There's a few ways to authenticate homelessness but it's probably better to authenticate a fake, as the homeless receive enough bashing from the fearful lately. In the US in some parts it is illegal to feed them. Cops are forced to bully their fellow man out of town. The authorities and those backing them merely cowards.
Cowards? – COWARDS!
"Lot of homelessness. It's confronting. Like that. Snap. Your life's fucked. A divorce, an illness, a mental illness, an accident… Some stupid decision or a cruel twist of fate. It could be us – they are us. You can't hate on the homeless, man. That's not hate, it's fear."
So we find cons have infiltrated this sector of society to bleed funds. That's no surprise the thieving self-entitled infiltrate every strata of society. Theirs is not a stratified world, it is a free for all. These people are no worse than the Hisco's of the world and do a lot less financial damage. Also reprehensible bastards: like the Hisco's of the world.
Fake homeless? Look for:
cleanliness
orderliness
refusal of food offering
sole operator/s (no feral mates in vicinity)
polished story (or laminated placard…)
If you live on the streets: you know the street people, and they know you.
I'm not sure if our beat cops have regular routes? Community Constables are/were in some areas and their ties with community strengthen over time. They'd quickly spot new transients on their beat, and in a relatively short space of time the veracity of their claims. In addition to this a familiar authority figure allows lines of communication to be set up over time with folks whose mistrust of strangers is very high.
Be wary of the tired right-wing schtick bashing all homeless as con-artists and ne'er-do-wells. They are our housing crisis in bold relief. They are a mental health system that is failing us. They are a welfare system run by accountants. They are the fallout of domestic and political violence.
"We ate fungi, watercress, seafood, rustled sheep, pilfered fruit, garden raids, dumpster diving and homeless handouts. We never thought about how we were homeless, we were surviving. Mental health, abuse, alcoholism, addiction, abandonment. It was all there, and it was all intertwined. We absolved ourselves with three Fuck You's and a bottle of grog."
I am deeply suspicious of this articles motives. You only have to view their front page to see where their loyalties lie. No effort to distinguish who is who. Just 'raising awareness' of a con that's been going on since Christ.
I have always considered the role of Community Constables to be of immense importance for the reasons you have mentioned above (and many other reasons), but these roles seem to have diminished to almost the point of extinction in most cities at least. We still have a couple in Wellington (I think) but you don't hear about them nearly as much as in the past.
There is plenty of homeless bashing etc – "get them of our streets", "they are an embarrassment", "they harass tourists" etc – but here in Wellington we also still have a number of good support services still available such as the City Mission, the men's Night Shelter, Soup Kitchen etc. Wellington City Council also now employs a group of Local Hosts whose job is to:
assist the public and visitors to the city
support Police on the street, particularly at night
liaise with retailers, bar and restaurant staff
keep an eye out for what's going on
report safety hazards, graffiti, or issues with city infrastructure.
As part of their daily routine, these Local Hosts also walk the beat talking to and checking on the homeless, and reporting back to the Outreach Team, who provide support to people who are homeless or who are on the fringes of homelessness.
I am not suggesting that these services are nearly enough, a lot more could and should be done but this is at least something by the local council aimed at making connections and offering some level of support.
I wonder who the people were? It says Chinese, but people from Asian countries could all be Chinese who had settled there, so from many countries. Or they could be Asians being labelled Chinese. I wonder if they begged in China, what treatment they would receive? They could be very poor people given the chance of getting money for their family back home, and not have much say in what they do in Australia.
It appears that there is plenty of money in Oz, so why can't they accept more of the refugees that turn up penniless and without hope where they came from? And why chuck NZs out because some of them have been petty crims? They wouldn't be any different percentages than for the working class Australians.
Imagine a pathogen so cunning that it created not only sick people, but also people who looked sick but actually weren't. And also imagine that the imitation was so good that doctors couldn't tell the difference consistently, and ended up withholding treatment from the actually sick people.
We'd be shaking our heads at the highly evolved cruelty of this pathogen. But we'd know what to call it – "capitalism"
In India kids are trained to be beggars and with sometimes young bodies are being deliberately damaged to look the part, and in they go in coordinated teams to beg especially from tourists. Around the corner waits the "boss" perhaps in the comfort of his car.
There is some truth to this. Opportunists (aka capitalists) – guess what – they seize on opportunities. A buck to be made often outweighs any moral imperative – if it was ever there to begin with.
Some countries are still full of land mines – and thus amputees. Should we abandon all in case they've tricked us out of a few bucks – while bankers steal billions?
There are also reports of parents who maim the child. This is a world we can barely grasp let alone understand. I've known more hardship than you've had hot dinners, and I am stunned by the lengths some are driven to.
What level of hardship brings such practice about?
What level of psychopathy is prevalent in (the society and) the capitalists who use such hardship to capitalise?
We can't even imagine that world, but we sure like to judge it.
We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…
We need better opportunities and less opportunists. A systemic overhaul from top to bottom.
Btw @ WtB…..no truer comment ever spoken! (especially the "……..we sure like to judge it".
AND the next bit as well: "We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…"
We actually have/or have had till recently, people in our civil service who couldn't tell the difference between a Muslim or a Sikh, or indeed a Hindu or a Christian with a sweat band! They're all bloody "rag" or "onion heads" to them. (I've heard it first hand! Nor can they tell the difference between arranged marriages and forced marriages; or scam relationships and the genuine; or exploiters and the exploited – LET ALONE why and how it's all become normalised.
As a Koiwoi, I feel the shame at our allowing it all to happen, and worse still why we're so bloody slow to fix it – even when a few simple things could be done tomorrow
Depends entirely where you are. Large cities with extreme poverty. In many rural areas and smaller cities and downs, if parents or anyone else got caught doing this, they'd be driven out of town – possibly worse
The pressure to survive causes some people to kill elephants. Others use their kids to beg and maybe live another day. Hard to imagination in our country but there must be some families who feel totally helpless.
Unbelievable that the government was considering bailing out Westland Milk Products if the Yili sale failed…
ffs, corporate welfare and bailouts for big capital, just like the global financial crisis where those that caused the problem got bailed out…. what a fikkin' yoke
rinse and repeat
save big capital, shit on the little people
is about time big capital had some of its ownership and rights peeled away if it expects little people to save it all the time
The problem with your analysis is that Westland Milk Products is not a "Capitalist" organisation as the word is normally interpreted. It isn't "big capital" at all. If it was it could have survived.
It is a co-operative. As such it finds it very difficult to raise more capital if it is required. A normal firm can issue new shares to people who are willing to buy them. A co-operative like this one can't. They can only raise money by withholding it from the payout to their suppliers. That means all of them equally, rather than selling new shares to willing buyers.
Anyone who believes that co-op's are the way to go should keep that fact in mind. They can crash very easily.
But they seem to be able to access bank loan, "capital" even to pay "unearned" dividends, or for share buy backs.
The banks attitude to co-ops, and indeed many small businesses, when they can lend at far less risk, on speculative land, appears to be part of the problem.
An argument to revive a State "development bank".
Looking at North Dakota, where local banks have been legislated to serve the community, not the other way around.
Thor, the scandinavian storm god, rarely features in local politics and culture here – despite escalating climate change. News that Stuff got rapped over the knuckles for connecting him to the Chch mosque massacre is a bit of a surprise.
Perhaps time's a-coming when burnt offerings to Thor will be used by coastal folk to ward off tornadoes coming in from the Tasman. Magical thinking has been resisting attempts by the upstart, rationality, to dislodge its hegemony for several centuries now. Ramp up those barbies, you westies!
Enjoyable read. When we can't achieve anything because of sloth from fellow human beings, and the might and power of the Wealth-Cult not willing to do anything that can't produce a profit, then it will be good to have gatherings where we can offer prayers and offerings, exchange ideas for coping, have some songs and fermented stuff, and give and get some hugs and handshakes. Not a bad idea.
So National are aiding criminals, their leave it to market ideology, let private charity keep the homeless fed. General welfare, homes to live in, and if we don't, Chinese gangs fait homelessness! begging is now a income! Thanks National. Suppose we put them in jail at considerable cost. GDP spikes up. Wow what a unimaginable cretinous ideology.
foreign media have reported information showing our sub-humane mass murderer seems to be more connected ………… than our 'lone wolf ' media would have you believe …
Who knows what is behind the lack of NZ reporting on this support network of his ….but he was friendly with the fascists our Govt and the west supports. .,…
links have emerged between the shooter and a Ukrainian ultra-nationalist, white supremacist paramilitary organisation called the Azov Battalion. The shooter’s manifesto alleges that he visited the country during his many travels abroad, and the flak jacket he wore during the assault featured a symbol commonly used by the Azov Battalion.
during the massacre he donned the SS wolf’s hook symbol used by the right wing paramilitary group Azov Battalion
The Azov Battalion is emerging as a critical node in the transnational right-wing violent extremist (RWE) network. This group maintains its own “Western Outreach Office” to help recruit and attract foreign fighters that travel to train and connect with people from like-minded violent organisations from across the globe.
In the US, several RAM members (all American citizens) who spent time in Ukraine training with the Azov Battalion were recently indicted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for their role in violently attacking counter protesters during the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Known as a bastion of neo-Nazism, Ukraine’s Azov Battalion has received teams of American military advisors and high powered US-made weapons.
His passport should have raised red flags …. Afghanistan ,Pakistan, turkey, Israel …. Bulgarian intelligence said he was reported to have visited Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Croatia in December 2016.
France, Spain and Portugal.
north fucking Korea ???
The blend of such considerable travel activity while stockpiling a cache of semi-automatic firearms with a digital footprint espousing his extremist views online makes the likelihood that [deleted] managed to remain under the radar of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) difficult to believe.
A secret review of the failings of Jihadi Rebecca Kitteridge .and our blind five white eyes cyber spooks will be a white wash
Cheers WTB ,,,, Although I agree with the media blackout of any fame towards our subhuman civilian murderer …. It could also play into the hands of any cover up.
He did have a media profile … on the non encrypted open web….. yet he seems to have been looked at with a blind eye and deaf ear…. But then again I suppose its not just us
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
They train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.
The death threat against Winston also takes on a higher threat level ….. still low, but no longer at the level of being a mocking or laughing matter from National party supporters.
It's particularly despicable bringing children in to this but that is the MO – influencing susceptible minds to their nonsense. A sound mind aint wearing a bar of it. Then there's all the patriotic idiotic chest thumping and imaginary threat assessments to continue the lie they're all victims…
Same shit the wannabe Nazi's here do, only the weaponry is not so prevalent.
Apparently I am a RACE TRAITOR! The marrees are gonna get us!
But really, they are delusional dim-witted shitheels. Any with half a clue are there for the money/ties, not the beer soaked chanting sessions. Unfortunately now very dangerous with social media lending them a distorted echo chamber to validate their moronic views, and the ability to network with purely evil players and finance.
Capitalism's new toy. Nationalism – and the sociopaths it attracts.
The Christchurch shooter was not simply a lone actor, but the product of a broader network of right-wing violent extremists. If the evidence ultimately proves that ******* went to Ukraine to train with like-minded individuals, then the attack in New Zealand was possibly the first example of an act of terrorism committed by a white supremacist foreign fighter. And unless the international community recognizes the danger posed by these transnational networks, the New Zealand attack is unlikely to be the last.
Personally I think the truth is somewhere in the middle between "lone wolf" and "a white supremacist foreign fighter" … Arse covering in a secret Nz investigation ….does not encourage me that we will get the full truth.
our media is shit …. and it seems you get better more informative reporting on NZ …. from overseas sources
Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.
It would be to Russia advantage to demonise the Ukraine. So, I'd take all this with a grain of salt considering how much fake news spews out of Russia.
People on the internet are quite happy to tell lies about what symbols people are wearing or making.
Responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jews, Poles and Russians during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian fascism was rehabilitated and its "new wave" hailed by the enforcer as "nationalists".
This reached its apogee in 2014 when the Obama administration splashed out $5 billion on a coup against the elected government. The shock troops were neo-Nazis known as the Right Sector and Svoboda. Their leaders include Oleh Tyahnybok, who has called for a purge of the "Moscow-Jewish mafia" and "other scum", including gays, feminists and those on the political left.
was functioning as Britain First’s official page and had more than 7,300 followers, with Golding posting pictures from a “Britain First defenders” training day and telling people to “pray for churches” in response to the Christchurch mosque shooting.
"From the late 1980s, when privatisation took hold and many state forests were sold to private enterprise, even those exotic forests that had been planted to stabilise highly erodible landscapes were sold, and harvested. In regions like the East Coast, with some of the most fragile soils in the world, this led to devastating erosion, choking rivers and coastlines with sediment and slash, flooding, and ruining farmland."
"In 1988, after Cyclone Bola ravaged the region, more exotic forests were planted in an effort to stabilise the land, and these are now also being harvested, with predictably disastrous effects, as we saw in Tolaga Bay last year. That kind of planting is still going on."
Adapt to survive thinking cannot enter heads if business & govt planners continue to ignore the changing world around them. Relevant ministers need to signal a change of course to all involved.
"In New Zealand, almost all silvicultural research, expertise and commercial forestry is devoted to exotic, short-rotation monocultures, despite the devastating environmental impacts seen in regions such as the East Coast, Coromandel, Northland and Marlborough. Back in the 1950s, on the other hand, countries like Germany realised that 'close to nature' silviculture, based on indigenous mixed forests, with no clear felling, little spraying and an emphasis on natural regeneration, was a smart alternative to exotic plantation forests. Today almost three quarters of German forests are in mixed stands, with an emphasis on biodiversity and soil enrichment."
Perhaps Britain needs to get a supply of guillotines from the French and systematically start chopping off the heads of the crazies who try to run the country …into the ground. Reading Ellis Peters and the Cadfael series of the 12th century they were eternally fighting between themselves – two contenders Stephen and cousin Maud – or with the Norman French I think. Eight centuries later we still haven't got things sussed. But there is a difference, we haven't got eight centuries left to bugger around, fail, try again,,,,in endless iteration. WW2 was the extreme example of this, we didn't learn from it except use modern technology to make better trebuchets.
The bloody elites are only happy when other people's blood is being spilled. There have been recent comments about the USA elite getting their waivers from serving in their Forces. I suppose it is the same in the UK though the Royal men do take part in soldiering, flying etc.
But learning how to live and let live sustainably, that hasn't happened and the well educated UK parliament haven't learned how to do that so they think they will start a new wave of trials and failures as if they have centuries of stable climate, resources and demographics ahead of them.
Just bloody disgraceful that Britain would renew tensions and not seek viable agreements. They haven't the strength of mind and body to show the finger to the USA, who are so off-compass that they will fall over the Rim soon. (TP Discworld people will have a better grasp of political maneouvering than the well-paid pollies. Their payment system gives the wrong signals – they should be paid on good results that lead to a happy working nation.)
Morrissey You seem to be getting into the hard stuff when it comes to criticism. You might have to limit your spleen Breen, for the sake of maintaining a healthy mind, too much negativity dumbs down others or makes everyone unhappy. Try singing Bobby McFerrin at least once a day, he is being both satirical and realistic:
Fair comment, my friend, but I would remind you that this fellow "Andre" attacked—not criticized, simply attacked—one of the few decent politicians in the western world, and called her supporters "convergence moonbats". I merely challenged his complacent and dishonest post, and reminded him that he is not going to get away with such inflammatory nonsense on this forum.
[I cannot see the “attack” @ 9 on “one of the few decent politicians in the western world”, which is simply your opinion. You did not “merely challenge[d]” but posted some of your own “inflammatory nonsense” @ 9.1. Please do not start flame wars on this site – Incognito]
It’s a facile concept, desperately posited by the suffering survivors of the doomed Clinton campaign of 2016. Another version of it is the “horseshoe theory.”
Been there done that editing a community paper. Then went on the 'last great drinking jag' culminating in hospitalisation and loss of job.
I'm a shocker myself at times with overly emotive language. It can just flow aye. Folks here have been instrumental in helping me rein it in, which ultimately helps me be a better communicator.
The message is lost when ears are burning.
Sometimes I find it nigh on impossible to turn it off. Misinformation especially deliberate gets the blood boiling.
Agree, Bleeple. I know I write better when I discipline myself, and cut back on the abuse.
Keep up your writing, by the way—I've enjoyed your little vignettes of Wellington bowery life—shades of George Gissing, Geoff Cochrane, and Charles Bukowski!
I did wonder about convergence moonbats – what are those, and why is he so qualified to throw soubriquets around so freely? (I had to look up google for that one – love these odd words. Sounds like small bricks in French and fits the niche well!) Bobby McFerrin is great. And i use him to lighten me quite often, have to follow my own advice!
She's an intelligent and gracious Democrat who has, like anyone with a brain, expressed grave skepticism about the decision of the Democratic "leadership" to pursue this mad fantasy of Russian meddling. That is, by itself, enough for her to incur the hatred and enmity of Nancy Pelosi and her cronies.
She has also pointed out there is no evidence to support the insistence of the Democratic “leadership” that Syrian government forces, and not the U.S.-backed Al Nusra and Al Qaeda terrorists, used chemical weapons.
Tulsi Gabbard is a pro-military, pro-droning, pro-hindu-nationalist, pro-authoritarian, ok with torture, homophobic (historically at least) Representative from Hawaii who holds social positions now fairly common within the Democrats such as $15 minimum wage. She's twigged to the idea that mouthing a few anti-interventionist words is sufficient to attract loud and blinkered support from a few vocal enthusiasts (including the likes of David Duke, Richard Spencer, Steve Bannon etc) that happily blind themselves to her unsavory positions on other topics. She got a massive poll boost from her debate performance, lifting her from 0.6% support all the way to 0.7%.
Marianne Williamson is indeed "a flake, insubstantial as hell" as the mozzie aptly described her. She's apparently some sort of anti-vax New Age self-help guru that has worked for Oprah, and is running as a Democratic candidate for president. Although it's in no way apparent why, as she doesn't seem to have any ideas or even opinions around most topics a president has to deal with. Currently sitting around 0.2% in polling.
I would have thought the residual “crystal energy” set would still have been quite a lot larger than 0.2% of Dems, but hey, maybe they’re a lot more pragmatic and holistic in choosing who to support.
Hey Andre, I know it's too early but are you forming any impression of a likely winner emerging from the rather nondescript pack of contenders?
Warren seems to have said a few intelligent things in the past, yet was apparently unimpressive in recent performance, and Sanders likewise failed to impress in the debate. If you feel picking a winner at the stage is too much like going out on a limb, I agree, just wondering if the Dems are competing to underwhelm the third of the electorate who are non-aligned…
Looks to me like Bernie and Biden are running on their set-in-stone ideas and reputations locked in over their decades of service, and that's starting to show to an electorate that's moved past what they have to offer. They're both dropping in the polls, and I don't think either has the mental flexibility anymore to turn it around.
At the moment it looks to me like it's between Warren and Harris. Warren offers preparation and plans and enough experience in DC to prove she can get things done, but is sadly a bit dry and boring, professorial even, to be really broadly appealing and inspiring.
Whereas Harris is more dynamic, better able to react accurately on the fly, enough government experience to be credible, but on the downside there are things in her backstory that a determined troll campaign could blow out of proportion to smear her.
Buttigieg is the dark horse running the outside lane, but it's hard to see him having enough on his own merits to come through unless all four ahead of him crash and burn.
Interesting that you don't rate Beto. A while back I saw videos of him performing quite well, enough to work a crowd successfully, but I gather he didn't impress in the debate. Wouldn't rule out a tactical move toward caution explaining that. Allow others to get front-runner status, come from behind in a late run.
If I was a wealthy bank-roller of the Democrats, I'd give them all intensive media training. Problem with the primadonna syndrome is you get contenders who don't believe they need it. However that just polishes any gloss. What the Democrats really need is better ideas – particular those likely to trigger the zietgiest.
My impression of Beto is his backstory and the things he likes to talk about are a good fit for representing Texas interests in the Senate. But he doesn't seem to have much to show he's up to the challenge of grabbing leadership of the country and steering it in a new direction.
There is no debate. There is inaction borne of both greed and fear from authorities though. You see this a lot with new disruptive technologies – decision makers wracked with indecision and too scared or unwilling to govern.
You've pinned this nasty boring insect Airbub which with uber is a new disruptive technology that will steal our very lives if we don't control them.
White anting a society and its forms of work and mutuality that is what they do. And the government has been blackmailed by the uncaring c-off to let them get on with whatever they want to do, squeeze us till it hurts, and then sell our blood. Sound OTTT, the examples are there and will increase.
`But is it? The people staying in the $600 a week AirBnbs need to stay somewhere, the motels etc aren't exactly empty. If it is all long term rentals accessed through AirBnb it must be for people who need long term accommodation with out paying rapacious bloody "letting agents " their huge cuts. Maybe the hysteria is being fueled by these self same ethnicly bypassed letting agents fucked off with missing out on their cut. Even the language and media manipulation has all the hallmarks of a professional PR bullshit campaign.
Take into account also how much of the take is individual rooms for a day or so in private houses, which would not be available for long term tenancies anyway. We use AirBnB and meet some interesting locals and get a good take on local conditions. For older superannuitants or young couples trying to buy their own home or even a bit of spare income to help out with the kids AirBnb is a small Godsend for people to help them out .
In Muttonbird's 2nd link is a snapshot of the Airbnb scene in New York. 57% of listings are for the entire home. 53% of listings let for 60 days or more a year.
In the coastal Far North an Airbnb/Bookabach etc property returns about a third of the income when compared to letting the property to a long-term tenant. The overheads take a big hike if going the Airbnb route. Admin, power, internet, water, gas, garden maint, providing linen, laundry, cleaning, sundries (shampoo, toilet paper etc). Little recourse for damage or theft and doubled management costs.
The main advantage is that owners can continue to enjoy the holiday house. Few people want to know about a stay in the Far North for about 7 months of the year. Airbnb returns seem stronger when centrally located in our major centres.
I don't blame Airbnb operators for trying to get the best return they can on their assets. Is this not something we all do? I'm after the best price I can get when I'm flogging off unused gear on Trademe.
Exactly David. attacks on AirBnB and Uber simply for being are misdirected, AirBnb is simply a letting agent with actually a bit more security for damage etc as nobody will let in someone with a bad record and Uber is just a another taxi service, the like of which have existed for decades like Mini-cabs in London.
The difference being that Airbnb has developed some sort of social conscience and appears to be profitable for most participants.
Uber, on the other hand seems to be about destroying everything in an attempt to create a global monopoly, without which they will never be profitable. Before too long that model will run out of investor and supplier confidence, and social license.
Uber – just another taxi service. It is more like levering up the paving stones on a footpath that have been there for ages providing a service and the new replacement doesn't match the input of ages into the past, or those whose job has been to maintain the service. Companies just can't be welcomed to take over a system that serves the community and recycles the money put into it around that community.
Airbnb's advent coincided with the usual accomodation pinch point this cycle and fingers were vigorously pointed in Airbnb's direction. That's quietened down now with Council enforcing existing planning rules and doing some fine tuning of those rules. Airbnb have been active participants in the process to look after their and their hosts interests, but are pretty open with Council about what is going on. It's not in Airbnb's interests for it to turn into a shitfight.
In previous times cribs would have been let out during periods when the owners didn't need them. This resulted in a situation where a large proportion of the rental market was out in the street (literally) every school holidays. My partner grew up here and talks of moving house many times in the rental shuffle through the 70's and 80's. Queenstown's rental market has traditionally been either cribs (holiday houses) or rundown properties slated for re-development, neither terribly secure or long term. There's never been any real development of long term rentals. This is changing with a developers entering the rental market now, Kiwibuild, and possible extensions thereof are helping.
Another aspect of our rental market is the 1-24 month lifestyle resident, or long term tourist. These are generally more up-market and may not take employment, and are just as disruptive of rental market. This group takes a proportion of the Airbnb properties.
I totally agree that this is a Must Read, Incognito. Thanks for bringing it to attention as I had not picked it up earlier. Don't often visit Stuff, Herald etc these days.
Any thoughts of upgrading it to a post – just 'as is', as it speaks very strongly without need for summary or explanation?
I agree this could do with more exposure. It's a rock-and-a-hard-place for people doing a bloody hard job. Oversight is all good and well. 'Media oversight', on the other hand…
Even the writer of the article conceded all was not proper in the 'uplift' filmed by Reid. I'd not be too quick to condemn a journalist trying to get some much needed attention to what is going on.
"…a court-ordered custody order and the managed removal of a child. I'm aware that this is not always done perfectly, and I'm glad the publicised uplift in Hastings is being reviewed. The doco appears to show serious procedural issues in that instance, but it's also heavily edited and completely one-sided. Let's see what the review says and keep an open mind. "
What struck me was the level of professional disrespect shown by the CYFS(by any other name) to the two midwives. And the lawyer. These were professionals with direct involvement with the family (unlike the social workers in the uplift squad) and their opinions were completely ignored. this was unforgivable behaviour from the social workers and I hope they all are sent for re training.
The other aspect of this is the number of people who came forward and said….'Yes, sometimes kids are not safe with their birth family and no, we don't want anymore Kahui twins or Lillybings….but we've seen how too many social workers behave like lazy, ignorant bullies or incompetent twits.' Or words to that effect.
The good social workers will be fine. The ones who are capable of seeing the bigger picture and the ones who don't just uplift children and dump them with foster parents….who actually think about the long term.
After nearly a decade of fostering for CYFs, including being directly involved with a case remarkably similar to the Reid article, I feel qualified to say I see much accuracy in what was depicted. Shame on them.
+ 1 yep – the video showed massive disrespect for mana and that is not acceptable really. This will improve things I believe and it needs to because it is BROKEN now imo.
And if or no other reason…it is a textbook scenario known to all in the child protection field….remove a baby from a young mum and give her little hope of ever having her baby returned and she'll just go off and get hapu again. You can practically bank on it.
On the other hand, put a plan in place where mum and baby live in suitable surroundings with support and supervision (as was the plan for this young mum) and better still engage the wider whanau…like'… clean up your collective shit for the sake of the next generation.' (like seemed to be happening in the Reid article) and the odds of a much more positive outcome increase exponentially.
But. Good old CYFS. Buggers it up again. And they talk about inter-generational dysfunction in these families….seems like one generation of social workers are passing their bad practices down to the next.
Now what's that saying about keeping on doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result?
Do you and/or Rosemary want to do a Guest Post on this? Both of you can provide a unique angle, which does not get adequate representation in MSM and thereby help to change things for the better for Māori and the children involved.
For me – thanks – I am working night shifts and I look after the kids during the day so I'm very busy and don't think I could do the topic justice. And I feel distinctly uncomfortable either putting myself, or Māori vulnerabilities, under the spotlight on this forum – apart from my comments which I put up when I can.
I read that the other day and have concerns that there seems to be a concerted effort by Media and pressure groups to ridicule Oranga Tamariki. Melanie Reid is on a damaging course. It seems to be simplistic to paint the uplifting as purposeless and vindictive. I hope that the Enquiries paint a balanced fair picture.
We are a new Ministry… No. You're not new. You have been rebranded.
…that bringing a child into our care can be traumatic for the child and their whānau. It is not a decision we take lightly, and there are, quite rightly, a strong set of checks and balances in the process to ensure that the right decision is made.
No. The checks and balances were not strong enough in the case that Reid focused on.
Wherever it is safe and possible to do so, the child’s parent(s), whānau and other people supporting the whānau will be involved in this decision. Well, er, no. Not in the case highlighted by Reid. CYFS (by any other name) were not the only professionals intimately involved with the young mother and her baby. The input of the midwives and the lawyer was treated with contempt by the social workers.
We are strengthening our confidence and competence to engage more effectively with Māori to improve outcomes for their tamariki and whānau, and fulfil our responsibility to better understand and reflect the people and communities we work with.
Doing better for Māori children is a key priority for Oranga Tamariki and there is new legislation requiring this coming into force from 1 July 2019. Section 7AA is a new section of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which sets out our responsibilities to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori and their whānau, and requires Oranga Tamariki to report annually on the progress made. At this heart of this is working with whānau, hapū, iwi and kaupapa Māori providers to ensure we uphold the mana and whakapapa of tamariki Māori and the whānaungatanga responsibilities of whānau, hapū and iwi.
All this planning and all this insight yet you, CYFS (by any other name), failed to see the shit storm gathering force on the horizon.
Back in February 2017 The New Zealand College of Midwives submitted to the The Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill and expressed the concern that..
The College has noted that early supportive intervention and preventative work has been seriously underfunded, and this has unfortunately led to the main intervention focus of child protection and the removal of children from their families/whānau. Alongside this is a focus on what is described as the ‘most vulnerable children.’ Extending the focus to support and protection of families/whānau and early help, requires a serious commitment on behalf of government to adequate funding and recognition that whānau who are struggling need support before their situations become acute. It signifies a failure of the system if it becomes concerned only when the family/whānau are at the point where social workers and services are unable to support them to ‘turn the curve.’
Bearing in mind that that submission was made under NationalRule, how did you think, CYFS(by any other name), the midwiveswere going to react when the word got around that the uplift of newborns was continuing unabated under the so called Coalition Of Lovingkindness?
An intelligent and sensitive organisation would have made damn sure that those checks and balances were done doubly properly and all professionals close to the mother and baby were involved. Especially the midwives.
“New details from the Panama Papers show how a stream of foreign cash became a torrent flooding into New Zealand trusts in order to avoid tax offshore.”
The first thought of people reaching dizzy highs in employment must be, "Phew. I am very rich and very important so I will be exempt from prosecution no matter how much I cheat."
Simon Schama frothed and ranted against Jeremy Corbyn this morning, while Kim Hill maintained a silence closely resembling collusion and agreement.
RNZ National, Saturday 6 July 2019, 9:10 a.m.
The first part of this interview by Kim Hill goes as you would expect it to: Simon Schama is a smooth talker, and formidably well informed about art. He sports an impressive résumé, and he loves telling a good story. One of the stories he tells is of meeting Henry Kissinger, who when Schama arrived at his apartment was preoccupied with feeding his dog. "I tried my best not to like him," Schama remembers fondly to Kim Hill, but he was charmed by the great man. "Kissinger is not all bad."
That endorsement of a notorious war criminal is a brief hint of the moral vacuum at the heart of this glib and superficially clever chatterbox. At one point he criticizes President Trump—"stupid", he sniffs contemptuously—for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; this was wrong, Schama claims, because it "undermined even further the Palestinian Authority." Schama doesn't care a jot for the people of the Occupied Territories; a ferocious supporter of the Israeli state, he is merely concerned about the influence of the collaborationist P.A. After that, he slips smoothly into equating opposition to Israel with being anti-Jewish. The attack on Corbyn, equally dishonest, flows naturally from that.
Following are selected highlights, or lowlights, of the interview, starting with his arch and pretentious comments about art and climaxing with that mad blitzkrieg against the leader of the British Labour Party….
KIM HILL: Um, "the besetting sin of contemporary art," you have said, "is its callow, orgiastic narcissism."
SIMON SCHAMA: I don't know about "narcissism." I wouldn't defend that over-fearfully.
KIM HILL: You were involved in the Paris protests in 1968! You have described yourself in those days as "a barbarically feckless youth, stoned on self-righteousness."
……….
SIMON SCHAMA: I reviewed Henry Kissinger's book Diplomacy. I didn't think it was as good as it could have been. He rang me and invited me to his apartment to talk about it. I was thinking of the bomber of Cambodia, and I tried my best not to like him. But when he answered the door, he was feeding his dog. Kissinger is not all bad. ….
SIMON SCHAMA: The Russians and the North Koreans have got Trump to do exactly what they want…. By and large since 1945, America's commitment to its alliances has actually kept the peace. But Trump doesn't know anything about diplomacy. …dismantling the hard-won Iran Nuclear Deal…. moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has undermined even further the Palestinian Authority. …
KIM HILL: Do you think there is anything to these allegations of antisemitism against Jeremy Corbyn?
SIMON SCHAMA: There are very, very good people in the Labour Party, like Tom Watson. Jeremy Corbyn has been extraordinarily culpable in not paying attention to the POISON coursing through the veins of the Labour Party. … Young MPs like Luciana Berger have been subjected to DEATH THREATS! … I don't think he wants to drive Jews into concentration camps, I'm sure he doesn't. … Criticism of Israel morphs into anti-Semitism. …. He's dug his heels in SO MUCH. I don't know quite what we call it, but it amounts to vicious, malignant intransigence. … TheProtocols of Zion, that terrible forgery, has never had so many readers—-
KIM HILL: Seriously?
SIMON SCHAMA: Yeah. On the Web.
KIM HILL: Oh, the Web is making us STUPID, and believers in mad conspiracy theories….
… ad nauseam.
After this abortion, I sent Kim Hill the following email, which she read out on air just after the 10 o'clock news….
Dear Kim,
Simon Schama, admirer of Kissinger, spouter of lies against Corbyn
Simon Schama's extraordinary partisan broadside against Jeremy Corbyn, full of invective but devoid of evidence, was one of the ugliest few minutes of radio, on any station, this year. It's a pity you didn't ask him to back up his wild accusation that Corbyn is guilty of "vicious, malignant intransigence." It would have been almost as interesting, perhaps, as listening to him explain how he came under the thrall of Henry Kissinger.
Schama is Jewish, you pillock – of course he doesn't think Corbyn's done enough to combat anti-semitism in the Labour Party. That doesn't make him a "smooth and sinister liar," it makes him "someone with an opinion Morrisey doesn't like."
That was the empty flatulating gumflapping you seem to employ to boost your sense of moral selfworth morpissey. What do you expect the palestinian authority to do?
Thanks for that photo, my friend. It also serves as an analogy for Kim Hill's effectiveness in that "interview" this morning. Except, of course, that she didn't even throw a pebble at that engine of lies and propaganda. A pity, because his statements were almost all false, and would have collapsed if he had been asked to back them up with any evidence.
The Israeli Supreme Court refuses to hear arguments in a case about whether Palestinian minors imprisoned by Israel should be allowed to speak to their families on the phone.
Azov Battalion online propaganda shows Israeli-licensed Tavor rifles in the fascist group’s hands, while Israeli human rights activists have protested arms sales to Ukraine on the basis that weapons might end up with anti-Semitic militias.
She could have even asked about Israels Apartheid Bomb ….. the nuclear weapons they co-developed with South Africa … and usa moles
The CIA had evidence that this was a joint nuclear test conducted by Israel and the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
US suspicions were based on the already established nuclear cooperation between Israel and South Africa during the 1970s, which included sharing knowledge, materials and scientists.
Are you really serious, it is and has always been the Tories who have had a long a sordid history of anti-semitism in the UK, when was the last time Kim Hill, The Guardian or for that matter any MSM outlet has done a piece on that?
Man if you don't understand that this is purely an ideological battle for the media who are cynically using the racist Israeli lobby for their own purpose, it has sweet fuck all if anything to do with anti-semitism, then all I can say is.. well sir, can I sell you a used car… one lady owner….
I don't recall endorsing Schama's opinion or sharing it, just pointing out that it's unsurprising he holds that opinion. I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either.
You claimed that Schama was "of course" obliged to spout vicious nonsense because he's Jewish.
In some alternate Morrissey-fantasy universe, perhaps. In this real, actually-existing one, of course Schama isn't happy with Corbyn's response to complaints of anti-semitism, because British Jews are highly likely to be unhappy with it. "Vicious nonsense" is your personal opinion, which has a net value of $0.00 outside your own head.
You could also usefully ponder the question of how members of other ethnic groups might take your view that their thoughts on the bigotry they're subjected to is "vicious nonsense." Just for once, as an experiment, like.
" I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either. "…Funny how we wouldn't know that. probably because he never mentioned it..no just the usual bullshit about Labour/Corbyn…that's the point.
Morrissey Kim may have stayed quiet because she wanted to let him explain himself with few prompts. She operates differently to you, can be quite subtle.
I agree with you, Mr Shark: she can indeed be quite subtle. I do enjoy her programme, and I think she is far superior to her godawful temp. Noelle McCarthy.
She does have some grave faults, though, such as a propensity to automatically and uncritically recycle official bilge, and a certain degree of indolence, which was disastrous for her when she came across someone really sharp sixteen years ago….
A pity it wasn't you interviewing him, Dennis. You rightly have divined that there's not a lot of substance behind Schama's scholarly front. Kim Hill was putty in his hands, and treated him with the same deference she showed for other scoundrels from that part of the world, like Jonathan Freedland, Luke Harding, and A.A. Gill.
Thank you Morrissey, your letter on RNZ this morning is the best thing I have heard on Kim's reactionary show for quite a while..quite a highlight,, actually I was at first surprised that she read it out, as it pointed out quite nicely her obvious flaws, but then on reflection I came to the conclusion that she has gone so far down the rabbit hole of just parroting and giving unquestioned platform to that kind of bullshit, that wouldn't be able to see anything wrong with it..sad really, I used to admire her greatly.
Thanks, Adrian. Actually, to give Kim Hill her due, she almost always reads out my emails to her—and no, I don't write one to her regularly! She's only expressed consternation or anger towards me on one occasion….
morrissey….thank you for that….i can never quite understand why kim hill doesnt take these people to task….corbyn has been anti racism all his political life….meanwhile the genuine racism against moslems from the Tories is swept under the carpet.
But attacking Corbyn as a racist is all they have….he will be PM before xmas
This will be really interesting when the audio goes up on Radionz. He has something very interesting to say about managing predators and where cats useful place is in the chain; there is a chain to consider, not just knee jerk 'cats are bad'.
11:05 John Flux – Lifelong ecologist
John Flux in Iran in 1977 with a road kill hare Photo: Supplied
Internationally respected New Zealand ecologist John Flux has spent his life studying hares, starlings, and even his own cats.
His study of starlings in Belmont Regional Park, near Wellington, has become one of the longest continuous ecological studies in the world, running from 1970 to today.
At its peak he and his wife Meg would examine 500 starling nest boxes, located in munitions bunkers built by the US military in 1942.
John still climbs a ladder each year to check on 50 nesting boxes to see what effect climate change is having on the timing of egg laying.
He's recently authored a paper in the European Journal of Ecology about what humans might learn from the fate of feral populations of domesticated rabbits.
The Auckland ratepayers open ended cheque for the Americas cup and the cost to the environment in dumping sludge dredged for the village outside Great Barrier Island.
Oh if you don’t want to pay then maybe no event !
Sounds familiar.
I'm not impressed by Trump's blame game today: "Trump blamed a faulty teleprompter for his claim during remarks he made at a July 4th event that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War."
He claimed it broke down. So that technical malfunction caused him to describe the American troops occupying airports in 1775, he expects viewers to believe. I suspect few viewers will detect any causal logic connecting the two things…
I imagine the Iranian regime's top guys are trembling in fear right now. The Supreme Leader is likely to have a message descend from his prophet in paradise: cease provoking the infidel, looks like his brain is dysfunctional, he could do anything!
Gee, eh? Dementia onset sometimes sporadic?? The guy can seem lucid enough most of the time then it kicks in for a wee while? Pence must be rubbing his hands in glee…
Sufferers know early on that something is up and when they're sure, they never stop trying to cover up their decline. As things get worse they get more and more determined to pull the wool and refine their tactics to deceive outsiders. This can last for years but eventually, the mask drops and their decline becomes obvious to everyone, not just those closest to them.
The last leg is when they forget they’ve forgotten, believe me, it's a blessing, and it's all down hill from there.
Well, I guess we just wait till a diagnosis becomes official. It's a national security issue as soon as Pence consults with the Secretary of Defense. He'll probably involve Pompeo, since they are both fundamentalists. Watch for a catastrophic Wall St plunge real soon…
Though the 36-year rule of Portugal's António de Oliveira Salazar ended last year, the old man is not yet aware of it. Still immobilized after a stroke and a coma 13 months ago, Salazar calls Cabinet meetings, and his old ministers faithfully attend—even though some of them are no longer in the Cabinet. No one has found the courage to tell the 80-year-old dictator that he has been replaced.
Reminds me of a story about Ronald Reagan in his declining years.
His Secret Service detail used to toss bags of leaves on the ground at one end of the swimming pool. Reagan would come along and laboriously sweep them up and while he was doing so, his detail would be at the other end of the pool tossing more bags of leaves on the ground. It was a way of keeping the old boy occupied while at the same time giving him some physical exercise.
Love that one! We're bound to get a real flood of them tomorrow. The media ought to frame it as a competition of satire, nominate their favourite contender for top satirist.
For those unfamiliar with the China Lake Air Weapons Range or it geography? This geothermal/ volcanic area is to the NW/ NNW of China Lake AWR and the most of the valley has numerous fault lines.
Yup. Lots of cool geothermal/volcanic stuff going on all the way up the east side of the Sierra Nevadas.
Then there's Death Valley just to the northeast of China Lake.
Fun fact, the highest (Mt Whitney) and lowest points (Badwater, Death Valley) in the 48 states are both in Inyo County, just to the north of China Lake. Both are due to all the faulting and ground movement continually happening there.
NAWS China Lake is not mission capable,non essential personnel evacuating to safe haven.
NON ESSENTIAL active duty, drilling reservists, civilian employees, and dependents are authorized to evacuate to a radius of 100 miles from safe haven Naval Base Ventura County (NVBC).
It's cool that our Coalition Government is funding family care people looking after there disabled family and tamariki 25 a hour sounds good.
A big Earthquake in Los Angeles 7.1 is quite high let's hope that not to much damage is caused by the EarthQuake.
Eco Maori favorite charity The Salvation Army is offering free doctors visit in Waitakare Auckland yes a lot of people can not afford to go to the doctor's.
Yes power is wasted and power bill grow during winter luck our government has given a winter power payments .Eco Maori is going to get Free power from a Micro hydro turbines run from a stream . Ka Pai Tomorrow for showing te tangata how to save money by saving power. Good on Newshub for this positive story
That is awesome our government paying carer's looking after there Whanau who need constant care there are a lot of people struggling to care for there Whanau.
Energy mate hopefully will save people struggling with big power bills a lot of stress.
Cyber security is a very good topic everyone's data can be harvested by the state or others
Eco Maori agrees with the United nations we see destruction caused by human caused climate change all the TIME these days
One climate crisis disaster happening every week, UN warns
Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster representative says
Shares
3,155
Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.
Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large numbers of “lower impact events” that are causing death, displacement and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami Mizutori, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on disaster risk reduction. “This is not about the future, ka kite ano link below
Jeremy Corbin finally making a commitment to abandoned Brexit Eco Maori backs Britian staying in the European Union.
It's good that I'll people could access medicine weed
The smoke tax has good side effects and bad ones imagine if they were banned ????????.
Some people think they have a higher IQ than they actually have it good for there confidence but that phenomen is easy to read.
A fuel tax on gas guzzling cars is needed good on our government for implementing it they are planning to use the tax to make owning electric cars cheaper subsidy from carbon to clean energy user.
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 ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
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. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
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 ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. 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 ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Fake beggars busted making bank in Melbourne
– people are flown in to beg for profit
– clothing/props are shared between people
– suspect a Chinese group are behind it
https://www.news.com.au/news/national/chinese-beggars-revealed-to-be-professional-after-police-crackdown/news-story/5c743d10e9d1cf1c7745ecfa8dc31b8e
There's a few ways to authenticate homelessness but it's probably better to authenticate a fake, as the homeless receive enough bashing from the fearful lately. In the US in some parts it is illegal to feed them. Cops are forced to bully their fellow man out of town. The authorities and those backing them merely cowards.
Cowards? – COWARDS!
"Lot of homelessness. It's confronting. Like that. Snap. Your life's fucked. A divorce, an illness, a mental illness, an accident… Some stupid decision or a cruel twist of fate. It could be us – they are us. You can't hate on the homeless, man. That's not hate, it's fear."
So we find cons have infiltrated this sector of society to bleed funds. That's no surprise the thieving self-entitled infiltrate every strata of society. Theirs is not a stratified world, it is a free for all. These people are no worse than the Hisco's of the world and do a lot less financial damage. Also reprehensible bastards: like the Hisco's of the world.
Fake homeless? Look for:
If you live on the streets: you know the street people, and they know you.
I'm not sure if our beat cops have regular routes? Community Constables are/were in some areas and their ties with community strengthen over time. They'd quickly spot new transients on their beat, and in a relatively short space of time the veracity of their claims. In addition to this a familiar authority figure allows lines of communication to be set up over time with folks whose mistrust of strangers is very high.
Be wary of the tired right-wing schtick bashing all homeless as con-artists and ne'er-do-wells. They are our housing crisis in bold relief. They are a mental health system that is failing us. They are a welfare system run by accountants. They are the fallout of domestic and political violence.
"We ate fungi, watercress, seafood, rustled sheep, pilfered fruit, garden raids, dumpster diving and homeless handouts. We never thought about how we were homeless, we were surviving. Mental health, abuse, alcoholism, addiction, abandonment. It was all there, and it was all intertwined. We absolved ourselves with three Fuck You's and a bottle of grog."
I am deeply suspicious of this articles motives. You only have to view their front page to see where their loyalties lie. No effort to distinguish who is who. Just 'raising awareness' of a con that's been going on since Christ.
I have always considered the role of Community Constables to be of immense importance for the reasons you have mentioned above (and many other reasons), but these roles seem to have diminished to almost the point of extinction in most cities at least. We still have a couple in Wellington (I think) but you don't hear about them nearly as much as in the past.
There is plenty of homeless bashing etc – "get them of our streets", "they are an embarrassment", "they harass tourists" etc – but here in Wellington we also still have a number of good support services still available such as the City Mission, the men's Night Shelter, Soup Kitchen etc. Wellington City Council also now employs a group of Local Hosts whose job is to:
support Police on the street, particularly at night
https://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/community-safety/safety-in-wellington/local-hosts
As part of their daily routine, these Local Hosts also walk the beat talking to and checking on the homeless, and reporting back to the Outreach Team, who provide support to people who are homeless or who are on the fringes of homelessness.
I am not suggesting that these services are nearly enough, a lot more could and should be done but this is at least something by the local council aimed at making connections and offering some level of support.
I wonder who the people were? It says Chinese, but people from Asian countries could all be Chinese who had settled there, so from many countries. Or they could be Asians being labelled Chinese. I wonder if they begged in China, what treatment they would receive? They could be very poor people given the chance of getting money for their family back home, and not have much say in what they do in Australia.
It appears that there is plenty of money in Oz, so why can't they accept more of the refugees that turn up penniless and without hope where they came from? And why chuck NZs out because some of them have been petty crims? They wouldn't be any different percentages than for the working class Australians.
Imagine a pathogen so cunning that it created not only sick people, but also people who looked sick but actually weren't. And also imagine that the imitation was so good that doctors couldn't tell the difference consistently, and ended up withholding treatment from the actually sick people.
We'd be shaking our heads at the highly evolved cruelty of this pathogen. But we'd know what to call it – "capitalism"
In India kids are trained to be beggars and with sometimes young bodies are being deliberately damaged to look the part, and in they go in coordinated teams to beg especially from tourists. Around the corner waits the "boss" perhaps in the comfort of his car.
Or so I read a few years ago. True?
There is some truth to this. Opportunists (aka capitalists) – guess what – they seize on opportunities. A buck to be made often outweighs any moral imperative – if it was ever there to begin with.
Some countries are still full of land mines – and thus amputees. Should we abandon all in case they've tricked us out of a few bucks – while bankers steal billions?
There are also reports of parents who maim the child. This is a world we can barely grasp let alone understand. I've known more hardship than you've had hot dinners, and I am stunned by the lengths some are driven to.
What level of hardship brings such practice about?
What level of psychopathy is prevalent in (the society and) the capitalists who use such hardship to capitalise?
We can't even imagine that world, but we sure like to judge it.
We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…
We need better opportunities and less opportunists. A systemic overhaul from top to bottom.
Btw @ WtB…..no truer comment ever spoken! (especially the "……..we sure like to judge it".
AND the next bit as well: "We definitely need to move the con artists along. From government, civil service, business, banking, media…"
We actually have/or have had till recently, people in our civil service who couldn't tell the difference between a Muslim or a Sikh, or indeed a Hindu or a Christian with a sweat band! They're all bloody "rag" or "onion heads" to them. (I've heard it first hand! Nor can they tell the difference between arranged marriages and forced marriages; or scam relationships and the genuine; or exploiters and the exploited – LET ALONE why and how it's all become normalised.
As a Koiwoi, I feel the shame at our allowing it all to happen, and worse still why we're so bloody slow to fix it – even when a few simple things could be done tomorrow
Depends entirely where you are. Large cities with extreme poverty. In many rural areas and smaller cities and downs, if parents or anyone else got caught doing this, they'd be driven out of town – possibly worse
The pressure to survive causes some people to kill elephants. Others use their kids to beg and maybe live another day. Hard to imagination in our country but there must be some families who feel totally helpless.
Unbelievable that the government was considering bailing out Westland Milk Products if the Yili sale failed…
ffs, corporate welfare and bailouts for big capital, just like the global financial crisis where those that caused the problem got bailed out…. what a fikkin' yoke
rinse and repeat
save big capital, shit on the little people
is about time big capital had some of its ownership and rights peeled away if it expects little people to save it all the time
The problem with your analysis is that Westland Milk Products is not a "Capitalist" organisation as the word is normally interpreted. It isn't "big capital" at all. If it was it could have survived.
It is a co-operative. As such it finds it very difficult to raise more capital if it is required. A normal firm can issue new shares to people who are willing to buy them. A co-operative like this one can't. They can only raise money by withholding it from the payout to their suppliers. That means all of them equally, rather than selling new shares to willing buyers.
Anyone who believes that co-op's are the way to go should keep that fact in mind. They can crash very easily.
"It isn't "big capital" at all. If it was it could have survived."
Probably not…poor decision making led to its demise, its structure wasnt the cause but it did limit its options.
Indeed if it was owned by 'big capital' it probably would have been sold years ago, or been wound up.
Was CBL Insurance,Dick Smith,Feltex,Mainzeal ,Wynyard…could go on all day Big Capital?
Theycouldn't survive,but luckily all the principal players did O.K!All done in the best…possible taste!
So can shareholder companies.
But they seem to be able to access bank loan, "capital" even to pay "unearned" dividends, or for share buy backs.
The banks attitude to co-ops, and indeed many small businesses, when they can lend at far less risk, on speculative land, appears to be part of the problem.
An argument to revive a State "development bank".
Looking at North Dakota, where local banks have been legislated to serve the community, not the other way around.
This is one of the dumbest posts on here for a while
IYO
Thor, the scandinavian storm god, rarely features in local politics and culture here – despite escalating climate change. News that Stuff got rapped over the knuckles for connecting him to the Chch mosque massacre is a bit of a surprise.
"The Media Council has ruled that Stuff's linking of a Thor-worshipping group with the Christchurch mosque shootings was unfair". https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113961735/thorworshipping-article-unfair–media-council
Perhaps time's a-coming when burnt offerings to Thor will be used by coastal folk to ward off tornadoes coming in from the Tasman. Magical thinking has been resisting attempts by the upstart, rationality, to dislodge its hegemony for several centuries now. Ramp up those barbies, you westies!
Perhaxis not franko.
DF
Enjoyable read. When we can't achieve anything because of sloth from fellow human beings, and the might and power of the Wealth-Cult not willing to do anything that can't produce a profit, then it will be good to have gatherings where we can offer prayers and offerings, exchange ideas for coping, have some songs and fermented stuff, and give and get some hugs and handshakes. Not a bad idea.
So National are aiding criminals, their leave it to market ideology, let private charity keep the homeless fed. General welfare, homes to live in, and if we don't, Chinese gangs fait homelessness! begging is now a income! Thanks National. Suppose we put them in jail at considerable cost. GDP spikes up. Wow what a unimaginable cretinous ideology.
foreign media have reported information showing our sub-humane mass murderer seems to be more connected ………… than our 'lone wolf ' media would have you believe …
Who knows what is behind the lack of NZ reporting on this support network of his ….but he was friendly with the fascists our Govt and the west supports. .,…
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/3002927/was-christchurch-shooter-part-white-supremacist-network
https://thegrayzone.com/2018/04/07/the-us-is-arming-and-assisting-neo-nazis-in-ukraine-while-congress-debates-prohibition/
Did our media tell us that the Avoz neo nazis were involved in the ukraine election … https://freedomhouse.org/blog/why-militia-monitoring-ukraine-s-presidential-election With Avoz neo nazi goons hanging around polling stations
Our media kept quiet about a few things to do with the Ukraine election
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N85l3G7P3c
Also …. did our media inform us of this …. And I wonder if the Turkish people knew??
His passport should have raised red flags …. Afghanistan ,Pakistan, turkey, Israel …. Bulgarian intelligence said he was reported to have visited Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Croatia in December 2016.
France, Spain and Portugal.
north fucking Korea ???
A secret review of the failings of Jihadi Rebecca Kitteridge .and our blind five white eyes cyber spooks will be a white wash
Good work.
Cheers WTB ,,,, Although I agree with the media blackout of any fame towards our subhuman civilian murderer …. It could also play into the hands of any cover up.
He did have a media profile … on the non encrypted open web….. yet he seems to have been looked at with a blind eye and deaf ear…. But then again I suppose its not just us
https://www.propublica.org/article/white-hate-group-campaign-of-menace-rise-above-movement
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
They train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.
The death threat against Winston also takes on a higher threat level ….. still low, but no longer at the level of being a mocking or laughing matter from National party supporters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpt3ImXIImY
and 2 mins 27 secs …. bombs on mosques … on a guitar
…. At a Azov youth camp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wAgTGZ0FHY
It's particularly despicable bringing children in to this but that is the MO – influencing susceptible minds to their nonsense. A sound mind aint wearing a bar of it. Then there's all the
patrioticidiotic chest thumping and imaginary threat assessments to continue the lie they're all victims…Same shit the wannabe Nazi's here do, only the weaponry is not so prevalent.
Apparently I am a RACE TRAITOR! The marrees are gonna get us!
But really, they are delusional dim-witted shitheels. Any with half a clue are there for the money/ties, not the beer soaked chanting sessions. Unfortunately now very dangerous with social media lending them a distorted echo chamber to validate their moronic views, and the ability to network with purely evil players and finance.
Capitalism's new toy. Nationalism – and the sociopaths it attracts.
https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-the-transnational-network-that-nobody-is-talking-about/
Personally I think the truth is somewhere in the middle between "lone wolf" and "a white supremacist foreign fighter" … Arse covering in a secret Nz investigation ….does not encourage me that we will get the full truth.
our media is shit …. and it seems you get better more informative reporting on NZ …. from overseas sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VuLILCu6vs
http://spitfirelist.com/for-the-record/ftr-1073-azov-on-our-mind-ukrainian-fascism-extends-its-tentacles-return-of-the-prodigal-black-sun/
Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.
It would be to Russia advantage to demonise the Ukraine. So, I'd take all this with a grain of salt considering how much fake news spews out of Russia.
People on the internet are quite happy to tell lies about what symbols people are wearing or making.
I believe john Pilger … who is not russian
…. And Azov ….. self proclaimed fascists
http://johnpilger.com/articles/why-the-rise-of-fascism-is-again-the-issue
Which links were to Russian media?
Bloody russians …. they even control facebook …. 😉
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/facebook-new-zealand-neo-nazis-white-supremacists-a8837886.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/facebook-britain-first-page-far-right-advert-paul-golding-adverts-a8828386.html
…. and BM may have repeated that lie here at TS
Dumb kiwis keep making same stupid mistake, due to business-as-usual. "A radical division between exotic commercial forests and indigenous conservation forests in Aotearoa New Zealand has meant that the possibility of truly sustainable, 'close to nature' silviculture has been almost entirely ignored." https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/113901209/listen-to-what-the-history-of-our-trees-is-telling-us
"From the late 1980s, when privatisation took hold and many state forests were sold to private enterprise, even those exotic forests that had been planted to stabilise highly erodible landscapes were sold, and harvested. In regions like the East Coast, with some of the most fragile soils in the world, this led to devastating erosion, choking rivers and coastlines with sediment and slash, flooding, and ruining farmland."
"In 1988, after Cyclone Bola ravaged the region, more exotic forests were planted in an effort to stabilise the land, and these are now also being harvested, with predictably disastrous effects, as we saw in Tolaga Bay last year. That kind of planting is still going on."
Adapt to survive thinking cannot enter heads if business & govt planners continue to ignore the changing world around them. Relevant ministers need to signal a change of course to all involved.
"In New Zealand, almost all silvicultural research, expertise and commercial forestry is devoted to exotic, short-rotation monocultures, despite the devastating environmental impacts seen in regions such as the East Coast, Coromandel, Northland and Marlborough. Back in the 1950s, on the other hand, countries like Germany realised that 'close to nature' silviculture, based on indigenous mixed forests, with no clear felling, little spraying and an emphasis on natural regeneration, was a smart alternative to exotic plantation forests. Today almost three quarters of German forests are in mixed stands, with an emphasis on biodiversity and soil enrichment."
some more 'hardworking Kiwis at it again'..where there's muck,you'll always find a Sir!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12005410
Brits seize Iranian oil tanker on behalf of US BS.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/114029327/british-commandos-seize-iranian-oil-tanker
Apparently there's a name for that-piracy.
Perhaps Britain needs to get a supply of guillotines from the French and systematically start chopping off the heads of the crazies who try to run the country …into the ground. Reading Ellis Peters and the Cadfael series of the 12th century they were eternally fighting between themselves – two contenders Stephen and cousin Maud – or with the Norman French I think. Eight centuries later we still haven't got things sussed. But there is a difference, we haven't got eight centuries left to bugger around, fail, try again,,,,in endless iteration. WW2 was the extreme example of this, we didn't learn from it except use modern technology to make better trebuchets.
The bloody elites are only happy when other people's blood is being spilled. There have been recent comments about the USA elite getting their waivers from serving in their Forces. I suppose it is the same in the UK though the Royal men do take part in soldiering, flying etc.
But learning how to live and let live sustainably, that hasn't happened and the well educated UK parliament haven't learned how to do that so they think they will start a new wave of trials and failures as if they have centuries of stable climate, resources and demographics ahead of them.
Just bloody disgraceful that Britain would renew tensions and not seek viable agreements. They haven't the strength of mind and body to show the finger to the USA, who are so off-compass that they will fall over the Rim soon. (TP Discworld people will have a better grasp of political maneouvering than the well-paid pollies. Their payment system gives the wrong signals – they should be paid on good results that lead to a happy working nation.)
I must confess to some mild curiosity about why convergence moonbats are going gaga over Tulsi, but Marianne Williamson is getting ignored.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/marianne-williamson-vogue-photoshoot-trnd/index.html
You'd be a Marianne Williamson type. She's a flake, insubstantial as hell.
Morrissey You seem to be getting into the hard stuff when it comes to criticism. You might have to limit your spleen Breen, for the sake of maintaining a healthy mind, too much negativity dumbs down others or makes everyone unhappy. Try singing Bobby McFerrin at least once a day, he is being both satirical and realistic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fCqG8QJIAU
Fair comment, my friend, but I would remind you that this fellow "Andre" attacked—not criticized, simply attacked—one of the few decent politicians in the western world, and called her supporters "convergence moonbats". I merely challenged his complacent and dishonest post, and reminded him that he is not going to get away with such inflammatory nonsense on this forum.
[I cannot see the “attack” @ 9 on “one of the few decent politicians in the western world”, which is simply your opinion. You did not “merely challenge[d]” but posted some of your own “inflammatory nonsense” @ 9.1. Please do not start flame wars on this site – Incognito]
I haven't the faintest idea what a "convergence moonbat" is supposed to be, and now I is one
It’s a facile concept, desperately posited by the suffering survivors of the doomed Clinton campaign of 2016. Another version of it is the “horseshoe theory.”
It’s a [] concept, [] posited by the [] survivors of the [] Clinton campaign of 2016.
FIFY – still iffy about the word survivors.
See how many pleas to emotion I removed from your one sentence. I'm not saying don't emote, I'm saying you go OTT.
Thanks, Bleeple. Yes, it does work just as well without all the adjectives. Have you considered a career in publishing?
Been there done that editing a community paper. Then went on the 'last great drinking jag' culminating in hospitalisation and loss of job.
I'm a shocker myself at times with overly emotive language. It can just flow aye. Folks here have been instrumental in helping me rein it in, which ultimately helps me be a better communicator.
The message is lost when ears are burning.
Sometimes I find it nigh on impossible to turn it off. Misinformation especially deliberate gets the blood boiling.
Agree, Bleeple. I know I write better when I discipline myself, and cut back on the abuse.
Keep up your writing, by the way—I've enjoyed your little vignettes of Wellington bowery life—shades of George Gissing, Geoff Cochrane, and Charles Bukowski!
Morrissey Have you – why not normalise your daily output?
I did wonder about convergence moonbats – what are those, and why is he so qualified to throw soubriquets around so freely? (I had to look up google for that one – love these odd words. Sounds like small bricks in French and fits the niche well!) Bobby McFerrin is great. And i use him to lighten me quite often, have to follow my own advice!
He throws around the soubriquets all right, Mr Shark. That's all he's got, however. Le pauvre garçon est un peu poney à un tour.
All Bats are moon-bats.
Similar to Demi Lardner's line. Night Owl, which, by the way, is just an owl.
P.S. It's not true – all bats being nocturnal. There are day bats. I've met a few silly old day bats myself!
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/daytime-bats-help-explain-nocturnal-evolution/
See my Moderation note @ 10:22 AM.
Seen and noted. Thanks for the warning, sir!
Tulsi is a right wing democrat being pushed by a well organised social media campaign. Beware.
She's an intelligent and gracious Democrat who has, like anyone with a brain, expressed grave skepticism about the decision of the Democratic "leadership" to pursue this mad fantasy of Russian meddling. That is, by itself, enough for her to incur the hatred and enmity of Nancy Pelosi and her cronies.
She has also pointed out there is no evidence to support the insistence of the Democratic “leadership” that Syrian government forces, and not the U.S.-backed Al Nusra and Al Qaeda terrorists, used chemical weapons.
Now, how is she "right wing", exactly?
morrissey….she has fought long and hard against lgbt rights and was a staunch supporter of the bill that condemned the boycott israel movement
Whodat dredre?
Tulsi Gabbard is a pro-military, pro-droning, pro-hindu-nationalist, pro-authoritarian, ok with torture, homophobic (historically at least) Representative from Hawaii who holds social positions now fairly common within the Democrats such as $15 minimum wage. She's twigged to the idea that mouthing a few anti-interventionist words is sufficient to attract loud and blinkered support from a few vocal enthusiasts (including the likes of David Duke, Richard Spencer, Steve Bannon etc) that happily blind themselves to her unsavory positions on other topics. She got a massive poll boost from her debate performance, lifting her from 0.6% support all the way to 0.7%.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/where-kamala-harriss-new-voters-came-from/
Marianne Williamson is indeed "a flake, insubstantial as hell" as the mozzie aptly described her. She's apparently some sort of anti-vax New Age self-help guru that has worked for Oprah, and is running as a Democratic candidate for president. Although it's in no way apparent why, as she doesn't seem to have any ideas or even opinions around most topics a president has to deal with. Currently sitting around 0.2% in polling.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-primaries/democratic/national/
I would have thought the residual “crystal energy” set would still have been quite a lot larger than 0.2% of Dems, but hey, maybe they’re a lot more pragmatic and holistic in choosing who to support.
Hey Andre, I know it's too early but are you forming any impression of a likely winner emerging from the rather nondescript pack of contenders?
Warren seems to have said a few intelligent things in the past, yet was apparently unimpressive in recent performance, and Sanders likewise failed to impress in the debate. If you feel picking a winner at the stage is too much like going out on a limb, I agree, just wondering if the Dems are competing to underwhelm the third of the electorate who are non-aligned…
Looks to me like Bernie and Biden are running on their set-in-stone ideas and reputations locked in over their decades of service, and that's starting to show to an electorate that's moved past what they have to offer. They're both dropping in the polls, and I don't think either has the mental flexibility anymore to turn it around.
At the moment it looks to me like it's between Warren and Harris. Warren offers preparation and plans and enough experience in DC to prove she can get things done, but is sadly a bit dry and boring, professorial even, to be really broadly appealing and inspiring.
Whereas Harris is more dynamic, better able to react accurately on the fly, enough government experience to be credible, but on the downside there are things in her backstory that a determined troll campaign could blow out of proportion to smear her.
Buttigieg is the dark horse running the outside lane, but it's hard to see him having enough on his own merits to come through unless all four ahead of him crash and burn.
Interesting that you don't rate Beto. A while back I saw videos of him performing quite well, enough to work a crowd successfully, but I gather he didn't impress in the debate. Wouldn't rule out a tactical move toward caution explaining that. Allow others to get front-runner status, come from behind in a late run.
If I was a wealthy bank-roller of the Democrats, I'd give them all intensive media training. Problem with the primadonna syndrome is you get contenders who don't believe they need it. However that just polishes any gloss. What the Democrats really need is better ideas – particular those likely to trigger the zietgiest.
My impression of Beto is his backstory and the things he likes to talk about are a good fit for representing Texas interests in the Senate. But he doesn't seem to have much to show he's up to the challenge of grabbing leadership of the country and steering it in a new direction.
Beto has the ability to fail to answer questions in English and Spanish – surely a politician's politician.
I reckon he's not a bad pick. But he shot himself in the debate.
I'm a Mayor Pete fan, but don't value his chances much.
A demonstration of why the RBNZ is correct to call for increased reserves
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/100549/kiwibank-chief-economist-jarrod-kerr-why-fiscal-austerity-our-greatest-mistake
$33.5m to Tauranga Airbnbs in 11 months.
The equivalent earned from residential letting at $30K per annual long term tenancy is 1000 houses not available for local workers to rent.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=12241396
There is no debate. There is inaction borne of both greed and fear from authorities though. You see this a lot with new disruptive technologies – decision makers wracked with indecision and too scared or unwilling to govern.
See more about Airbnb’s effects here
You've pinned this nasty boring insect Airbub which with uber is a new disruptive technology that will steal our very lives if we don't control them.
White anting a society and its forms of work and mutuality that is what they do. And the government has been blackmailed by the uncaring c-off to let them get on with whatever they want to do, squeeze us till it hurts, and then sell our blood. Sound OTTT, the examples are there and will increase.
`But is it? The people staying in the $600 a week AirBnbs need to stay somewhere, the motels etc aren't exactly empty. If it is all long term rentals accessed through AirBnb it must be for people who need long term accommodation with out paying rapacious bloody "letting agents " their huge cuts. Maybe the hysteria is being fueled by these self same ethnicly bypassed letting agents fucked off with missing out on their cut. Even the language and media manipulation has all the hallmarks of a professional PR bullshit campaign.
Take into account also how much of the take is individual rooms for a day or so in private houses, which would not be available for long term tenancies anyway. We use AirBnB and meet some interesting locals and get a good take on local conditions. For older superannuitants or young couples trying to buy their own home or even a bit of spare income to help out with the kids AirBnb is a small Godsend for people to help them out .
In Muttonbird's 2nd link is a snapshot of the Airbnb scene in New York. 57% of listings are for the entire home. 53% of listings let for 60 days or more a year.
Interesting Adrian Think on Air bnb for me.
In the coastal Far North an Airbnb/Bookabach etc property returns about a third of the income when compared to letting the property to a long-term tenant. The overheads take a big hike if going the Airbnb route. Admin, power, internet, water, gas, garden maint, providing linen, laundry, cleaning, sundries (shampoo, toilet paper etc). Little recourse for damage or theft and doubled management costs.
The main advantage is that owners can continue to enjoy the holiday house. Few people want to know about a stay in the Far North for about 7 months of the year. Airbnb returns seem stronger when centrally located in our major centres.
I don't blame Airbnb operators for trying to get the best return they can on their assets. Is this not something we all do? I'm after the best price I can get when I'm flogging off unused gear on Trademe.
Exactly David. attacks on AirBnB and Uber simply for being are misdirected, AirBnb is simply a letting agent with actually a bit more security for damage etc as nobody will let in someone with a bad record and Uber is just a another taxi service, the like of which have existed for decades like Mini-cabs in London.
The difference being that Airbnb has developed some sort of social conscience and appears to be profitable for most participants.
Uber, on the other hand seems to be about destroying everything in an attempt to create a global monopoly, without which they will never be profitable. Before too long that model will run out of investor and supplier confidence, and social license.
Uber – just another taxi service. It is more like levering up the paving stones on a footpath that have been there for ages providing a service and the new replacement doesn't match the input of ages into the past, or those whose job has been to maintain the service. Companies just can't be welcomed to take over a system that serves the community and recycles the money put into it around that community.
Airbnb to their credit are facing up to the effects their platform has on communities. In Queenstown they are fully supportive of the council's efforts to introduce a 5% levy on commercial accomodation providers We had a postal referendum on this and the the result was overwhelmingly in support, 42% voted, 81% in favour Some of the traditional providers were't quite as supportive.
Airbnb's advent coincided with the usual accomodation pinch point this cycle and fingers were vigorously pointed in Airbnb's direction. That's quietened down now with Council enforcing existing planning rules and doing some fine tuning of those rules. Airbnb have been active participants in the process to look after their and their hosts interests, but are pretty open with Council about what is going on. It's not in Airbnb's interests for it to turn into a shitfight.
In previous times cribs would have been let out during periods when the owners didn't need them. This resulted in a situation where a large proportion of the rental market was out in the street (literally) every school holidays. My partner grew up here and talks of moving house many times in the rental shuffle through the 70's and 80's. Queenstown's rental market has traditionally been either cribs (holiday houses) or rundown properties slated for re-development, neither terribly secure or long term. There's never been any real development of long term rentals. This is changing with a developers entering the rental market now, Kiwibuild, and possible extensions thereof are helping.
Another aspect of our rental market is the 1-24 month lifestyle resident, or long term tourist. These are generally more up-market and may not take employment, and are just as disruptive of rental market. This group takes a proportion of the Airbnb properties.
Tulsi is a right wing democrat being pushed by a well organised social media campaign. Beware.
This may have appeared here before but it is too important to miss IMO:
Open letter: Oranga Tamariki social workers in 'terrible, almost untenable position'
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113731528/open-letter-oranga-tamariki-social-workers-in-terrible-almost-untenable-position
I totally agree that this is a Must Read, Incognito. Thanks for bringing it to attention as I had not picked it up earlier. Don't often visit Stuff, Herald etc these days.
Any thoughts of upgrading it to a post – just 'as is', as it speaks very strongly without need for summary or explanation?
I agree this could do with more exposure. It's a rock-and-a-hard-place for people doing a bloody hard job. Oversight is all good and well. 'Media oversight', on the other hand…
'Media oversight', on the other hand…
Even the writer of the article conceded all was not proper in the 'uplift' filmed by Reid. I'd not be too quick to condemn a journalist trying to get some much needed attention to what is going on.
"…a court-ordered custody order and the managed removal of a child. I'm aware that this is not always done perfectly, and I'm glad the publicised uplift in Hastings is being reviewed. The doco appears to show serious procedural issues in that instance, but it's also heavily edited and completely one-sided. Let's see what the review says and keep an open mind. "
What struck me was the level of professional disrespect shown by the CYFS(by any other name) to the two midwives. And the lawyer. These were professionals with direct involvement with the family (unlike the social workers in the uplift squad) and their opinions were completely ignored. this was unforgivable behaviour from the social workers and I hope they all are sent for re training.
The other aspect of this is the number of people who came forward and said….'Yes, sometimes kids are not safe with their birth family and no, we don't want anymore Kahui twins or Lillybings….but we've seen how too many social workers behave like lazy, ignorant bullies or incompetent twits.' Or words to that effect.
The good social workers will be fine. The ones who are capable of seeing the bigger picture and the ones who don't just uplift children and dump them with foster parents….who actually think about the long term.
After nearly a decade of fostering for CYFs, including being directly involved with a case remarkably similar to the Reid article, I feel qualified to say I see much accuracy in what was depicted. Shame on them.
+ 1 yep – the video showed massive disrespect for mana and that is not acceptable really. This will improve things I believe and it needs to because it is BROKEN now imo.
And if or no other reason…it is a textbook scenario known to all in the child protection field….remove a baby from a young mum and give her little hope of ever having her baby returned and she'll just go off and get hapu again. You can practically bank on it.
On the other hand, put a plan in place where mum and baby live in suitable surroundings with support and supervision (as was the plan for this young mum) and better still engage the wider whanau…like'… clean up your collective shit for the sake of the next generation.' (like seemed to be happening in the Reid article) and the odds of a much more positive outcome increase exponentially.
But. Good old CYFS. Buggers it up again. And they talk about inter-generational dysfunction in these families….seems like one generation of social workers are passing their bad practices down to the next.
Now what's that saying about keeping on doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result?
Madness.
I don't believe Māori will tolerate 3 Māori babies being taken off their mothers or whānau every week anymore.
Do you and/or Rosemary want to do a Guest Post on this? Both of you can provide a unique angle, which does not get adequate representation in MSM and thereby help to change things for the better for Māori and the children involved.
For me – thanks – I am working night shifts and I look after the kids during the day so I'm very busy and don't think I could do the topic justice. And I feel distinctly uncomfortable either putting myself, or Māori vulnerabilities, under the spotlight on this forum – apart from my comments which I put up when I can.
I fully respect that, thanks.
Good judgement.
What I was trying to imply…
There's a big difference between a bit of investigative journalism to raise awareness – and a media pile on.
I read that the other day and have concerns that there seems to be a concerted effort by Media and pressure groups to ridicule Oranga Tamariki. Melanie Reid is on a damaging course. It seems to be simplistic to paint the uplifting as purposeless and vindictive. I hope that the Enquiries paint a balanced fair picture.
You will have read this ianmac…. https://orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/OIA-responses/children-in-care/20190628-Babies-and-children-entering-Oranga-Tamariki-care.pdf
…found here… https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/393208/oranga-tamariki-stats-increase-in-maori-children-taken
The misrepresentation starts early…
We are a new Ministry… No. You're not new. You have been rebranded.
…that bringing a child into our care can be traumatic for the child and their whānau. It is not a decision we take lightly, and there are, quite rightly, a strong set of checks and balances in the process to ensure that the right decision is made.
No. The checks and balances were not strong enough in the case that Reid focused on.
Wherever it is safe and possible to do so, the child’s parent(s), whānau and other people supporting the whānau will be involved in this decision. Well, er, no. Not in the case highlighted by Reid. CYFS (by any other name) were not the only professionals intimately involved with the young mother and her baby. The input of the midwives and the lawyer was treated with contempt by the social workers.
We are strengthening our confidence and competence to engage more effectively with Māori to improve outcomes for their tamariki and whānau, and fulfil our responsibility to better understand and reflect the people and communities we work with.
Doing better for Māori children is a key priority for Oranga Tamariki and there is new legislation requiring this coming into force from 1 July 2019. Section 7AA is a new section of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which sets out our responsibilities to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori and their whānau, and requires Oranga Tamariki to report annually on the progress made. At this heart of this is working with whānau, hapū, iwi and kaupapa Māori providers to ensure we uphold the mana and whakapapa of tamariki Māori and the whānaungatanga responsibilities of whānau, hapū and iwi.
All this planning and all this insight yet you, CYFS (by any other name), failed to see the shit storm gathering force on the horizon.
Back in February 2017 The New Zealand College of Midwives submitted to the The Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill and expressed the concern that..
The College has noted that early supportive intervention and preventative work has been seriously underfunded, and this has unfortunately led to the main intervention focus of child protection and the removal of children from their families/whānau. Alongside this is a focus on what is described as the ‘most vulnerable children.’ Extending the focus to support and protection of families/whānau and early help, requires a serious commitment on behalf of government to adequate funding and recognition that whānau who are struggling need support before their situations become acute. It signifies a failure of the system if it becomes concerned only when the family/whānau are at the point where social workers and services are unable to support them to ‘turn the curve.’
Bearing in mind that that submission was made under National Rule, how did you think, CYFS(by any other name), the midwives were going to react when the word got around that the uplift of newborns was continuing unabated under the so called Coalition Of Lovingkindness?
An intelligent and sensitive organisation would have made damn sure that those checks and balances were done doubly properly and all professionals close to the mother and baby were involved. Especially the midwives.
Funny that that baby removal which was painted as without warning, and yet Reid and a camera team were there ready and waiting.
We do not know what the causes were, just the effect. Privacy trumps public interest?
“Only the poor break laws – the rich evade them.” – T-Bone Slim
David Hisco, Nigel Murray, Jenny Shipley, Peter Whittall – are their enough rich people to save the world? If we 'feed the rich', will we grow more?
https://prospect.org/article/what-taxing-rich-could-yield
The first thought of people reaching dizzy highs in employment must be, "Phew. I am very rich and very important so I will be exempt from prosecution no matter how much I cheat."
If you need a laugh
Simon Schama frothed and ranted against Jeremy Corbyn this morning, while Kim Hill maintained a silence closely resembling collusion and agreement.
RNZ National, Saturday 6 July 2019, 9:10 a.m.
The first part of this interview by Kim Hill goes as you would expect it to: Simon Schama is a smooth talker, and formidably well informed about art. He sports an impressive résumé, and he loves telling a good story. One of the stories he tells is of meeting Henry Kissinger, who when Schama arrived at his apartment was preoccupied with feeding his dog. "I tried my best not to like him," Schama remembers fondly to Kim Hill, but he was charmed by the great man. "Kissinger is not all bad."
That endorsement of a notorious war criminal is a brief hint of the moral vacuum at the heart of this glib and superficially clever chatterbox. At one point he criticizes President Trump—"stupid", he sniffs contemptuously—for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; this was wrong, Schama claims, because it "undermined even further the Palestinian Authority." Schama doesn't care a jot for the people of the Occupied Territories; a ferocious supporter of the Israeli state, he is merely concerned about the influence of the collaborationist P.A. After that, he slips smoothly into equating opposition to Israel with being anti-Jewish. The attack on Corbyn, equally dishonest, flows naturally from that.
Following are selected highlights, or lowlights, of the interview, starting with his arch and pretentious comments about art and climaxing with that mad blitzkrieg against the leader of the British Labour Party….
KIM HILL: Um, "the besetting sin of contemporary art," you have said, "is its callow, orgiastic narcissism."
SIMON SCHAMA: I don't know about "narcissism." I wouldn't defend that over-fearfully.
KIM HILL: You were involved in the Paris protests in 1968! You have described yourself in those days as "a barbarically feckless youth, stoned on self-righteousness."
……….
SIMON SCHAMA: I reviewed Henry Kissinger's book Diplomacy. I didn't think it was as good as it could have been. He rang me and invited me to his apartment to talk about it. I was thinking of the bomber of Cambodia, and I tried my best not to like him. But when he answered the door, he was feeding his dog. Kissinger is not all bad. ….
SIMON SCHAMA: The Russians and the North Koreans have got Trump to do exactly what they want…. By and large since 1945, America's commitment to its alliances has actually kept the peace. But Trump doesn't know anything about diplomacy. …dismantling the hard-won Iran Nuclear Deal…. moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has undermined even further the Palestinian Authority. …
KIM HILL: Do you think there is anything to these allegations of antisemitism against Jeremy Corbyn?
SIMON SCHAMA: There are very, very good people in the Labour Party, like Tom Watson. Jeremy Corbyn has been extraordinarily culpable in not paying attention to the POISON coursing through the veins of the Labour Party. … Young MPs like Luciana Berger have been subjected to DEATH THREATS! … I don't think he wants to drive Jews into concentration camps, I'm sure he doesn't. … Criticism of Israel morphs into anti-Semitism. …. He's dug his heels in SO MUCH. I don't know quite what we call it, but it amounts to vicious, malignant intransigence. … The Protocols of Zion, that terrible forgery, has never had so many readers—-
KIM HILL: Seriously?
SIMON SCHAMA: Yeah. On the Web.
KIM HILL: Oh, the Web is making us STUPID, and believers in mad conspiracy theories….
… ad nauseam.
After this abortion, I sent Kim Hill the following email, which she read out on air just after the 10 o'clock news….
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018702951/simon-schama-historian-and-author-s-love-affair-with-words
Schama is Jewish, you pillock – of course he doesn't think Corbyn's done enough to combat anti-semitism in the Labour Party. That doesn't make him a "smooth and sinister liar," it makes him "someone with an opinion Morrisey doesn't like."
I'm not quite sure what morsissey wants of the palestinian authority – suicide stone thrower squads and tunneling bombers praps.
That statement was as flagrantly dishonest and offensive as anything said by Simon Slick this morning. Shame on you, Raggy.
By the way, what’s a “suicide stone thrower”?
That was the empty flatulating gumflapping you seem to employ to boost your sense of moral selfworth morpissey. What do you expect the palestinian authority to do?
https://preview.redd.it/z1voyshh4yaz.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=91a180f49171faf82ac7b34827da66c898ed0c6c
Thanks for that photo, my friend. It also serves as an analogy for Kim Hill's effectiveness in that "interview" this morning. Except, of course, that she didn't even throw a pebble at that engine of lies and propaganda. A pity, because his statements were almost all false, and would have collapsed if he had been asked to back them up with any evidence.
Our media frustrates me ……. as it allows a level of ignorance that allows the Gosmans , wayne mapps or SIMON SCHAMAs …. to peddle bullshit.
Kim Hill could have actually informed New Zealanders …and held the dishonest zionists feet to the fire ….. with questions about ….
https://972mag.com/israel-arrests-six-palestinian-journalists-for-incitement/137093/
https://972mag.com/palestinian-minors-israel-prison/142144/
https://electronicintifada.net/content/israel-arming-neo-nazis-ukraine/24876
She could have even asked about Israels Apartheid Bomb ….. the nuclear weapons they co-developed with South Africa … and usa moles
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/US-suspected-Israeli-South-African-nuclear-test-474765
https://www.theglobalist.com/how-israel-helped-a-then-rogue-state-go-nuclear/
http://www.warscapes.com/reportage/decay-third-kingdom-israeli-nuclear-development-and-future-negev-desert-part-two
Maybe kim hill thought she was mike hosking …. and Schama became John Key …. he got a soft stroking in a pony tail of an interview ,,,
Jews in Britain don't "of course" think that at all. You've—no doubt deliberately—conflated right wing haters of Corbyn with Jewish opinion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47322921
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/jewish-labour-supporters-write-letter-support-corbyn
Are you really serious, it is and has always been the Tories who have had a long a sordid history of anti-semitism in the UK, when was the last time Kim Hill, The Guardian or for that matter any MSM outlet has done a piece on that?
Man if you don't understand that this is purely an ideological battle for the media who are cynically using the racist Israeli lobby for their own purpose, it has sweet fuck all if anything to do with anti-semitism, then all I can say is.. well sir, can I sell you a used car… one lady owner….
I don't recall endorsing Schama's opinion or sharing it, just pointing out that it's unsurprising he holds that opinion. I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either.
You claimed that Schama was "of course" obliged to spout vicious nonsense because he's Jewish. If that's not endorsing him, then what were you doing?
You claimed that Schama was "of course" obliged to spout vicious nonsense because he's Jewish.
In some alternate Morrissey-fantasy universe, perhaps. In this real, actually-existing one, of course Schama isn't happy with Corbyn's response to complaints of anti-semitism, because British Jews are highly likely to be unhappy with it. "Vicious nonsense" is your personal opinion, which has a net value of $0.00 outside your own head.
You could also usefully ponder the question of how members of other ethnic groups might take your view that their thoughts on the bigotry they're subjected to is "vicious nonsense." Just for once, as an experiment, like.
" I expect he's none too chuffed with the Tories when it comes to ethnic bigotry either. "…Funny how we wouldn't know that. probably because he never mentioned it..no just the usual bullshit about Labour/Corbyn…that's the point.
Morrissey Kim may have stayed quiet because she wanted to let him explain himself with few prompts. She operates differently to you, can be quite subtle.
I agree with you, Mr Shark: she can indeed be quite subtle. I do enjoy her programme, and I think she is far superior to her godawful temp. Noelle McCarthy.
She does have some grave faults, though, such as a propensity to automatically and uncritically recycle official bilge, and a certain degree of indolence, which was disastrous for her when she came across someone really sharp sixteen years ago….
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/face-to-face-with-kim-hill-john-pilger-2003
stoned on self-righteousness – how does that feel morsissey?
Dunno, Baggers. Ask Simon Schama. But don't expect an honest or enlightening answer, despite the fact he'll keep talking and talking and talking.
"the besetting sin of contemporary art," you have said, "is its callow, orgiastic narcissism."
I'd vote for a) the whore of commerce
or b) totally irrelevant to culture.
But that's just knee-jerk stuff. I'd hope to come up with a more profound dismissal given time…
A pity it wasn't you interviewing him, Dennis. You rightly have divined that there's not a lot of substance behind Schama's scholarly front. Kim Hill was putty in his hands, and treated him with the same deference she showed for other scoundrels from that part of the world, like Jonathan Freedland, Luke Harding, and A.A. Gill.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/04/freedland-uncritically-interviewed-by.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/kim-hill-derided-peter-boykin-but-fawns.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/letter-to-kim-hill-after-she-failed-to.html
Thank you Morrissey, your letter on RNZ this morning is the best thing I have heard on Kim's reactionary show for quite a while..quite a highlight,, actually I was at first surprised that she read it out, as it pointed out quite nicely her obvious flaws, but then on reflection I came to the conclusion that she has gone so far down the rabbit hole of just parroting and giving unquestioned platform to that kind of bullshit, that wouldn't be able to see anything wrong with it..sad really, I used to admire her greatly.
Thanks, Adrian. Actually, to give Kim Hill her due, she almost always reads out my emails to her—and no, I don't write one to her regularly! She's only expressed consternation or anger towards me on one occasion….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/who-is-more-violent-and-despicable.html
morrissey….thank you for that….i can never quite understand why kim hill doesnt take these people to task….corbyn has been anti racism all his political life….meanwhile the genuine racism against moslems from the Tories is swept under the carpet.
But attacking Corbyn as a racist is all they have….he will be PM before xmas
I wonder how the S.F.O is dealing with the investigation of the National party's violation of electoral law over the donation from Zhang Yikun ?
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/07/05/dave-macpherson-serious-fraud-office-sends-terrible-message-over-former-waikato-dhb-ceos-200k-ripoff/
Far too expensive to even investigate mosy. SFO lookin after the taxpayer as per.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018702949/dr-merlyn-hay-vet-who-discovered-m-bovis
This scientist, and woman, for a NZ Order of Merit and also a Damehood.
She has done more for NZ than Roger the dodger.
Dr Merlyn Hay, a name with special powers?
This will be really interesting when the audio goes up on Radionz. He has something very interesting to say about managing predators and where cats useful place is in the chain; there is a chain to consider, not just knee jerk 'cats are bad'.
11:05 John Flux – Lifelong ecologist
John Flux in Iran in 1977 with a road kill hare Photo: Supplied
Internationally respected New Zealand ecologist John Flux has spent his life studying hares, starlings, and even his own cats.
His study of starlings in Belmont Regional Park, near Wellington, has become one of the longest continuous ecological studies in the world, running from 1970 to today.
At its peak he and his wife Meg would examine 500 starling nest boxes, located in munitions bunkers built by the US military in 1942.
John still climbs a ladder each year to check on 50 nesting boxes to see what effect climate change is having on the timing of egg laying.
He's recently authored a paper in the European Journal of Ecology about what humans might learn from the fate of feral populations of domesticated rabbits.
humans might learn
Always possible, I suppose, though past experience doesn't give us much hope…
The Auckland ratepayers open ended cheque for the Americas cup and the cost to the environment in dumping sludge dredged for the village outside Great Barrier Island.
Oh if you don’t want to pay then maybe no event !
Sounds familiar.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/377659/aucklander-ratepayers-to-fork-out-another-14-point-5-million-for-america-s-
7.1 (preliminary est) hits ridgecrest 6.4 was a foreshock.
https://twitter.com/LastQuake/status/1147351492111847424
oh.
https://twitter.com/CavasShips/status/1147357989428506624
I'm not impressed by Trump's blame game today: "Trump blamed a faulty teleprompter for his claim during remarks he made at a July 4th event that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War."
He claimed it broke down. So that technical malfunction caused him to describe the American troops occupying airports in 1775, he expects viewers to believe. I suspect few viewers will detect any causal logic connecting the two things…
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-revolutionary-war-airport-memes-20190705-story.html
“Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports” [NBC]
I imagine the Iranian regime's top guys are trembling in fear right now. The Supreme Leader is likely to have a message descend from his prophet in paradise: cease provoking the infidel, looks like his brain is dysfunctional, he could do anything!
People are noticing.
https://twitter.com/gregolear/status/1146377905783607296
https://twitter.com/TomJChicago/status/1146435213070934016
edit: Having been the primary carer for a dementia patient, this from a couple of days ago clinches it for me.
https://twitter.com/ShotgunZen/status/1135453852617052161
Gee, eh? Dementia onset sometimes sporadic?? The guy can seem lucid enough most of the time then it kicks in for a wee while? Pence must be rubbing his hands in glee…
Sufferers know early on that something is up and when they're sure, they never stop trying to cover up their decline. As things get worse they get more and more determined to pull the wool and refine their tactics to deceive outsiders. This can last for years but eventually, the mask drops and their decline becomes obvious to everyone, not just those closest to them.
The last leg is when they forget they’ve forgotten, believe me, it's a blessing, and it's all down hill from there.
Well, I guess we just wait till a diagnosis becomes official. It's a national security issue as soon as Pence consults with the Secretary of Defense. He'll probably involve Pompeo, since they are both fundamentalists. Watch for a catastrophic Wall St plunge real soon…
@22.2.1
Frying pan to fire stuff.
Shades of Salazar
Time, Friday, Oct. 31, 1969
Therapeutic lying is a thing.
Reminds me of a story about Ronald Reagan in his declining years.
His Secret Service detail used to toss bags of leaves on the ground at one end of the swimming pool. Reagan would come along and laboriously sweep them up and while he was doing so, his detail would be at the other end of the pool tossing more bags of leaves on the ground. It was a way of keeping the old boy occupied while at the same time giving him some physical exercise.
Caption contest please.
Lotsa people having fun.
https://twitter.com/GetLostWithVivi/status/1147235346054336512
https://twitter.com/Chudlife75/status/1147231379844997121
Love that one! We're bound to get a real flood of them tomorrow. The media ought to frame it as a competition of satire, nominate their favourite contender for top satirist.
For those unfamiliar with the China Lake Air Weapons Range or it geography? This geothermal/ volcanic area is to the NW/ NNW of China Lake AWR and the most of the valley has numerous fault lines.
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/coso_volcanic_field/
Totally out of my depth, but is this the one mentioned at 21.1 above?
Yup. Lots of cool geothermal/volcanic stuff going on all the way up the east side of the Sierra Nevadas.
Then there's Death Valley just to the northeast of China Lake.
Fun fact, the highest (Mt Whitney) and lowest points (Badwater, Death Valley) in the 48 states are both in Inyo County, just to the north of China Lake. Both are due to all the faulting and ground movement continually happening there.
NAWS China Lake is not mission capable,non essential personnel evacuating to safe haven.
NON ESSENTIAL active duty, drilling reservists, civilian employees, and dependents are authorized to evacuate to a radius of 100 miles from safe haven Naval Base Ventura County (NVBC).
https://www.facebook.com/NAWSChinaLake/photos/a.1268422873184518/2819705194722937/?type=3&theater
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia ora Newshub.
It's cool that our Coalition Government is funding family care people looking after there disabled family and tamariki 25 a hour sounds good.
A big Earthquake in Los Angeles 7.1 is quite high let's hope that not to much damage is caused by the EarthQuake.
Eco Maori favorite charity The Salvation Army is offering free doctors visit in Waitakare Auckland yes a lot of people can not afford to go to the doctor's.
Yes power is wasted and power bill grow during winter luck our government has given a winter power payments .Eco Maori is going to get Free power from a Micro hydro turbines run from a stream . Ka Pai Tomorrow for showing te tangata how to save money by saving power. Good on Newshub for this positive story
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te Ao Maori News.
I don't think that whakapapa should be sold anyone's whakapapa.
It's good that the Kohanga reo has settled with Tony Waho.
Awesome that Kaitahi superfood company has won te whanganui business awards.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Am Show.
That is awesome our government paying carer's looking after there Whanau who need constant care there are a lot of people struggling to care for there Whanau.
Energy mate hopefully will save people struggling with big power bills a lot of stress.
Cyber security is a very good topic everyone's data can be harvested by the state or others
Ka kite ano
https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4
Eco Maori agrees with the United nations we see destruction caused by human caused climate change all the TIME these days
One climate crisis disaster happening every week, UN warns
Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster representative says
Shares
3,155
Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.
Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large numbers of “lower impact events” that are causing death, displacement and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami Mizutori, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on disaster risk reduction. “This is not about the future, ka kite ano link below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/07/one-climate-crisis-disaster-happening-every-week-un-warns
Kia aro The Am Show.
Jeremy Corbin finally making a commitment to abandoned Brexit Eco Maori backs Britian staying in the European Union.
It's good that I'll people could access medicine weed
The smoke tax has good side effects and bad ones imagine if they were banned ????????.
Some people think they have a higher IQ than they actually have it good for there confidence but that phenomen is easy to read.
A fuel tax on gas guzzling cars is needed good on our government for implementing it they are planning to use the tax to make owning electric cars cheaper subsidy from carbon to clean energy user.
Ka kite ano