For those with an attention span, this is brilliant reading, the Greens will likely be the quiet achievers this Gen. Election and help along with Te Pāti Māori and a reduced NZ Labour quotient to keep Baldrick and Act well away from office.
The best thing the Key Government did was allow the cashing out of one week of holidays. If this Greens policy becomes law bwaghorn could cash it rather than taking the fifth week of holidays if they so choose.
5 weeks ?….nah. A needless distraction. And James Shaw
did say to his credit…
Asked if he liked the sound of an extra week off, Green co-leader James Shaw listed some other “priorities” like “action on climate change” and “ending poverty” instead.
I did like….
In the arts and culture section, the Green Party manifesto said the Government should create a special funding pool for alcohol-free venues.
The party also called for the Government to introduce funding for community and arts groups, so they did not have to rely on the Pub Charities grants which come from gambling revenue.
It might not be an election-changing vote-winner but surely we’ve moved on from binary majority-based policy-making to a situation in which politicians, governments, and by extension, our society look after the interests of minorities, especially when these have been ignored or neglected and lag behind in terms of equity. Surely? If you’re a dogmatic devotee of majoritarianism then you should vote NACT.
I assuming this is to give residency to the children and grandchildren of Maori who left nz long ago, that'd mean those children are from another country, I can't see a need for special privilege because of that.
I also think Noone should have dual citizenship Amy where ever, why should some get privileges because of birth or gaming citizenship rules?
Billions of dollars ($1.3 or so bill in latest US weapons splurge) for technology that demonstrably kills civilians, while the US continues not to prioritise some of its own citizens basic needs.
More proof as if any were needed, that this is a proxy war. Even 5 Eyes partners bar the US of course, have signed up to the international Convention on Cluster Munitions this includes New Zealand, UK, Canada and US Imperialism’s Pacific deputy dog–Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Cluster_Munitions
This war has to end and quickly via the intervention of as many international efforts as possible for a ceasefire, and then negotiations.
Manuherikia River minimum flow recommendations will be put to Otago regional councillors next month, ending a two-year wait, the council has confirmed.
It follows years of wrangling between irrigators concerned about retaining allocations to extract water and people concerned about the river’s health.
A transgender self-identification law has been blocked at the last minute in Germany over fears it will be abused by criminals trying to escape punishment.
…
Important information like criminal records, outstanding arrest warrants and weapons licences need to be recognizable to prosecutors in databases after changing name and gender,” Dirk Peglow, chair of the Alliance of German Legal Civil Servants, told the German news magazine Der Spiegel.
……..
The draft law would ban police and other agencies from using the name a person went by before transitioning. But Nancy Faeser, the interior minister of Scholz’s Social Democrats, reportedly insisted that both names must be automatically given to enforcement authorities to prevent criminals misusing the fast-track gender-swap procedure.
A few other concerns are all noted, but rest assured that the well being of women – human females of all ages was not a concern at all. But at least the Police has had some success with their concerns.
This is a block based on law and the ability to execute law by police and court. In essence it would make police work impossible as you could not describe victims or perpetrators, you could not arrest the person with their deadname on the arrest warrant etc. It would undermine all of law.
In some discussion about what to do when the hubby/wife comes out as trans what do you do? Honestly, i would declare my husband dead. Not even go for a divorce, as with the change of their 'sex marker' and 'name' they killed whom ever was there before. Why would i divorce a 'woman' i never was married too in the first place.
Now the conspiracy theorist in me stipulates that if you want to change many laws – how would you go about? Open debate, and little tweaks here an there to go with the times, or you undermine them altogether and then create new laws to better fit the time.
that is the question that Germany needs to answer now. And some other countries if ever they have political appointees that still have some sort of respect for their country, the laws they are sworn to upheld, and some integrity and courage. I am not holding my breath though that it would be found here and in many other places.
Case in point: A young boy recently got attacked by two women, beaten unconsious and then raped. The discription for the women, One is 1.9 meter the 1.75.
The description did not talk about boys he /him, but kids/children he/him so could be both male or female.
It can't be good for police work.
And here in NZ we have the case of the big burly person who tortured a young girl to death, referred to as a she/her. The dead girl never stood a fighting chance, but at least we not gonna upset the murderer/torturer with the wrong pronouns.
Arguing from the specific to the general there, Sabine.
Under that approach to law-making, no women should teach teenagers, based on the number of women who have been successfully prosecuted for having sex with their students.
The British tabloid Press has a flush of excitement a couple of years ago when they noted a rise in the numbers of "women" being prosecuted for sex crimes against children. However the most basic of research showed that these were just the usual perverts, but now with an extra co-morbidity.
And it is precisely the reason Germany blocked Self ID for now.
In Germany the reason Self ID was blocked was because Justice, Corrections pointed out that they could no longer in any meaningful way uphold the law if they can not refer to aliases of people, refer tot he state of their biology, and so on and so forth.
This poster is just someone who is after a cheap gotcha, chances are they could no more define the word woman in any meaningful term then our PM couldn't just some time ago. The reality is, this poster could not point out if the 'woman' rapists are male or female as identifying as a woman is something anyone can do, male or female alike.
Hence the reason why Germany currently has a block on Self ID.
Btw, Rape in the UK is always the act of a male as it involves always the penis. Any other sexual assault is classified differently. Rape involves the penis, thus is always the crime of a male no matter how that male identifies.
The legal definition of rape is when a person intentionally penetrates another's vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without the other person's consent."
But then, they – the poster – might be one of them that believe that women have penises. Who knows, it's all so confusing now. 🙂
Maybe in 20 – 50 years humanity will have the knowledge to graft arm / leg rolls onto the pupic bone of females that will simulate 'penis' quite well (or no one will know what a real penis is anymore cause they all got cut off and inverted) and at that stage Transmen(human females identifying as men) will also be part of that 'male' group that rapes.
edit:
I only believe that about 5 – 10 % of all humanity are sexual predators. They are however quite prolific, and sadly it seems supported by many for cheap gotchas and to scare females into kindness and acquiescence.
"Even Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP’s reliably progressive leader, claimed that she couldn’t be sure whether Isla Bryson was actually a woman. This is an outrage. Just because Isla has a penis, testicles and a track record of sexual assault doesn’t make her any less of a lady".
Of course, some women teachers can and do sexually abuse students. And some trans people commit sexual assault. Therefore we must ban women from teaching and trans women from existing.
'According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, females account for around 10 percent of all sex crimes reported to authorities,” Fox News reported. “However, a much higher percentage – over 30 percent – of all teacher-student sexual offenses are estimated to have been perpetrated by females.'
'The Blenheim teacher who admitted sexually abusing two schoolboys has been jailed – but still cannot be named as she continues the fight to keep her identity a secret. She is understood to be the first female teacher in New Zealand convicted and sentenced for sexual offending against students. And it was confirmed in court that the woman did not dispute having sexual relationships with other older boys.'
Based on those figures 70-90% of teacher student sex-crimes are committed by males. Ignoring, for the moment, the huge differential between the numbers of women and men teachers in the profession – that would mean (following your argument) that males are even more unsafe as teachers than women are.
"Under that approach to law-making, no women should teach teenagers, based on the number of women who have been successfully prosecuted for having sex with their students."
Can you explain this leap of logic in more detail, tWiggle?
Moderators, does TS mind these archived links being posted to allow access to articles. There were a couple of commentators who seemed concerned, is there a TS policy?
Interesting comment by the anti-discrimination commissioner:
"Ferda Ataman, the anti-discrimination commissioner, has accused the government of bowing down to Right-wing populism with the delay after it put the brakes on the reform.
“It’s being said that we have to be worried about men and women no longer being clearly defined, and men changing their gender just to get into a sauna and gawp at women.” But, she pointed out “in Germany we have mostly mixed-sex saunas anyway. No man has to legally change their gender to see a naked woman.”"
Such an illogical argument.
People using mixed-sex spaces CONSENT to inclusion of the other sex.
The impact will be on single-sex spaces, where consent is not transferable.
The anti-discrimination commissioner seems to be anti-critical thinking.
The anti-discrimination commissioner is discriminative against women – human females as women – human females are entitled to single sex spaces under the law and can not be discriminated against on the grounds of their sex. Oops.
And as the Police and the Justice Department and Ministers in Germany have helpfully pointed out these provisions in law exists and currently they are being blatantly broken and transgressions can not be appropriately policed and prosecuted.
'Woriads', worthy of respect in a democratic society, until the laws are changed.
Why do you fuss so much about NZ self-id? It allows people to change their sex on birth certificates by affirmation, without having to go through the Family Court, as previously.
From the Dept of Internal Affairs website 'Birth certificates are not intended to be considered proof of a person's identity' and 'are not usually used to determine a person's right to access single sex services or spaces'.
In fuller detail:
'Questions about the implications of self-identification for service providers
What does the new law say about how service providers should consider birth certificates as evidence of sex or gender?
The new legislation clarifies how birth certificates can be used as evidence of sex or gender. Where service providers need to determine someone’s sex or gender, other factors can be considered over and above the registered sex listed on a birth certificate. This reflects the fact that birth certificates are not intended to be considered evidence of a person’s identity (usually birth certificates are provided with other documents such as a driver licence or passports to prove identity).
What does self-identification mean for single sex spaces and activities such as changing rooms and sports teams?
The self-identification process should not affect how access to single sex spaces or sports is determined. Birth certificates are not usually used to determine a person’s right to access single sex services or spaces.
Organisations and individuals can continue to rely on their own policies rather than birth certificates. For example, it is still up to individual governing bodies to determine how sex and gender are determined in sport. It is also still up to individual schools to discuss with learners, parents, caregivers and whānau what name and gender learners use, regardless of the details on their birth certificates.
How will self-identification affect the placement of people in prison?
The self-identification process should not affect the placement of people in prison. Corrections is exploring a policy change to ensure birth certificates are not an overriding consideration in placement decisions. Any changes will come into force alongside the self-identification process.’
They discuss results of a very interesting study mining NZ health and justice data used to evaluate mental health diagnosis with justice system outcomes.
Thanks tWiggle. Family has ADHD but luckily avoided the justice system. One was in his 20s by the time he got diagnosed and then treatment. An earlier visit to a Psychologist he was told no such thing as ADHD. Big help.
It's the central base of our democracy so no wonder it comes in at #4 on Stuff's daily popularity rating. Democrats throughout the nation glued to the screen!
Even his mother, the epitome of duty, was reluctant to move in when she became sovereign in 1952. According to legend, it was only when her prime minister, Winston Churchill, put his foot down that she gave up hope of staying in Clarence House. “You are basically living above the office,” said one former servant, “so it doesn’t lend itself to privacy and it’s not an easy place to relax.”
Edward VIII complained about “the gloom of Buckingham Palace” and how the family would “freeze up” as soon as they went inside. When the then princess Elizabeth moved in with her family in 1937, the palace had a full-time pest controller to dispose of mice, and her governess likened staying at the palace to “camping in a museum”.
The mice were still in residence when the Obamas stayed at the palace in 2011 (Barack Obama was terrified his wife, Michelle, who is frightened of mice, would find out), and the couple found themselves accommodated for the first and only time in a presidential guest suite that did not have an en-suite bathroom. The Obamas had to cross a corridor to clean their teeth and wash… The majority of the 775 rooms are accounted for by the 188 staff bedrooms, 52 guest rooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 19 state rooms and various other service rooms, including kitchens, storage rooms and staff canteens… Throughout her life, the late queen used a two-bar electric fire to heat rooms at Buckingham Palace in which enormous fireplaces were never lit. The king is so appalled at the energy bills for Buckingham Palace that he has ordered staff to set the thermostats at no higher than 19C in the winter, and when rooms are not being used they are turned down to 16C, with radiators turned off completely at weekends. He has also stopped heating the swimming pool.
It's tough at the top. Our head of state will struggle within the shackles of democracy regardless of how well they do the multi-year renovations. Still, look on the bright side. The multitude of ghosts abiding in those massive empty room will keep him in good company, whispering in his ear during sleep, connecting him to tradition. Democracy's inertial effect will proceed on this experiential basis…
In 2021 National hassled the government about lack of RATs, even though orders were in place, and tests arrived in time for the winter wave of covid. Otto's timeline also lays out National's attack of the government covid response to make political capital.
Captain Hindsight and Corporal Knew-it-all-Along (Luxon and Bishop) are at it again. Many of the so-called wasted RAT tests may get used anyway. I used a couple this week because I've got a heavy cold and I know people who have recently caught Covid.
Just because the RAT tests have expired according to the date on the packet does not make them unusable so long as they have been stored carefully. They were never that accurate in the first place, something the Captain and Corporal refused to acknowledge. I think many people would be happy to take a few packets for future use.
I’m a baby boomer, live next door to a school, have children, and grandchildren.
The sheer entitlement and fucking arrogance of those who time is so precious they’d rather risk the lives of kids to save themselves a few seconds tells you everything you need to know about them and their ilk.
The sooner the boomer generation is confined to history the better.
In 1990 road deaths were running at about 700 a year. In 2023 they are running at about 350 per year.
Over this time the population has gone from 3.4m to 5.2m.
Deaths per million have gone from 206 per million to 67 per million.
So this is pretty good, but we are way behind Europe-the EU has 46 deaths per million.
It's hard to tell how the "Road to Zero" is going because traffic was so light in the Covid years 2021 and 2022 but I love the policies of more median barriers, improved junctions and lower speed limits. My understanding is the government has had some resistance to this because contractors like to bild roads not fix roads up.
Where the article says “Road safety campaigner, Clive Matthew-Wilson, said the Road to Zero project was “a dismal failure”” Where is his evidence?
Median barriers are causing some issues for police who have to drive a-ways before turning around to get to offenders / emergencies in the opposite direction.
Not a reason for not doing them but long stretches with no gaps could be better redesigned.
It would be more useful in analysisng the Road to Zero policy – in looking at road deaths in 2018 (before it was implemented) and in 2022 (the most recent full year, after the policy was implemented – and one in which there were no lockdowns).
The totals are virtually the same.
The final road toll five years ago (2018) was finalised at 378 deaths in that year, meaning at this point the 2022 provisional tally eerily mirrored the same figure.
I suspect that this is the "dismal failure" of the Road to Zero campaign referenced – all of the median barriers, improved junctions and lowered speed limits implemented since 2018 – have made no difference to the numbers killed.
Alas, I think a large part of that decrease is due to airbags. The number to look at is the rate of vehicle accidents with reported casualties, not deaths.
Car body construction has improved hugely so that cars do not crumple on impact and the car frame is designed to absorb the impact as well as the airbags.
The state of the roads is also important. Cars crossing to the wrong side of the road can't happen with median barriers. Better designed junctions are important. There are two terrible junctions in Wanaka that are scheduled to be replaced by a roundabout and traffic lights for instance. And so on….
What we don’t need is motorways being built using the excuse that they are safer. They are massively expensive-much better to spend this on public transport.
Nothing in the article saying that it is only (or even primarily) boomers complaining.
When we look at deaths from speeding (people, who by definition already don't care about any speed limits) the under 30 age group are much more significantly represented than the over 60s (the boomers)
With over 90% of drivers speeding outside the school near my home, I can guarantee you it's not limited to a certain age range (younger people maybe on their mobile phone while speeding though). Speeding is widespread and excessive in this country (there are more drivers over 60 km/h than within the limit of 30 km/h – I measured it).
But then the police doesn't care (and probably doesn't have enough resources), the council doesn't care (they even widened the road), the 90% of the drivers don't care either… and the funny thing is, following one of those "speedsters" you will very likely see them at the next traffic light over 1 km away… so they didn't even safe any travel time (they are just morons complaining about their high petrol bill mainly caused by their stupid driving habits).
And then the fines for traffic offences in the country can only be considered a joke. $30 for speeding, same as late 90s… when a glass of beer in a pub was $2, the house prices $150,000… compared to $15 and $900,000 or so here in Wellington.
Speeding tickets should start at $200+ – similar to drinking alcohol in a liquor ban zone, like Country Place (I guess whoever set $250 dollar fine figured out that nobody cares about $30, $40 to $60 anymore), and, if you ask me, we should introduce a license suspension for anything 20km/h plus over the speed limit in towns, like they do in many Europe countries.
It's illegal to be on phones while driving, but all these new cars have a bloody ipad as their central control. You literally can't watch the road and it. And some even have more screens displaying all manner of distracting info – I drove one that had three(!).
Please, give me my knobs and switches back, tactility, so I can watch the damn road (and possibly the speedo).
The Heron review was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) after it was revealed dawn raids continued after then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s 2021 apology to Pacific People for historic Dawn Raids.
The review found that despite the immense publicity of the apology in 2021, nothing was done by ministers or officials to change the way the Government sought people for deportation. The review found the apology “created a reasonable expectation within the Pasifika community that ‘dawn’ intrusions into houses would cease (or at least would be a very last resort”.
It found there “does not appear to have been an attempt to implement the principles of the government’s apology or alter out of hours visits in light of it”. Only now, after the review was initiated, was MBIE updating its internal guidance for dawn raids to align them with the apology.
Look, everyone knows the pandemic afflicted Labour mental processes so extensively that they became unable to make decisions. People point that out onsite here constantly, so it must be true. Faafoi may have put it on the cabinet agenda & it got displaced later.
Jacinda knew someone had told her she had to apologise for what Muldoon had done. It's vitally important that Labour accept responsibility for National mistakes. Apparently. Dunno why. You can't blame her for forgetting to ensure that the same mistakes weren't being produced by her govt: that's rocket science thinking, which Labour doesn't do. Still racist though, according to islanders…
Since 2015, there have been 95 dawn raids, which found 117 people for deportation, of whom 101 were eventually deported. Of those 101 people, eight were Pacific Island nationals, while 47 were Chinese nationals. This was largely the result of a pivot from focusing on horticulture visas to focusing on construction, where more Chinese nationals work.
“When presented with evidence that Chinese and Indian persons made up the majority of deportees, the Pasifika community told us that this was still racist – the racism had turned to other parties, " the review said.
Or the current stats realistically reflect the racial proportions of overstayers. Looks like NZ Herald didn't bother to investigate that possibility in their reportage – in a hurry for an anti-government soundbite.
A 2020 Herald article estimated 10,000 overstayers in NZ, mostly Pasifika. The article is about an Indian overstayer who came as a student on borrowed money.
Oops, seems like a switch from PI overstayers to Chinese construction workers could, in fact, be racist.
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Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
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https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/132512457/5-policies-you-might-not-have-expected-from-the-greens-election-manifesto
Greens policies.
An extra weeks holiday, na 4s plenty , businesses are gonna hate it.
Free lunches, yip if the school wants it.
Nin resident Maori getting automatic residency, more decisive policy, that in reality won’t affect many people
Council ability to set tax, na government needs a hand on the tiller.
Funding arts stuff and alcohol free gigs , ok
So they've released policies. At least someone has aye?
Sometimes I'm sure politicians make up policy just to be seen to be doing something, I'm sure, if it ain't broke don't fix it.
For those with an attention span, this is brilliant reading, the Greens will likely be the quiet achievers this Gen. Election and help along with Te Pāti Māori and a reduced NZ Labour quotient to keep Baldrick and Act well away from office.
https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2023
what does that mean?
No, Four is plenty
The best thing the Key Government did was allow the cashing out of one week of holidays. If this Greens policy becomes law bwaghorn could cash it rather than taking the fifth week of holidays if they so choose.
4 weeks holiday
Actually the Greens have put forward a progressive and coherent and consistent set of policies, and they are a great challenge.
Good on the Greens.
I don't always like them but they are coherent and consistent.
5 weeks ?….nah. A needless distraction. And James Shaw
did say to his credit…
I did like….
Both the alcohol and gambling industries have massive reach and IMO proven adverse consequences for Communities.
Pub "charities" , charitably gifting funds from harmful pokies ?…a blight on aforesaid Communities.
On another..did you see my reply re your Passenger Rail comment? Had some links. I , (and many others) think Passenger Rail…is well needed in NZ.
Yip I a saw your reply, thanks
It might not be an election-changing vote-winner but surely we’ve moved on from binary majority-based policy-making to a situation in which politicians, governments, and by extension, our society look after the interests of minorities, especially when these have been ignored or neglected and lag behind in terms of equity. Surely? If you’re a dogmatic devotee of majoritarianism then you should vote NACT.
I assuming this is to give residency to the children and grandchildren of Maori who left nz long ago, that'd mean those children are from another country, I can't see a need for special privilege because of that.
I also think Noone should have dual citizenship Amy where ever, why should some get privileges because of birth or gaming citizenship rules?
Biden green lights Cluster Munitions in Ukraine.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/7/us-to-give-ukraine-widely-banned-cluster-munitions-despite-fears
Billions of dollars ($1.3 or so bill in latest US weapons splurge) for technology that demonstrably kills civilians, while the US continues not to prioritise some of its own citizens basic needs.
More proof as if any were needed, that this is a proxy war. Even 5 Eyes partners bar the US of course, have signed up to the international Convention on Cluster Munitions this includes New Zealand, UK, Canada and US Imperialism’s Pacific deputy dog–Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Cluster_Munitions
This war has to end and quickly via the intervention of as many international efforts as possible for a ceasefire, and then negotiations.
War is a racket for those that sell weapon and a shallow grave in a ditch for the young ones send to fight for the old men.
exactly
Agree Sabine.
Surely…A Rivers health….affects everyone ? And 2 years to get…where ?
IMO I am certain..that some are desperate for ACT to assume absolute control. As in : River health ? Climate change? fuck off….
Even if minimum flow levels are set:
* will they be sufficient to protect the river environment?
* will they be enforced or will ORC turn a blind eye to lawbreakers?
Well it seems like Self ID in Germany has hit a roadblock.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/07/09/germany-trans-self-id-blocked-criminals-escape-prosecution/
A few other concerns are all noted, but rest assured that the well being of women – human females of all ages was not a concern at all. But at least the Police has had some success with their concerns.
Bit like the NZ Green Party policy on the "Rainbow Community" which hardly mentions same sex attracted people at all.
This is a block based on law and the ability to execute law by police and court. In essence it would make police work impossible as you could not describe victims or perpetrators, you could not arrest the person with their deadname on the arrest warrant etc. It would undermine all of law.
In some discussion about what to do when the hubby/wife comes out as trans what do you do? Honestly, i would declare my husband dead. Not even go for a divorce, as with the change of their 'sex marker' and 'name' they killed whom ever was there before. Why would i divorce a 'woman' i never was married too in the first place.
Now the conspiracy theorist in me stipulates that if you want to change many laws – how would you go about? Open debate, and little tweaks here an there to go with the times, or you undermine them altogether and then create new laws to better fit the time.
that is the question that Germany needs to answer now. And some other countries if ever they have political appointees that still have some sort of respect for their country, the laws they are sworn to upheld, and some integrity and courage. I am not holding my breath though that it would be found here and in many other places.
Case in point: A young boy recently got attacked by two women, beaten unconsious and then raped. The discription for the women, One is 1.9 meter the 1.75.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-66107716
Go try find these women. 🙂
Here you have three kids that go buy he/him pronouns that got lost, luckily they got found.
https://reduxx.info/missing-childrens-notice-describes-three-boys-by-pronouns/
The description did not talk about boys he /him, but kids/children he/him so could be both male or female.
It can't be good for police work.
And here in NZ we have the case of the big burly person who tortured a young girl to death, referred to as a she/her. The dead girl never stood a fighting chance, but at least we not gonna upset the murderer/torturer with the wrong pronouns.
Arguing from the specific to the general there, Sabine.
Under that approach to law-making, no women should teach teenagers, based on the number of women who have been successfully prosecuted for having sex with their students.
why don't you write a letter to the editor?
The British tabloid Press has a flush of excitement a couple of years ago when they noted a rise in the numbers of "women" being prosecuted for sex crimes against children. However the most basic of research showed that these were just the usual perverts, but now with an extra co-morbidity.
This is just one of many
examples.https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/22739331.sussex-police-row-trans-woman-paedophile/
And it is precisely the reason Germany blocked Self ID for now.
In Germany the reason Self ID was blocked was because Justice, Corrections pointed out that they could no longer in any meaningful way uphold the law if they can not refer to aliases of people, refer tot he state of their biology, and so on and so forth.
This poster is just someone who is after a cheap gotcha, chances are they could no more define the word woman in any meaningful term then our PM couldn't just some time ago. The reality is, this poster could not point out if the 'woman' rapists are male or female as identifying as a woman is something anyone can do, male or female alike.
Hence the reason why Germany currently has a block on Self ID.
Btw, Rape in the UK is always the act of a male as it involves always the penis. Any other sexual assault is classified differently. Rape involves the penis, thus is always the crime of a male no matter how that male identifies.
What is rape and sexual assault?
Metropolitan Police
https://www.met.police.uk › advice › rsa › what-is-rap…
The legal definition of rape is when a person intentionally penetrates another's vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without the other person's consent."
But then, they – the poster – might be one of them that believe that women have penises. Who knows, it's all so confusing now. 🙂
edit:
Maybe in 20 – 50 years humanity will have the knowledge to graft arm / leg rolls onto the pupic bone of females that will simulate 'penis' quite well (or no one will know what a real penis is anymore cause they all got cut off and inverted) and at that stage Transmen(human females identifying as men) will also be part of that 'male' group that rapes.
edit:
I only believe that about 5 – 10 % of all humanity are sexual predators. They are however quite prolific, and sadly it seems supported by many for cheap gotchas and to scare females into kindness and acquiescence.
Confusion all the way.
"Even Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP’s reliably progressive leader, claimed that she couldn’t be sure whether Isla Bryson was actually a woman. This is an outrage. Just because Isla has a penis, testicles and a track record of sexual assault doesn’t make her any less of a lady".
https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/march-2023/double-rapists-can-be-ladies-too/?fbclid=IwAR3XX5OpButB56G0sWIPgvsjNVuJkVf12QYnB4P4R-JhRkeS3wIUzxk7GPY
Sabine, your oversize women in Essex are reported only to have sexually assaulted their victim, not raped them.
Of course, some women teachers can and do sexually abuse students. And some trans people commit sexual assault. Therefore we must ban women from teaching and trans women from existing.
from the US
'According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, females account for around 10 percent of all sex crimes reported to authorities,” Fox News reported. “However, a much higher percentage – over 30 percent – of all teacher-student sexual offenses are estimated to have been perpetrated by females.'
2019 in NZ
'The Blenheim teacher who admitted sexually abusing two schoolboys has been jailed – but still cannot be named as she continues the fight to keep her identity a secret. She is understood to be the first female teacher in New Zealand convicted and sentenced for sexual offending against students. And it was confirmed in court that the woman did not dispute having sexual relationships with other older boys.'
Based on those figures 70-90% of teacher student sex-crimes are committed by males – so therefore, males are even more unqualified to teach.
What does that leave us with? Robots?
Based on those figures 70-90% of teacher student sex-crimes are committed by males. Ignoring, for the moment, the huge differential between the numbers of women and men teachers in the profession – that would mean (following your argument) that males are even more unsafe as teachers than women are.
What does that leave us with? Robots?
"Under that approach to law-making, no women should teach teenagers, based on the number of women who have been successfully prosecuted for having sex with their students."
Can you explain this leap of logic in more detail, tWiggle?
Archived link available.
Moderators, does TS mind these archived links being posted to allow access to articles. There were a couple of commentators who seemed concerned, is there a TS policy?
Interesting comment by the anti-discrimination commissioner:
"Ferda Ataman, the anti-discrimination commissioner, has accused the government of bowing down to Right-wing populism with the delay after it put the brakes on the reform.
“It’s being said that we have to be worried about men and women no longer being clearly defined, and men changing their gender just to get into a sauna and gawp at women.” But, she pointed out “in Germany we have mostly mixed-sex saunas anyway. No man has to legally change their gender to see a naked woman.”"
Such an illogical argument.
People using mixed-sex spaces CONSENT to inclusion of the other sex.
The impact will be on single-sex spaces, where consent is not transferable.
The anti-discrimination commissioner seems to be anti-critical thinking.
The anti-discrimination commissioner is discriminative against women – human females as women – human females are entitled to single sex spaces under the law and can not be discriminated against on the grounds of their sex. Oops.
And as the Police and the Justice Department and Ministers in Germany have helpfully pointed out these provisions in law exists and currently they are being blatantly broken and transgressions can not be appropriately policed and prosecuted.
'Woriads', worthy of respect in a democratic society, until the laws are changed.
Why do you fuss so much about NZ self-id? It allows people to change their sex on birth certificates by affirmation, without having to go through the Family Court, as previously.
From the Dept of Internal Affairs website 'Birth certificates are not intended to be considered proof of a person's identity' and 'are not usually used to determine a person's right to access single sex services or spaces'.
In fuller detail:
'Questions about the implications of self-identification for service providers
What does the new law say about how service providers should consider birth certificates as evidence of sex or gender?
The new legislation clarifies how birth certificates can be used as evidence of sex or gender. Where service providers need to determine someone’s sex or gender, other factors can be considered over and above the registered sex listed on a birth certificate. This reflects the fact that birth certificates are not intended to be considered evidence of a person’s identity (usually birth certificates are provided with other documents such as a driver licence or passports to prove identity).
What does self-identification mean for single sex spaces and activities such as changing rooms and sports teams?
The self-identification process should not affect how access to single sex spaces or sports is determined. Birth certificates are not usually used to determine a person’s right to access single sex services or spaces.
Organisations and individuals can continue to rely on their own policies rather than birth certificates. For example, it is still up to individual governing bodies to determine how sex and gender are determined in sport. It is also still up to individual schools to discuss with learners, parents, caregivers and whānau what name and gender learners use, regardless of the details on their birth certificates.
How will self-identification affect the placement of people in prison?
The self-identification process should not affect the placement of people in prison. Corrections is exploring a policy change to ensure birth certificates are not an overriding consideration in placement decisions. Any changes will come into force alongside the self-identification process.’
Can you give a coherent definition of gender so all can follow your reasoning?
Then I will be able to respond to your musings and points without any misunderstanding.
Nine to noon interview about skew in ADHD youth numbers in prison
They discuss results of a very interesting study mining NZ health and justice data used to evaluate mental health diagnosis with justice system outcomes.
Thanks tWiggle. Family has ADHD but luckily avoided the justice system. One was in his 20s by the time he got diagnosed and then treatment. An earlier visit to a Psychologist he was told no such thing as ADHD. Big help.
It's the central base of our democracy so no wonder it comes in at #4 on Stuff's daily popularity rating. Democrats throughout the nation glued to the screen!
It's tough at the top. Our head of state will struggle within the shackles of democracy regardless of how well they do the multi-year renovations. Still, look on the bright side. The multitude of ghosts abiding in those massive empty room will keep him in good company, whispering in his ear during sleep, connecting him to tradition. Democracy's inertial effect will proceed on this experiential basis…
Gerald Otto's facebook post timelines National's hypocricy in moaning about RAT test costs
In 2021 National hassled the government about lack of RATs, even though orders were in place, and tests arrived in time for the winter wave of covid. Otto's timeline also lays out National's attack of the government covid response to make political capital.
Thanks for that tWig.
Captain Hindsight and Corporal Knew-it-all-Along (Luxon and Bishop) are at it again. Many of the so-called wasted RAT tests may get used anyway. I used a couple this week because I've got a heavy cold and I know people who have recently caught Covid.
Just because the RAT tests have expired according to the date on the packet does not make them unusable so long as they have been stored carefully. They were never that accurate in the first place, something the Captain and Corporal refused to acknowledge. I think many people would be happy to take a few packets for future use.
Google, which is never wrongtells me:
"you can use an expired test until you can get new ones, as long as the control line is working."
Ta tWiggle, that was vg. Worth folowing.
This really pisses me off.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plenty/300922764/the-not-fast-and-the-very-furious-30kph-limit-plans-for-nz-towns
I’m a baby boomer, live next door to a school, have children, and grandchildren.
The sheer entitlement and fucking arrogance of those who time is so precious they’d rather risk the lives of kids to save themselves a few seconds tells you everything you need to know about them and their ilk.
The sooner the boomer generation is confined to history the better.
Can you elaborate please?
Have you read the Stuff story? Should be self explanatory from there.
In 1990 road deaths were running at about 700 a year. In 2023 they are running at about 350 per year.
Over this time the population has gone from 3.4m to 5.2m.
Deaths per million have gone from 206 per million to 67 per million.
So this is pretty good, but we are way behind Europe-the EU has 46 deaths per million.
It's hard to tell how the "Road to Zero" is going because traffic was so light in the Covid years 2021 and 2022 but I love the policies of more median barriers, improved junctions and lower speed limits. My understanding is the government has had some resistance to this because contractors like to bild roads not fix roads up.
Where the article says “Road safety campaigner, Clive Matthew-Wilson, said the Road to Zero project was “a dismal failure”” Where is his evidence?
Median barriers are causing some issues for police who have to drive a-ways before turning around to get to offenders / emergencies in the opposite direction.
Not a reason for not doing them but long stretches with no gaps could be better redesigned.
It would be more useful in analysisng the Road to Zero policy – in looking at road deaths in 2018 (before it was implemented) and in 2022 (the most recent full year, after the policy was implemented – and one in which there were no lockdowns).
The totals are virtually the same.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/481764/tragic-tally-60-more-people-killed-on-the-roads-in-2022-than-2021
I suspect that this is the "dismal failure" of the Road to Zero campaign referenced – all of the median barriers, improved junctions and lowered speed limits implemented since 2018 – have made no difference to the numbers killed.
Alas, I think a large part of that decrease is due to airbags. The number to look at is the rate of vehicle accidents with reported casualties, not deaths.
Good point tWig, But there are many factors.
Car body construction has improved hugely so that cars do not crumple on impact and the car frame is designed to absorb the impact as well as the airbags.
The state of the roads is also important. Cars crossing to the wrong side of the road can't happen with median barriers. Better designed junctions are important. There are two terrible junctions in Wanaka that are scheduled to be replaced by a roundabout and traffic lights for instance. And so on….
What we don’t need is motorways being built using the excuse that they are safer. They are massively expensive-much better to spend this on public transport.
Nothing in the article saying that it is only (or even primarily) boomers complaining.
When we look at deaths from speeding (people, who by definition already don't care about any speed limits) the under 30 age group are much more significantly represented than the over 60s (the boomers)
https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/speed
With over 90% of drivers speeding outside the school near my home, I can guarantee you it's not limited to a certain age range (younger people maybe on their mobile phone while speeding though). Speeding is widespread and excessive in this country (there are more drivers over 60 km/h than within the limit of 30 km/h – I measured it).
But then the police doesn't care (and probably doesn't have enough resources), the council doesn't care (they even widened the road), the 90% of the drivers don't care either… and the funny thing is, following one of those "speedsters" you will very likely see them at the next traffic light over 1 km away… so they didn't even safe any travel time (they are just morons complaining about their high petrol bill mainly caused by their stupid driving habits).
And then the fines for traffic offences in the country can only be considered a joke. $30 for speeding, same as late 90s… when a glass of beer in a pub was $2, the house prices $150,000… compared to $15 and $900,000 or so here in Wellington.
Speeding tickets should start at $200+ – similar to drinking alcohol in a liquor ban zone, like Country Place (I guess whoever set $250 dollar fine figured out that nobody cares about $30, $40 to $60 anymore), and, if you ask me, we should introduce a license suspension for anything 20km/h plus over the speed limit in towns, like they do in many Europe countries.
It's illegal to be on phones while driving, but all these new cars have a bloody ipad as their central control. You literally can't watch the road and it. And some even have more screens displaying all manner of distracting info – I drove one that had three(!).
Please, give me my knobs and switches back, tactility, so I can watch the damn road (and possibly the speedo).
Ship aground, captain went missing:
Look, everyone knows the pandemic afflicted Labour mental processes so extensively that they became unable to make decisions. People point that out onsite here constantly, so it must be true. Faafoi may have put it on the cabinet agenda & it got displaced later.
Jacinda knew someone had told her she had to apologise for what Muldoon had done. It's vitally important that Labour accept responsibility for National mistakes. Apparently. Dunno why. You can't blame her for forgetting to ensure that the same mistakes weren't being produced by her govt: that's rocket science thinking, which Labour doesn't do. Still racist though, according to islanders…
Or the current stats realistically reflect the racial proportions of overstayers. Looks like NZ Herald didn't bother to investigate that possibility in their reportage – in a hurry for an anti-government soundbite.
A 2020 Herald article estimated 10,000 overstayers in NZ, mostly Pasifika. The article is about an Indian overstayer who came as a student on borrowed money.
Oops, seems like a switch from PI overstayers to Chinese construction workers could, in fact, be racist.