public safety.
FFS it is written in English and i have already said. But i will spell it out since you struggle so.
Section 42 says that you can't exclude people from spaces that are open to the public. Section 43 contains the exceptions to Section 42. So if i am operating a spa and i have separate facilities for each sex then i am not in breach of section 42. If i don't have separate facilities for each sex then i am also not in breach of section 42.
So, as i said, the Act does not as you claim state that public facilities should be kept separate for the sexes but rather that they can be.
Cinder, there is absolutely nothing on the LA Wi Spa website that suggests it is a fundamentally trans space where women are welcome but need to understand its a trans space .
They talk of dedicated Womens and Mens spaces, so what gives you the idea Wi Spa is foremost a trans space , rather than a space which is legally required to admit trans people?
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a women’s problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/ShutterstockPlans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland.Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floorA mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,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, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
US Democrats forced into action to defend reproductive rights. Gosh they may also have to actually reform the filibuster after sitting on their hands. Then expand the Supreme Court to stop this entirely predictable crap happening again.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nancy-pelosi-abortion-rights_n_6130eeeae4b05f53eda4b24b?qgc
Whilst the recent inequitable and misogynistic decision by the current Supreme Court is entirely predictable following the cynical stacking of the body with right wing fundamentalists by Trump and McConnell, the move by Pelosi and the House Democrats to codify Rowe Vs Wade into the Constitution will go nowhere at the moment. Nancy has no say over the Senate Democrats and the "moderate" Democrats in the Senate are DINOs Democrats in name only, and are responsible for the continued existence of the filibuster. There has to be a major shift in political thinking to the left in the US before any major changes in social justice can be made.
Call their bluff
https://twitter.com/CeeBee_NZ/status/1433520310930706435
Our Federated Farmer friends have slapped-down the Groundswell leaders as "crazy individuals" and sparked a loopy war of words with the "crazy individuals" who are claiming they'll take national leadership of all farmers, if the Feds, Dairy NZ, Beef & Lamb etc. aren't up to it, which they imply, they are not. It's getting crazy out on farm!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/126258179/division-in-the-ranks-federated-farmers-calls-groundswell-protest-organisers-crazy
Byron Clark wrote a good piece a couple of days ago.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-radical-right-in-gumboots
The NZ dairy cow is the Kiwi Trojan horse. Like intestinal parasites fringe nutters hitch a ride undetected by the immune system. They coat-tail unwitting hosts to create a perception of reason, common sense, and normalcy and a platform for spreading their offspring. Only a high dose of ‘ivermectin’ will work and make them squirm …
Hogart was quoted in ODT the night before the howl asking farmers not to take their tractors into town. It was edited out pretty smartly. The farmer owned Co-ops, Fontera and Farmlands, didn’t what to have anything to do with it either with staff banned from attending in brand.
The next question is who financed the thing, and provided the address database to get it underway, and were able to keep the thing reasonably under the radar. Traffic management and H&S plans and the like aren’t cheap and require professional input. Tad ironic for a ‘grassroots’ outfit protesting compliance costs and requirements.
Good questions, Graeme. Incognito's link (above) might shed some light. Or not. I don't doubt there are supporters with money who seek the downfall of the Lab/Green Government and would back any noisy uprising. Farmers are, in my opinion, being duped.
the levin protest seemed to be run by the owner of the local scaffolding company. a huge irony as his business didnt exist a few years ago ,before health and safety insisted. talk about biteing the hand that feeds you.
Someone brought up the subject of Corbyn a day or two ago, with the usual results, here is a new piece from Consortium News out detailing some of the coordinated MSM attacks on Corbyn and Labour, mainly in regards to The Jewish Cornicle…
The Newspaper That Smeared Corbyn & the Left
“Which is why IPSO cannot take any meaningful action against The Jewish Chronicle. To do so would pull the rug from under the anti-Semitism narrative that destroyed Corbyn and is now being used by his successor, Starmer, to purge Labour of the remnants of the left and to distance the party as far as possible from any lingering signs of Palestinian solidarity.
Exposure of The Jewish Chronicle as an editorial wrecking ball aimed at the left would show just how much the paper and the anti-Semitism narrative it bolstered were key to the Conservative party’s successful smearing of Corbyn that helped to keep him out of No. 10. It would highlight the enduring collusion between the corporate media and the political elite.
And it would indicate that corporate media is not really an exercise in capitalist, free-market economics, where profitable outlets drive out those that are unpopular. Rather loss-making corporate media such as The Jewish Chronicle are a price the establishment is only too happy to bear as long as those publications fulfil a more important purpose: ensuring that the political and economic climate remains favorable to the ruling class.
The Jewish Chronicle has played its part in destroying Corbyn and the left. Now it will continue that role by policing the public discourse and ensuring that no one like Corbyn ever gets near power again. Those libel payouts were a small price to pay.”
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/09/02/the-newspaper-that-smeared-corbyn-the-left/
Keith Starmer has gone along with the false and egregious anti-Semitism attacks against Corbyn, suspending him from the Labour Party. Because of this he currently sits in the Commons as an independent.
Bring back Corbyn I say.
Not going to happen whilst sir Rodney is leading them.
He's doing a fine job decimating the labour party.
Might not happen next election but George Galloway's Workers Party are making inroads on Labour's seats. Goodluck to them.
@Bearded Git +1
"Bring back Corbyn I say." I agree, he is without doubt the most honest, principled major politician in the UK by a country mile (probably in western political anywhere)..of course the usual suspects will poo poo any suggestion of having him back, but then they would, it turns out that the last thing they would ever want to see is a real Left wing government…no just the same old safe centrist bullshit is all these free market fundamentalists can handle….yep they would rather watch the world burn than even consider trying anything outside of the current neoliberal ideology.
I agree with your assessment of Corbyn, Adrian, however it must be remembered that his decision to appease the Blairite rump was a catastrophic error on his part. Under a barrage of fantastical, totally unsupported allegations, snarled at him with relentless malice, and amplified by the media—not only the Murdoch outlets but also the Grauniad and the state broadcaster—he kept on apologizing for something he had never done.
The American journalist and activist Max Blumenthal was astonished by Corbyn's refusal to fight back against the slanderers. In 2015 he went to an event in London featuring the new Labour leader, and a woman claimed, sans evidence, that he (Blumenthal) was "an anti-Semite." Blumenthal, angry, told the organizer that he wanted to make a statement immediately to call her out as a liar. Someone from Labour's "management team" insisted that he actually say nothing; in their experience, the best thing to do was to keep quiet and not make a fuss. It would soon blow over, Blumenthal was assured.
Blumenthal said the woman was " a gentile": it sounds like it was the egregious Joan Ryan. She can be seen in the Al Jazeera documentary The Lobby accusing an elderly female Labour Party member of "repeating an anti-Semitic trope". When the accused woman protests, Ryan simply repeats her absurd accusation, and then contemptuously refuses to engage with her.
Yes I totally agree, his biggest single mistake was not purging out the third way centrists as soon as he could, but that is because his very nature is to be inclusive. his second was not shutting down that anti-semitic bullshit hard.
I guess if he is lacking anything as a politician, he is lacking a bit of the mongrel.,,which can't be said for any other politician I can think of, but non the less, is a serious fault in a politician…sadly.
It was not only Jeremy Corbyn that failed to shut down that character assassination campaign, it was almost the entire Labour "leadership". I died inside every time one of them, as well as "supporters" like Owen Jones nodded solemnly and endorsed the accusations.
This sort of abject capitulation to fantastic charges happened in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, but those poor souls were being terrorized into submission by a machinery of terror run by Stalin, Vyshinsky, and Beria. By stark contrast, Corbyn, John McDonnell, and the rest of them were apologizing for offences they had never committed, and constantly appeasing lightweights and buffoons like Joan Ryan, Luciana Berger, and Andrew Neil.
I spoke to a school principal a few months after school lunches were introduced and he said the students were more settled.
I did not ask if he thought it was because children had a lunch or that there was less sugar and salt in the provided school lunch or that the vitamin and mineral content in fruit and vegetables in the lunch were making a difference. Probably all the above.
Lately I have been trying to only but cans which do not have sugar or salt added. When I cannot find an item with no sugar and salt added I go for the reduced sugar and salt.
It is important to eat well for physical and mental health especially during a pandemic to strengthen the immune system.
I am concerned about children missing out on having a school lunch provided during lockdown. I also think it is about time for the sugar and salt content in cans and packaged food to be reduced.
There would be some treat items, mainly desserts, I would still allow to have a high sugar content to satisfy a craving.
In Whangārei the local Hare Krishna group run a bakery/cafe and well supported stall at the Saturday farmers market. They also supply local schools with several thousand servings a week (COVID notwithstanding) and their lovely vegetarian offerings have to be a good option for the kids. “Food for Life” as they call it.
Food for Thought would be a better name, IMHO.
Food for thought and Life.
What Life without Thought?
Do cults reward thought?
Only certain ‘thought’, but other thought is suppressed and punished; leave it to the Leader and/or leadership. That’s why they’re cults. Many political parties are no different.
Is that why when our PM makes some sort of policy announcement there are usually about 5 other Ministers standing mutely behind her with their heads nodding in unison?
Are they demonstrating that only the Leader's thoughts are to be spoken aloud? As an example
https://www.beltandroad.news/2020/10/20/new-zealand-to-boost-bilateral-ties-with-china/
Ask an apiarist, Alwyn.
A good suggestion.
He tells me that the Queen bee is in front. The ones behind her are the drones.
What to make of alwyn's role in 'the hive'?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_(bee)
Long live the Queen!
No Alwyn, it signals a Cabinet in agreement. Something sadly lacking in National.
Patricia ,That's because National has a serious outbreak of American Foul brood disease which has Trumped any chance of a recovery in their popularity
Na it's a stupid thing we copied from the fucking yanks, nothing makes people look more like gormless toadies than 4 or 5 of them nodding their heads behind their leader.
Petty@Alwyn
Likely not. The local Krishnas however have got provincial people eating reasonably well spiced Samosas and other vegetarian food. They have achieved something in the material world regardless.
Good works are the camouflage of many a bad arse sect, but really these NZ Krishnas are the least of our worries in 2021.
Yes, it's possible, it's called the National Party 😉
"Food for Life" Would be great to see this replicated. I do know there are other groups who do good work trying to provide nutritious food.
I do think that orchards and market gardens could offer produce instead of it rotting on the ground. It is about organising the foraging of excess nutritious food. Not easy to do during a lockdown when needed the most.
Politically inconvenient for some.
https://twitter.com/davecharlie/status/1433507298467450898
If The Judith and David show have chosen this metric, then it should be cited and updated at every anti-democratic 1pm briefing.
So we are still behind the point that countries like the US and the United Kingdom were 3 months ago. And many other countries as well that are not in this selection
And we are supposed to cheer at that?
We are miles ahead of the US and the UK on the disease & death curves. I’ll leave it up to you whether you want to cheer at that or be a party pooper.
Alwyn we have a much better vaccine rates than some states in the US especially the more extreme right wing states that are controlled by the GOP have less than 30% of the first dose of much poorer quality vaccines.
If you look at our latest rates we are ahead of the US.
Boris is a dysfunctional disaster for the UK. Opening up the economy before a high enough rate of immunity has been achieved.
Just like his stupidity signing up to brexit another disaster gathering place especially in the modern world of just in time delivery needed for profitable business and manufacturing.
"than some states in the US". That is irrelevant in my view. After all I am sure I could find parts of New Zealand where the vaccination rate is lower than the worst of the US states. I mean I would just have to find a house where nobody had been vaccinated and that would count.
"our latest rates we are ahead of the US". Well that might, or might not, be true but even if it was we still got to the level on the graph shown 3 months later than they did.
"stupidity signing up to brexit". What would have had him do? The UK had a referendum and the majority voted for Brexit. Was that stupid? Of course it was, at least in my opinion but they did it and that was that. I think that the New Zealand public have down stupid things in referenda and elections but I wouldn't think that if I was the GG I would have been justified in refusing to accept them.
So Alwyn the UK and US infection rate in the millions the death rate between the 2 countries nearly 1 million. Even with nearly 70% of people people immunized in the UK 200 plus people are dying a day 10s of thousands still getting infected.
Alwyn the bottom 25 states with the lowest rates of vaccination all Republican controlled states all less than 50% fully vaccinated on sept 2 mayo clinic stats
Hip hip hooray!
We could have had a much higher rate of vaccination if we had used less safe vaccines with much lower efficacy.
Pfizer has a efficacy rate of 88% against Delta AstraZeneca 60% against Delta.
No doubt you would be happy with the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
Not all is as it seems.
Then there is the length of the vaccines effectiveness us having the vaccine later means we will be protected further into the future than those who went in early.
Australian friends are hunting for providers to get the Phizer doses, while Astra Zenica ones go to waste.
Good move here deciding on the best single vaccine and using it.
Collins will want the credit for higher vaccination numbers.
I’ll voluntarily participate in trials for a vaccine against J-Cols-23.
‘Death is horrible but let’s put it in perspective. There are 8 million people who can’t choose what to do with their free time.’ – the NSW premier.
Gladyator needs to just STFU now and consider her exit plan as this is all on her.
After stuffing up the Covid reponse, for both NZ and Australia. Scomao and Gladys should be charged.
An frightening example however, of what could have been with NACT in charge.
Pity it took an outbreak to get this result with a ramping up in vaccination rates, if we had been achieving greater numbers earlier this current outbreak may not have been as it is. So you are right it IS politically inconvenient. There are no winners in what has been a slow roll out rate, as we can see by this lock down.
It would be an even greater pity if they hadn’t taken the opportunity to ramp it up – hit the iron while it is hot. The outbreak would not have been prevented anyway, in all likelihood.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/126223967/covid19-84-of-community-cases-were-unvaccinated-12-had-one-dose
Are you for real “taken the opportunity to ramp it up”. Just as well then that the outbreak happened so that it has been ramped up. Also that there now is discussion about making an effort to jab essential workers, Aucklanders and those that are more vulnerable like the working poor, as if any one with a little common sense would not have worked that out previously when we were in a COVID lull.
Until we find out how the outbreak happened we cannot say that it was preventable.
Yes, I was deadly serious. Due to the outbreak, there is huge pressure on health staff for testing and looking after positive cases and patients. On top of that, they had to deal with a huge ramp up of vaccination efforts under Level 4 lockdown – these efforts were temporarily halted because they had to work out how to do this safely under L4. It is the appropriate response under the circumstances, from their and my PoV.
The outbreak happened because someone in the community became infected unwittingly and spread it around. I’m talking about the spreading around in the community given that you mentioned vaccination rates and the ramping up. You haven’t read my link, have you? Pity.
Australia has a problem with the AstraZeneca vaccine which has only a 60% efficacy rate.So While its vaccination rates in NSW is ramping up Quickly it may not be enough even at 70% to prevent hospitals being overloaded as well as the numbers dying.
So far Pfizer at 88% efficacy is giving NZ better and safer coverage to a wider portion of the population.
Bullshit I wa in a cue a mile long in the 1st week of lockdown for mine we had all booked before the outbreak.
You really think the ramping up could have happened, in three weeks, if it hadn't already been prepared for and planned
Did Tonga do the royal family and friends, and leave it at that?
OR the Daily Mail and other news website such as the New York Post have utterly slandered Darren, in which case I am sure she will take legal action.
people had said the Wi Spa incident was a hoax and there was no trans women in the women’s area, naked with their penis out.
The point I wanted to make at the time, but didn’t was that protesters often use all sorts of gimmicks, street theatre etc to get a point across.
The point is whether this is a hoax or not, this is what self ID will allow. Any male can identify as a woman, and gain access to sex based spaces, such as toilets, change rooms and day spas. My understanding is under the proposed legislation women’s spas, gyms, pools etc, would have problems challenging this, because the birth certificate would not register that the person was born male. it would likely have to go to court.
males are overwhelming the most likely to commit sex offences.. There is research to suggest the trans gender women have the same pattern of offending as men and trans men have the same pattern of offending as women (I can provide a link if required)
I assume we are all adults on the Standards. We have a responsibility to safeguard women and girls.
BTW according to the report Darren has complained of trans gender harassment
Seems timely.
https://twitter.com/nanayasleeps/status/1433034533813751809
Is there evidence that US feminists have not and will not be opposing the abortion law?
Its not a matter of either /or
Luckily for transwomen they will never have to face the pain of an unwanted pregnancy or be barred from an abortion
Or experience a pregnancy through rape. The figure is estimated at 5% for fertile woman.
When I read that Texas wants to stop an abortion at 6 weeks I started to think of all the obstacles that this has.
"Or experience a pregnancy through rape. The figure is estimated at 5% for fertile woman"
Can you clarify what the second sentence means please?
There are many rapes of children under 12
And older women above 45
The 5% figure of pregnancy through rape is for one year alone in the US
“So, rape and consensual sex have the same pregnancy rate. This means that of those 64,080 US rapes in 2004-2005, minus the 15% of rapes that are of children under the age of 12 which gets us to 54,468 rapes of almost all reproductively-aged women, somewhere between 1,689 (3.1%) to 2,723 (5%) pregnancies from rape could have occurred in that year alone.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/context-and-variation/here-is-some-legitimate-science-on-pregnancy-and-rape/
Thanks, francesca. I understand now.
That is horrifying reading.
It was a 2012 study in the US and it used the term fertile women. Today the term being fertile to become pregnant would be used. I am not sure if there is a term for this.
Treetop why do we need to change the term? As much as people try to deny biology, only women can get pregnant right now. Perhaps in the future reproductive technology will change this, but now, women get pregnany.
many of us women feel insulted by the change in language, pregnant people, people who menstruate and not that the language is not changed for men, people who have prostates etc.
Except transmen and some non-binary trans people also can get pregnant.
You mean being biologically a female to conceive?
I meant precisely what I wrote.
Only if they have biologically female equipment.
For me it comes down to the groups who have the reproductive biology who are affected by pregnancy due to rape. This is why the access to abortion is important.
Thanks Treetop.
Transmen and some non-binary people will.
That is an important point Arkie…..as trans men have female biology.
Do I hear a defeaning silence of the issue of the transwomen in the Wi Spa and how this relates to a piece of legislation in NZ, which will allow the same scenario for women and female children?
Again I ask, where is the safeguarding of women and children.
I believe if Darren wasn't Trans, people would be outraged that a cis gender male was legally entitled to access a women's spa and be naked with his penis out….
And despite the proposed legislation the NZ media don't carry this story.
Male born women have more rights than female born women it seems
Yes, Arkie, indeed, biology will out, no matter which gender one thinks one is
gender =/= biology.
All trans people are deserving of protection from discrimination despite what some people may think of their identity.
This is called biological essentialism. Doesn't align well with protecting trans people from discrimination.
I am sorry that this may not be what trans women want, but I think there are ways of catering for them, that doesn’t impact biological women’s right as a group who are at risk for biological males patterns of offending and the biological advantages biological men have in sports
You are saying trans people should be excluded from areas that they legally have access to because of how you identify their gender. This is discriminatory.
https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-8-gender-and-sexuality/discrimination-based-on-sex-gender-or-sexual-orientation/access-to-shops-businesses-and-public-places/
You are completely misunderstanding me Arkie and I apologise for whatever my part is in that. I believe transgender people have absolute rights to be in public places such as cafes, shops businesses etc. Of course trans should have the same access to these places as all of us, and I haven't heard of anyone trying to keep them out, but if they have that is not o.k.
Did you know the Huma Rights Act section 43 allows for separate public facilities for each sex on the grounds of public safety and decency. section 49 of the human rights act spedifies separate categories in sport and schools and accommodation as well in some places of work e.g. female examinations (we have a right to request being examine by a women.
In this debate, womens rights are completely overlooked unless women on this site remind others about them.
If you consider the category of 'women' to exclude trans women then I can see how you might think that.
of course all people should have the same protections from discrimination
Not sure if you are trying to say gender equals biology
There we part company
People need different protections from discrimination because different people are discriminated against for different reasons.
Gender does not equal biology.
There have been several different feminist theories about how gender is constructed and performed.
So Arkie, do you have anything to say about protection for women and girls under gender self ID?
Women and girls are people too, so deserve protection from discrimination also. I disagree that gender self ID endangers that.
And yet the Wi Spa is a classic example of how gender self id does endanger women and girls.
When the women confronted the receptionist at the Wi Spa they said that its the law, they have to let trans gender women into the women's section.
Men are self id in the UK to get access to women's prisons and the same in the USA.
There is a huge issue going on in the US with sporting competitions at schools where transgender women are competing against biological women, winning medals and schlorships over biological women.There is a massive fight going on through the courts over trans women accessing female bathrooms and change rooms in schools. These are just a few examples.
Regarding Wi Spa.
It has a long history as a pro trans space. This is well known by the areas trans community.
The complainants online footprint is full of MAGA / Christian / anti-trans messaging.
The whole affair is akin to someone going to a nude beach and being aghast at seeing nudity.
This has been brought to your attention before.
It is a blatant attempt to destroy a pro-trans space and further the right wing culture wars.
The person in question looks to be a sex offender, but they are a single individual
You are drawing a very long bow and if we turn your argument around then I would feel comfortable stating that SUFW are all terfs.
Get it?
Probably not…
As a female, I protest against having biological male classified as female and my biololgy being seen as "it" in the process. Whether in a changing room, spa or any other venue where I want to be exclusively separated by biological gender. I and 50% of the population want to have a say in such matters.
This has nothing to do with what gender anybody wants choose to be the best fit for them for whatever reason but a lot with those who are identifying with their biology. Having to defend the right to privacy, space and rights of women (biological) seems very wrong to me.
Every person needs to feel safe and secure within their environment. Our laws secure this.
Transmen and some non-binary people will.
Politicians need to base abortion legislation on research and representation from all genders.
Cinder, a law that allows trans gender people to self ID opens up women's spaces to biological males. I believe most women are not comfortable with that and people should not be comfortable about biological males being naked in change rooms with girls or teenagers.
I am not right wing and neither are a lot of the women who object to allowing trans women into some spaces that have be previously preserved for biological women.
If Trans people want a pro trans space I would encourage them to seek it out, but at times biology matters and it matters a great deal.
A recent study in Ireland, where they have self ID has shown that most people object to transwomen using women only toilets.
The person looks to be a sex offender (Wi Spa) and the majority of sex offenders are men. The trouble for women is we can't tell the difference….. even with males we know well. So in a space where women and girls are particularly vulnerable i.e in a change room or a spa where people are naked, I believe we have got good reason to keep the space for biological women only.
These women at the Wi Spa were traumatized. Do you care about that? It sounds like victim blaming on your behalf "what were they expecting going into the wi spa. It is quite feasible these women didn't know or thought trans friendly meant something different from biological males in their spa space.
You can call me a terf or a Karen all you like. To me that suggests you don't have very good arguements.
You obviously missed the point.
It IS a pro-trans space.
Which you "claim" to support.
But you have allowed yourself to become a willing idiot of the right wing Christian bigots.
The complainant very obviously went there to be outraged. As I said, look at their digital footprint. This is the third time you have been told to look more deeply into the issue and you refuse to do so.
Nish Kumar has stated the problems with your logic more succinctly than I care to bother with.
"There are a lot of people, most of them cisgendered heterosexual men, who say things like ‘Oh, if you let trans women use women’s bathrooms then they’ll do sex attacks,'” he noted.
“Now there’s a few problems with that… firstly to be fair, they don’t say ‘do sex attacks’. Secondly, trans people are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual violence more so than they are the perpetrators of it by an unbelievably large amount.
“And thirdly, do you honestly think that if there’s someone out there willing to commit a sex attack… if there’s someone out there, regardless of their gender identity, who’s done the logical gymnastics required [to] perpetrate the worst thing one human can do to another – do you think they’re being put off by a sign on a door?”
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/24/nish-kumar-ricky-gervais-trans-comedy/
That's not obvious to me at all. But even if it were true, so what? The fact there was a man in the women-only space with his cock out remains unchanged by that.
Timely? Because there's reason to imagine feminists won't defend abortion rights in the USA? Or what? This person seems delusional.
so that is your only response Sasha? To divert from the issue and make it about what feminists aren’t doing. Btw you run the risk of looking like someone who is telling women what to do
if you go to SUFW website you can click on a tab and find out about activism theses women have been engaged in over many years as feminists, going back to the 70s including one woman who ran the SOSservice to get women to Australia who needed abortions as they were illegal at the time
Priorities, Karen.
Sacha referring to me as Karen makes it look like you have no good or compelling arguements as to why some spaces need to be keep for biological women…….
I decide my own priorities thank you.
Sorry I must have inadvertently unscrambled your username while working on other stuff and typing in a hurry. Then my internet connection went down.
Was just repeating the point of the tweet I posted as concisely as I could. I have nothing more to say to you on the topic. No point. I hope you find a better solution for your fear than restricting other people's right to live.
The Taliban Texans – more extreme and fundamentalist than the Taliban Afghans.
Given the size of Texas and the US, it is these American extremists who are more of a threat to the world than Afghanistan.
Read this dissenting Supreme Court judge's opinion here… it should wake us all up to what is continuing to unfold in this out-of-control nation… it is frightening… "bounty hunters" – akin to brown shirts…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/02/sonia-sotomayor-dissent-texas-abortion-ban-law-supreme-court
FBI stats on internal (us citizens) v external initiated terror incidents have shown for a long time what a fkd up place it is.
Abortion, anti govt (McVeigh), wacos etc
Victoria and NSW look like they are giving up on elimination now looking at containment and vaccination.
With vaccination Australia is using the Asra Zeneca and Pfizer Vaccines .The Pfizer vaccine has an 88% efficacy rate the Astra Zeneca around 60% efficacy so NZ's choice to stick with the Phizer vaccine is a very good choice .
Now if we don't eliminate we are in for a rough ride till Chistmas and will need to wait it out till we reach high vaccination rates and on top of that keep socially distancing ,wearing masks, and practising good hygiene habits.
School reopening for younger students could be delayed as trial results for vaccinating those 5 to 12 aren't expected till the end of October.
Our hospital system is not up to coping with any major outbreaks as it is already stretched
So my heart goes out to all those in Auckland you are doing the whole country proud.
Like Winston Churchill said we will fight this virus on the beaches in the supermarkets with our kiwi team spirit.
NSW costs everyone, Victoria shares an easily crossed border.
200+ days of lockdown in vain due to the weakest link….NSW.
We have a sporting chance if we don't give in and let the ockies in.
You obviously missed the point.
It IS a pro-trans space.
Which you "claim" to support.
But you have allowed yourself to become a willing idiot of the right wing Christian bigots.
The complainant very obviously went there to be outraged. As I said, look at their digital footprint. This is the third time you have been told to look more deeply into the issue and you refuse to do so.
Nish Kumar has stated the problems with your logic more succinctly than I care to bother with.
"There are a lot of people, most of them cisgendered heterosexual men, who say things like ‘Oh, if you let trans women use women’s bathrooms then they’ll do sex attacks,'” he noted.
“Now there’s a few problems with that… firstly to be fair, they don’t say ‘do sex attacks’. Secondly, trans people are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual violence more so than they are the perpetrators of it by an unbelievably large amount.
“And thirdly, do you honestly think that if there’s someone out there willing to commit a sex attack… if there’s someone out there, regardless of their gender identity, who’s done the logical gymnastics required [to] perpetrate the worst thing one human can do to another – do you think they’re being put off by a sign on a door?”
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/08/24/nish-kumar-ricky-gervais-trans-comedy/
I support trans gender women having their own spaces in certain settings that have been traditionally preserved for biological women, such as change rooms, prisons, sport etc. I guess it might be a bit like burglary. If you keep your doors locked that is one more obstacle the burglar has to deal with, but if the doors are open then opportunism may prevail.
I am aware of a study recently and I can post the link that sexual assaults offences are more likely to occur in unisex toilets, change rooms as was the case recently at an Ak gym. The guy managed to get a camera into the change room to film women.
In allowing biological males into our changes rooms you are giving carte blache for biological males to commit two illegal acts, vouyerism and exhibitionism. It is not just the threat of sexual assault women are afraid of. some women, teens are girls are quite modest in change rooms that are women only. Imagine what that will feel like for them with males who identify as females.
Not all men are rapists or sexual offenders. But trans women have the same sexual offending patterns as biological males. Trans men same as women.
As I have said earlier when I am called a Karen or a "willing idiot of the Christian right" it just confirms for me that your arguements aren’t that great. Playing the woman not the ball. No matter
Your reading comprehension isn't that great is it.
Where have I called you a Karen?
Once again, look at the complainant in the Wi Spa. You are being used. It IS a trans space.
The man in the Auckland gym was NOT posing as a woman. He also filmed men. He also filmed a couple having sex in the changing rooms.
Any complaints about the couple having sex in the changing room?
No one is given carte blanche for their crimes, they can still be prosecuted.
the women at the wi spa were shocked and traumatised to see a male with his penis out, who turns out to be a sex offender, in their space. I saw the video and the young Asian women filmed, who was asking for her money back, looked shocked and uncomfortable IMO. The wi spa cannot have made it clear enough to these women that in the woman’s section, they could expect to see biological males.
Twice? Once, thank you. And I explained it was a moment of neurodiversity. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Ok well Sacha, I get we can all make mistakes. All I said was I would prefer it if people did use these terms.
But I accept your apology and that it was a geniune mistake.
And for tongiht I am happy to let Foreign Waka have the final work, unless others comment.
And sure no worries if you don't want to engage in this debate.
The MSM are not doing there job in reporting on this legislation and my opinion is it is being introduced by stealth. So I want to high light the problematic nature of the legislation.
You know, there is a point of no return. Biological women are by nature designed in a certain way. Those who identify with this want their space, their rights and their privacy where it fits. If someone, anyone decides to say they are a different gender, its all good. But please don't march into a changing room etc. pretending that everybody else has to "just go with it". Sorry, no. By taking away the right of every other person will not by default make one persons right of expression valid to override everybody else.
Lets say on the basis of rights: If you enter a room of non smokers and light a cigarette what do you think that a/ the response will be and b/ will the argument of acceptance by default by identifying with some of the people in the room being smokers, stick? Who is right?
Pre-emptive apologies for sending anyone to a rag like the Daily Mail – but this story on suicide rates reducing during Covid lockdown comes as no surprise. From memory our own data showed a similar result. Yet we still hear constantly about how lockdown is bad for mental health. Obviously there are mental health effects that fall short of actual suicide, so you could argue that more study is required to see if the same reduction is true across the full range of mental distress.
We're now awaiting convincing hypotheses to explain it. Personally I'm taking it as an indicator that not going to work (or at least conventional, non-autonomous, employer-dominated work), while still having financial security, might be good for us.
At work we are finding the mental toll pretty high and putting a lot of time and resource into it.
It's somewhat better now that most of us can work either at Level 3 or as essential workers.
We brought in Mike King and the other construction mental health providers in May, and some of those disciplines are helping.
I think suicide rates often fall during periods of recession, though often with contrary high profile anecdotes.
I put that down to giving people something external to focus on (worry about) over their personal issues.
So, best theory i've heard raises lack of opportunity. I'll explain as best I can but wont be as eloquent as it was put to me by a specialist in the field.
In essence many who are suicidal esp Teens and Men with children really dont want to 'hurt' their families in such close proximity which is essentially what lockdown provides hence you get a drop in suicide amongst these groups.
Yes, our own numbers were down, slightly.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/new-zealand-s-suicide-rate-drops-to-three-year-low.html
Three egregious examples of linguistic crime.
(This is a Daisycutter Sports Inc. language alert for Friday 3/9/21.)
1.) Yesterday afternoon, RNZ news covered a man who escaped from MIQ. The newsreader informed listeners that "the man's family reported them missing…"
2.) At today's 1 p.m. briefing, Grant Robertson informed the nation about the payments for the wage subsidy scheme. He burbled: "The criteria is the same…"
3.) The 6 p.m. TVNZ news report on this afternoon's tragic incident at Lynnmall included this gem: "They were an individual known to the police."
Compiled by Serena Sopwith-Fotherington, for Daisycutter Sports Inc.
Evolving language threatens some people.
That wasn't evolution when Grant Robertson used the word criteria wrongly, that was carelessness or ignorance.
And whatever drove those hapless slaves at RNZ to use such absurd pronouns–“the man’s family reported them missing”, for pity’s sake—it certainly was not evolution; it was no doubt a directive from RNZ management—the same people who have instigated news updates and station promos on the half-hour.
Young people are already using 'them' and 'they' regularly. It may threaten older people, like all language change does.
Young people are already using 'them' and 'they' regularly.
Wrong. Young people use those pronouns in the clear and unambiguous way that they've always been used. The only people who use "them" or "they" to refer to one person are those who have been instructed by managers to do so. People like newsreaders at Radio New Zealand.
It may threaten older people, like all language change does.
What "language change" are you talking about? The vast majority of people want their communications to be clear and unambiguous, and they employ the clear and unambiguous words that make that possible.
https://www.renews.co.nz/gen-z-are-way-less-likely-to-be-straight/
Morrisey, really shocking about the attack. I hope everyone injuried recovers well.
And yes, I agree about egregious examples of linguistic crime.
A clanger for me was when Ashley Bloomfield talked about pregnant people
Did you not agree with me up thread that trans men and non-binary people can also be pregnant?
"women, trans men and non-binary people"
It's not hard to be inclusive.
Or; pregnant people.
Because that phrase already includes all those people?
What's wrong with "women, trans men and non-binary people"? It's inclusive of all, I'm curious what problem you see with using that?
Nothing's wrong with it, and I don't see a problem with using it, but I also don't see a problem with a health official at a national health briefing using "pregnant people" for brevity or whatever. Language is good like that.
here's the problem.
Nearly all 'pregnant people' are women who see themselves as women. A small percentage are uncomfortable with the term women and want to use something else. That is their right. But taking away women's right to our own language in order to support a small group of people with gender dysphoria* just doesn't make sense. Why would we support one group to have their needs met but not the other? Some women don't care. Many do.
In health care it's particularly important because public health messaging works best when it meets people culturally. If you remove women's language and don't engage with women in ways that work for them, you lessen public health. This is exactly why trans people also need appropriately framed public health messaging (and many other groups).
It's weird that women are having this actively removed at the same time as it's being actively increased for other groups. We also know that the same removal isn't happening to men. Whether that's a matter of time or sexism, or both, it's still telling.
I didn't see what AB said, so this is a general comment, not about his wording/context.
* people without GD who want such huge social change for other personal reasons need to step up and make the political argument.
Thank you Weka
You articulate so well the concerns of many women, myself included, you're fair, empathetic and informed
Is this what's actually happening here really?
If your support and respect for trans people ends when you feel like you're 'needs' aren't being met, because of the use of the term 'pregnant people', then that probably says enough.
It's a hypocrisy to support trans rights via a certain mechanism and deny that to women at the same time. Unless one believes that women's rights are secondary, in which case it becomes less hypocrisy and more misogyny.
"Is this what's actually happening here really?"
Yes, this is happening. Women are being told to stop using words specific to being female. It's happening in organisations, public health, and in social settings. Lesbians get banned from lesbian dating apps for saying female only. Women get banned from FB groups for using terms like 'lady parts'. Online health websites remove women's language and replace it with gender neutral, but men's health issues still talk about male bodies. Women get cancelled for insisting on talking about female bodies. Women get called transphobic for talking about their periods.
Menstruators, chest feeders, uterus havers, there are lots of words in use now that describe women in the most reductionist and dehumanising terms. Women are objecting and here you are arguing that we're being unfair to trans people.
There are lots of examples now. If you are unaware of this, please educate yourself.
What is happening here is that I was confused why a commenter could agree that transmen and NB people also can and do get pregnant and give birth and still find 'pregnant people' to be a problem. Women, transmen and NB people are all equally included in the term 'pregnant people', there's no hierarchy in that collective noun, and I certainly find it baffling that 'people' is considered dehumanising; humans are people, people are human!?
Baffling.
As I have said up thread if you think the category of 'women' and 'womens rights' exclude transwomen then I can see how you would feel that way.
Ok, so you believe that 'pregnant people' is a good term to use despite the problems pointed out about that. You haven't addressed those problems, just reiterated that you personally find the term good.
That you don't see a problem doesn't mean there isn't one.
And yes, many women, probably most, don't believe that trans women are literally women and will reject the idea when it is explained fully. Most women also want trans women to be ok in society, so this isn't a transphobic position, it's a position that recognises the conflict between trans rights and women's rights.
This yougov poll looked at various aspects of trans people in society and how British attitudes. Not the bottom section.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2020/07/16/where-does-british-public-stand-transgender-rights
Equally that you see a problem doesn't mean there is one. Language allows us to use multiple words and phrases to mean the same thing.
I am well aware of your objections, they have often be reiterated at length on this very forum, and the calls to educate yourself go both ways. To keep it relevant to NZ:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/111011211/transgender-rights-debate-separating-the-facts-from-the-fiction
True, but I'm not relying on my own belief, it's *very easy to see large numbers of women saying it's not ok to remove our language to describe ourselves. Further, I've explained the reasons, which you seem to be ignoring.
What do you think I should be educating myself on specifically?
It's not just my belief that "pregnant people" includes all people who can become or are pregnant though, it's what the words literally mean! It's your belief there are problems with using the term "pregnant people", that you may see it reinforced by others doesn't stop it from being an opinion. No-one in this thread, least of all me, has said you aren't able to describe yourself however you like using whatever language you want, just pointing out nongendered collective nouns exist and mean the same thing as their synonyms!
A lot of women object to the changes in language that are being imposed on them.
People who menstruate, chest feeders, birthing units, pregnanat people.
How come its o.k. for Trans people to insist we all use their language, pro nouns etc, but when we don't like the changes that are being made that's o.k.?
Many women find it insulting to be referred to as a pregnant person…..
Those women aren't the only people being referred to as a pregnant person though; as discussed, trans men and non-binary people can and do give birth, so, to be inclusive, the term pregnant people is used.
Science says you are wrong. Again…
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19155947/
that is very interesting. The number of people who have capacity to produce Ova and Sprem is infitestamly small. Seem only 11 reported out of what 7 billon people. I couldn't access the full article, but assume she had a uterus to carry the child. People born with mixed sexed charateristics can usually fall more readily into male or female.
She was referred to as a mother and she produced an ova.
There will always be aberations in science. The exception that proves the rule.
Your lack of understanding of this means dialogue with you is pointless.
So far you have missed the point Wi Spa is a trans space. A place for trans people. Women are welcome there, but need to understand its a trans space instead of kicking off when they encounter a trans individual.
Now you have seen a scientific study and assumed the sample size was every person on the planet.
That's truly astonishingly dumb.
As Sasha said, keep living in fear. But try and be better.
These people are not the threat you think they are.
I do not want anyone to live in fear – they tend to harm other people that way. But peace takes work.
One of the few international studies done show that Trans women have the same pattern of offending as men.
I don't believe Trans women are all preditors at all. The problem for women is we can't tell which men are safe and which aren't.
Bloomfield was not talking about a specific person.
A lot of women object to the changes in language that are being imposed on them. We are being required to change our language but many us what to keep our language because ithe changes are de-humanizing and decontructs what it means to be a women.
People who menstruate, chest feeders, birthing units, pregnanat people.
How come its o.k. for Trans people to insist we all use their language, pro nouns etc, but when we don't like the changes that are being made that's o.k.?
Your lack of understanding of this means dialogue with you is pointless.
So far you have missed the point Wi Spa is a trans space. A place for trans people. Women are welcome there, but need to understand its a trans space instead of kicking off when they encounter a trans individual.
Now you have seen a scientific study and assumed the sample size was every person on the planet.
That's truly astonishingly dumb.
As Sasha said, keep living in fear. But try and be better.
These people are not the threat you think they are.
Your lack of understanding of this means dialogue with you is pointless.
So far you have missed the point Wi Spa is a trans space. A place for trans people. Women are welcome there, but need to understand its a trans space instead of kicking off when they encounter a trans individual.
Now you have seen a scientific study and assumed the sample size was every person on the planet.
That's truly astonishingly dumb.
As Sasha said, keep living in fear. But try and be better.
These people are not the threat you think they are.
If thats the case (Wi spa being a trans space,) I'm puzzled why they would need to record trans people using the space
A local LGBTQ+ paper reported that a spa employee said there were no trans patrons with appointments that day, leading some to question whether the incident was staged.
Patrons would have to disclose they were trans ? In their own space?
Your lack of being able to acknowledge or having any concept that in certain setting biological sex matters. That in the NZ Human Rights Act 1993, they specidfically state that public facilities should be kept separate for the sexes to preserve public decency and safety. There are other clauses in the act around sport schooling and accommodation that allow and preserve seperate spaces for women.
I have heard no empathy from you for the women and girls in the Wi Spa who saw the trans sex offender expose himself. All I have heard from you is its a trans space. Interestingly Darrens defence was he was being harrrassed for being Trans.
The study on hermaphrodites giving birth is about people who are now called intersex. The incidence of people who have both female and male genitalia is rare and is not what this debate is about. I am talking about males who identitfy as women.
I don't think anyone would think it is appropriate for a man to be in changing room naked with him penis out around women and girls (sex offender or not). This is what this thread started off about.
Saying I am "astonishingly dumb" is yet again another insult you have used towards me. As I said before when I get these insults when I discuss this issue, mostly I see it as a sign of poor arguement from the commenters who oppose my view. I have never had these insults before on The Standard. No matter.
"Keep living in fear". Yes biological women often live in fear. Fear of walking alone, day and night, fear of finding oneself alone in a toilet or change room. We are smaller in statue, have less muscle mass and women know that most biological males could easily over powered them. Males are unlikely to fully appreciate this.
That in the NZ Human Rights Act 1993, they specidfically state that public facilities should be kept separate for the sexes to preserve public decency and safety.
No it doesn't. It says that they can be not that they should be.
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0082/60.0/DLM304617.html
What do you think "sall not prevent the maintenance of separate facilities etc mean Solkta.
What do you think it means that trans activists argue for the use for example of women only faciities specifically change rooms for trans women?
FFS it is written in English and i have already said. But i will spell it out since you struggle so.
Section 42 says that you can't exclude people from spaces that are open to the public. Section 43 contains the exceptions to Section 42. So if i am operating a spa and i have separate facilities for each sex then i am not in breach of section 42. If i don't have separate facilities for each sex then i am also not in breach of section 42.
So, as i said, the Act does not as you claim state that public facilities should be kept separate for the sexes but rather that they can be.
Point taken. So they can be kept separate and many many women want it that way.
I hope Trans women will respect that and find ways to have things work o.k. for them
Cinder, there is absolutely nothing on the LA Wi Spa website that suggests it is a fundamentally trans space where women are welcome but need to understand its a trans space .
They talk of dedicated Womens and Mens spaces, so what gives you the idea Wi Spa is foremost a trans space , rather than a space which is legally required to admit trans people?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/anti-trans-video-los-angeles-protest-wi-spa
The link for above including the quote from the LGBQT magazine