Gender critical feminists are generally socially conservitive and reactionary. Quite frankly, there are views that need to be silenced, if we are to have some form of social progress.
The overturning of Roe v Wade is one of the end points of allowing free speech.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Gender critical feminists are generally socially conservitive and reactionary. Quite frankly, there are views that need to be silenced, if we are to have some form of social progress.
The overturning of Roe v Wade is one of the end points of allowing free speech.
This is complete nonsense. You are mistaking GCFs for gender critical conservatives. GCFs are left wing/centre left/progressive feminists, often with very long histories of work on women’s rights including on abortion rights. It’s that work (theory, analysis, academic, grassroots) that informs gender critical feminist positions. GCFs often critique conservative gender politics.
The reason we have a reactionary, conservative backlash against trans people is because the liberal left got sucked into No Debate by Stonewall UK and other progressional lobby groups. Had GCFs and women generally been allowed to speak freely, we would have solid left wing positions on women’s sex based rights to push back on the conservative positions. Instead, trans allies appear to have decided to shut all women up because anything is better than questioning gender identity ideology. Can’t really complain afterwards about the debate then being dominated by people like Kellie Jay Keen or Matt Walsh.
If people want o understand what gender critical feminism is, read Jane Clare Jones, Kathleen Stock, Julie Bindel, Jo Phoenix, Brighton Sisters, Women’s Place UK, FiLiA
Here’s the Standard’s category for gender critical feminism posts
No, Gender critical feminists have always been right wing. I have spent hours combing through the twitter feeds of various CG feminists, such as Maya Forstater, Helen Joyce, and the Landy sisters (to name a few), and there is a lot of stuff there that the likes of Pat Roberston, Jerry Falwell and the likes would agree with.
If there was any justice in this world, Matt Walsh would be in a prison cell for holding his posionious views.
[Please provide some evidence for your claims. You know how this works: your own explanation, supporting quotes and links from sources that are evidence based. Don’t use Pink News.
The claims are:
Gender critical feminists have always been right wing
that the women you name are GCF
the stuff specifically that each or any of them say that Robertson or Falwell would agree with
That’s a mod request. Please do this before you comment again elsewhere on TS. – weka]
The Landy’s aren’t GCF, they’re reactionary gender critical activists.
Neither is Forstater a GCF. I would guess her politics are centrist, and she is a feminist in the contemporary centrist understanding of the term. eg
… she describes herself as being “a mother and a feminist” who thinks “that sexist stereotypes about women and girls, and about men and boys, are damaging for children and adults”
I don’t consider Joyce to be GCF either, she is a socially liberal centrist conservative. I do think of her as feminist, but again in the centrist contemporary understanding.
Weka – please – why does Millsy have to provide all that supportive material for his expressed view, while on this thread, Anker can write,
"UNiversitites (sic) here and overseas have been captured by the ideologically driven left ie critical race theory and gender ideology. They have had a very significant influence on our institutions for example the public service" without having to provide links, quotes etc?
As I see it, Weka is trying to bring rigour to the left. Millsy often makes wild claims that do a disservice to the left. While I don't agree with everything Anker says, I've never seen her behave like Millsy. And Anker is quite right about our universities. I should know – I work at one. In 2022 our boss encouraged us to enroll in a Critical Theory course – not compulsory at this stage, but we were told it would be "good for your careers".
the short answer is that millsy is telling lies about gender critical feminism.
It's akin to a right winger saying on TS that feminists hate men and always have. Or that Māori radicals want to kill white people. You can get away with that opinion in limited circumstances but once it becomes a pattern, expressed as fact in different ways over time, it's tedious as fuck because it's basically propaganda designed to mislead political debate. As such it has no place on TS. Millsy has form for this on multiple topics and has been moderated for it by more than just me.
I know millsy is wrong on GCF because I am very well informed on the topic. Re anker's comment. Anyone is free to ask her for evidence if they think she is wrong. I don't think she is wrong (again, I am well informed so I know what she is talking about). I probably disagree with her framing and the extent to which it is happening, and her view could do with some teasing out so that other people know what she is talking about, but that's a different matter from what millsy is doing.
It's not akin to saying that feminists hate men and always have. Or that Māori radicals want to kill white people.
Akin to would be saying feminists are too political, and that Māori radicals all vote Labour. That's akin, and debatable.
By describing millsy's comment as similar to feminists hate men and always have and Māori radicals want to kill white people is the definition of a straw man argument.
That means projecting and attributing a false, exaggerated argument onto your opponent, then attacking that falsehood.
GCF is an actual thing. Millsy was telling lies about what GCF is. I agree that my comparisons were poor, I will try and think of better ones. But the point I was making is that someone could come onto TS and tell lies about specific politics and that would cause a problem. For obvious reasons.
If people want to make an argument against gender critical feminist politics, then make the argument. But millsy wasn't doing that. They were misleading what GCF is, and they weren't making any argument apart from throwing out slurs about GCF being the same as rw fundamentalist christian positions.
The problem here is that No Debate means people criticising GCF haven't actually had to formulate an argument. They just repeat talking points and thought terminating cliches.
Using Pink News as a main reference point rots people's brains.
[that’s not good enough. It took time for me to research and then moderate. Why should any of the mods have to keep doing this when we have explained repeatedly over the past few years? 2 month ban.
When you come back you will be in premod again, and you will have to provide evidence for every claim you make at the time you make it.
If you don’t you will get a longer ban and eventually a permanent one.
I strongly encourage you to review the moderations on this, because we have explained what the problem is a number of times. I will post links to them below – weka]
I started compiling this list below and I cannot understand why you should be given 15th chance. Ban upgraded to your second 12 month ban, simply to preserve moderator sanity.
the moderations from the past, in reverse chronological order, I gave up half way through 2022.
All the Gender Critical Feminists I know are pretty much like me. Older – with a history of working for progressive and women's movements and causes for most (if not all) of our working lives. Many are lesbians, and none of them ever vote for any kind of Tory.
We are GC because we worked for the stuff that the Trans Activists are busy stripping from us. We are not going to hand our rights over easily, and for those of us who are lesbian, we don't care if you call it a "Ladydick", or a "Girldick" or a "Shenis" – we are not interested it in and anything it hangs off.
Am with Visubversa on this. Politicised lesbian women are the staunchest most trustworthy allies to have in progressive struggles has been my experience for many years.
The new women with cocks and balls–trans women–are unlikely ultimately, to get away with denigrating lesbians. Trans women like any other group are entitled to have lives free of harassment but that does not entitle them to hound other traditionally oppressed people.
There can be some horrific othering and demonising of marginalised people on this forum sometimes. Punching down rather than up. It's not progressive and it's really depressing.
What, no link? I provided a link to support my claim, but you did not :/
Graham Lineman sets up fake accounts in order to troll, harass, and doxx people online. That's a big no, no pretty much everywhere in decent society.
Visibersa and Tiger's comments on any other group of people (particularly marginalised people) I suspect would attract significant moderator attention…
…like I said it’s pretty depressing that sort of stuff is said here.
People can just go read and see for themselves, right?
Visibersa and Tiger’s comments on any other group of people (particularly marginalised people) I suspect would attract significant moderator attention.
So make an actual argument, that way you will get respect. But that sentence is just another meaningless slur.
In my long experience, and the experience of many gender critical women and men, what you are doing here is very familiar. Point the finger, accuse someone of being transphobic, but almost never explain what that means, nor engage with critical debate about your position.
How about you just lay out what your specific concerns are about visubversa and Tiger’s comments and then we can look at them and see if they are justified or have meaning. That’s what we do here, it’s robust debate.
My concerns about visubversa and Tiger's comments are that they trivialise and delegitimise all transgender people by mocking them as nothing more than sexual fetishists and imposters with cocks and balls.
This is a from of prejudice akin to racism which we don't stand for I think. Tiger asked that transgender people should be able to lives free of harassment conditional on none falling foul of the law. What, the, fuck.
Your claim below that my defense of transgender people living lives free of prejudice means I'm also defending prison rape is another straw man argument. That whole comment is akin to describing all Maori men as violent in the home because there have been some cases of that.
My concerns about visubversa and Tiger’s comments are that they trivialise and delegitimise all transgender people by mocking them as nothing more than sexual fetishists and imposters with cocks and balls.
I agree TM’s comment is close to the line, if not over it, in terms of talking about TW generally.
But visubversa named two groups: Trans Rights Activists (not all trans people), and the trans women and their allies who insist that lesbians should accept trans identified males into their sex lives. Lebsians have every right to be be both extremely fucked off about that as well as politically resistant.
This is a from of prejudice akin to racism which we don’t stand for I think. Tiger asked that transgender people should be able to lives free of harassment conditional on none falling foul of the law. What, the, fuck.
I don’t think that is what they meant at all. This is what they said,
Trans women like any other group are entitled to have lives free of harassment but that does not entitle them to hound other traditionally oppressed people.
How that reads to me is general support for the human rights of TW, and those rights don’t extend to telling lesbians they should like girldick.
That’s not a form of of prejudice like racism, it’s a political analysis of gender identity ideology. If you want to argue that lesbians should like girldick, please do so. If not, then my question for you is why you can’t see what is happening to lesbians. Or why you don’t think it’s important?
Your claim below that my defense of transgender people living lives free of prejudice means I'm also defending prison rape is another straw man argument. That whole comment is akin to describing all Maori men as violent in the home because there have been some cases of that.
If your position is that you believe trans people should be allowed/enabled to live lives free of prejudice, then that’s great. I agree.
I don’t believe all trans people are rapists, and you appear to have missed my point. GCFs, GC women, and people in general have been blocked from talking about serious issues around gender identity ideology.
Note I am not talking about trans people, or trans women, I am talking about the ideology and the politics that flow from it.
That ideology says trans women are literally women and society should enact legislation that allows any man to self identify as a woman at any time and then he must be treated as if he were a woman. That is why we have rapists self-identifying as women, and it’s why it took gender critical feminists and other GC people to force liberals and society to put some blocks on that. Although afaik there are still places in the world where men can self ID into women’s prisons.
I’ve seen it argued on TS that this is right, men should be allowed to do this, and women apparently should suck this up. So if you want to put say TM’s comments in the broader TS context, you have to understand that there have been left wing, pro-feminist men on TS who have argued that it’s ok for women to be rape collateral damage in order to support gender identity ideology.
What could have been fought for instead was safe prisons for gender non conforming males. But no, that won’t work because there is a subset of trans women for whom affirmation of their self ID has to be enshrined across all society. No matter who it hurts.
wealthy white cis men who are AGP are not more oppressed than lesbians in the (neo)liberal hierarchy of oppression. Critiquing gender identity ideology is not punching down.
If you wanted more support for TQ+ you probably should have stepped in quite some years ago when women were being subjected to heinous, often sexualised, online violence from the men you are defending here.
Women sorted that out themselves, and chose their own wellbeing and politics. Funny how many left wing men are now against them. Who is punching down exactly?
And before you say oh that's just a few rare examples, I could go on all day. As could anyone whose been paying attention and listening to women for the last 6 years.
That man at half time who did the slow strip in the white ensemble sure could move his legs though….. I do wonder how an American journalist would write up a T20 game in India or a Saudi Arabian view of the World Darts Final. I prefer to watch Parliament- lots of circus, not much bread and far less fattening.
Looks like the fiasco of Auckland's transport is about to be inflicted on the Cook Strait ferry service. National ideology is to do nothing, gut the state and create an opaque provider/funder split. Listening to Willis on RNZ just now the obvious plan for Cook Strait is to use Bluebridge and offload/on load rail containers in an inefficient manner. There will be a nightmare where Kiwirail own the rail, a private monopoly carry the freight at crippling costs, and the government spends nothing on infrastructure. Tax cuts now, and to hell with the infrastructure deficit.
But that's ok- those refunds mean the landlords won't have to raise their rents, so the workers and beneficiaries who are taking the massive income hit to pay for it, don't need to worry about being priced out of a roof over their heads. So everyone wins, right? /s
The landlord tax given away by the government would have funded the new ferries and new port facilities with state of art rail freight facilities for generations to come
I too heard Willis on RNZ this morning ..doesn't give a toss.
This government is simply crap….but Luxon will be ok with his 7 houses.
The fact that we will have useless ferries in three years time should be an election issue.
This country is going to be in an absolute state of destruction in 3 years time after this pack of vandals have had their go. Let's hope that the general public will learn their lesson and never again give this C of C the keys to the purse again.
Gobsmacked by huge 200k upward revision of long-term sickness numbers by @ONS. Overall picture is emphatic. Britain is too sick to work productively. The economic hit will be HARD. @hmtreasury will be gutted. Mandarins! We need to address our underlying health! Urgently!
New Study Sheds Light on COVID-19 and Dementia Risk in Older Adults
A groundbreaking study in preprint at Lancet has revealed a significant link between COVID-19 infection and the increased risk of new-onset dementia (NOD) in older adults (60+ years).
Here’s what you need to know…
What Did Researchers Do? – Reviewed 11 studies involving nearly 940,000 people who had COVID-19 and over 6.7 million controls (without COVID-19). – Compared the risk of developing dementia post-COVID across various time frames up to 24 months after infection.
Key Findings: – COVID-19 survivors are at a higher risk of developing dementia, with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.58, meaning they’re 58% more likely to develop dementia than those without the virus. – This risk spikes to 84% higher than non-COVID individuals at 12 months post-infection. – Women and patients with severe COVID-19 showed significantly higher risks of developing dementia.
Could have been a direct quote from Kiwiblog anytime during the previous Government's time. I wonder if that reveals the failings of the whole oppositional, binary system we operate in? They're right, then we're right; they're wrong then we are wrong.
What irks me most is the language these Government MPs are using; trash-talking the previous Government and its specific ministers seems churlish, mean-spirited, and a word beloved by Kiwibloggers, nasty 🙂
completely agree. The left wing anger is palpable and justified. But we're no longer in a world where that oppositional binary system works (before it worked albeit dysfunctionally). We're still using that system, but the game has completely changed and we haven't caught up yet.
How to change that? Or how to adapt to the new dynamics so that we have agency towards all of life?
(and this is where we're going to sorely miss the likes of James Shaw).
this is another serious problem with our oppositional binary system, how to Tory proof legislation and policy. But it works the other way too, if we tory-proof from our side, they can socialist-proof from theirs.
Shaw walked a different path from that. The value is threefold (at least).
he demonstrated a different way of doing things
he passed legislation that had support from across the house
as a Minister he was able to change culture within government departments to be conscious of the importance of climate/eco crisis.
To step out of the oppositional binary for a moment, how about we list Shaw's achievements that will survive this government, wholly or in part?
One less obvious one is that all the people in government departments who are on board with climate and transition thanks to having had two terms of a Green Climate Minister, they're not going to suddenly disappear.
He was also constantly frustrated by the lack of depth and speed of progress and I have no doubt he's appalled by the tweaks from this Government; clean car discount etc.
All progressive actions are vulnerable to regressive governance.
I still believe strongly that providing narratives of how things can work out is imperative.
Macro implied above that we need to replace the government in 3 years time. What are the things that we can do between now and then that increase the chances of a change of govt in 2026? At the moment we are understandably focused on anger and calling out NACTF. This is important too (micky's posts and many of the comments on TS are great at this).
In addition, we need to be talking about how to win next time. That gives us 2024 and 2025 to organise. Then 2026 being the election campaign itself (I bet you have some thoughts on political campaigning!)
That's a short term, working with the system we've got option. I might see if I can do a post on that but have been wanting TS lefties to get the initial anger out of their system a bit.
Alongside and overlapping that is what Swarbrick is talking about, movement building at the community level. The left have been banging on about that for a long time, so I'm curious to see what CS comes up with.
I said yesterday that the details on that are probably going to be available to members as the Greens work on that over the next year. So anyone who hasn't and is inclined, might want to join the party now and get involved at the local level.
That is both short, medium and long term mahi. Getting our heads around the generational nature of change is probably a fairly big challenge.
Back to the how things work out. What would a new government in 2026 look like? Where will be at with climate/ecology? Can we develop a two pathways approach (parliament and community/movement)? What would that look like when we win in 2026?
I feel we could co-create a wonderful system, for sure.
But if the "others" stick to their game plan, they'll smash everything again. Community /movements would have to be free from the need for Government assistance, and also wary that the threat they will represent, will be met by unkind Government actions.
I agree that government funding is problematic. In the age of the internet, networking, and crowd funding, this is less of a problem now than it used to be.
In CS' electorate campaign, the workers were free from government crackdown, and I assume used a mix of fundraising and GP monies (some of which come from the government??).
I assume this is true for the three other electorates the Greens did well in.
Great questions Weka and ones I've been waiting for more people to ask. We can all see the horror show unfolding in front us but what do we do about it? I hear your point about letting the anger disappate a bit but I feel it's going to continue as the wreckers continue their work.
Perhaps one answer is to harness it. I'm on the verge of re-joining the Greens
While joining The Greens is a positive step, any meaningful solution is to be found at grass/flax roots level.
No party can implement the changes needed and get voted in.
To move to a less carbon dense lifestyle is the answer to almost all serious issues we face- climate, economic, social, inequality, ecosystem collapse/extinctions.
Transition Towns offer a great model, tweaked to your own circumstance/location.
Sharing will be at the heart of our future.
When we move, the pollies have no option but to follow.
Sigh. I wish we could find a way to "Tory proof" the WCC. Can we please have our infrastructure fixed rather then provide huge subsidies to US theatre owners?
If a transaction is between private individuals or organisations I see no reason for them not to be confidential.
When, on the other hand, one side of the transaction is a Governmental organisation, such as the central Government or a local body which is financed by the taxpayer or the ratepayer I don't see that there is any transaction that should be hidden.
I believe that the Governmental group should always offer the same deal to anyone. The only way to ensure that that happens is to make them known. I certainly don't want the Wellington Council giving special rates to their mates at my, the ratepayer's, expense.
If you, as a private individual chose to charge one of your friends less for work you do for them, and it is you own money that is providing the discount, why should it be anything to do with me?
the commercially sensitive transaction in this case was the WCC buying a piece of land. Where it being public might increase the amount the WCC had to pay.
I certainly don't want the Wellington Council giving special rates to their mates at my, the ratepayer's, expense.
I was thinking about contract bidding being done privately. Aren't there rules in place for that kind of thing to prevent mates rates?
The people who owned the cinemas were the ones who owned the land they were sitting on. They were selling it to the Council but were going to keep on running the cinemas.
As the sellers they obviously knew how much they were going to be paid.
I can see no way that the Council could have to pay more money if the public knew how much the price was going to be.
Tory-proofing is difficult when they operate in bad faith and rely on disinformation campaigns against progressive reforms.
Jacinda's frustrating incrementalism and consensus-building was an attempt to embed legislation for the long term. The miniscule carbon prices attached to farming were hammered out over years of negotiations in good faith. But Groundswell threw that away and decided to drive tractors up and down the country at the horror of having to pay for a tiny bit of their emissions.
Co-governance was a principle established by the previous National government and should be uncontroversial by now, but the munters and shit-stirrers found it a useful wedge for their racist conspiracy theories.
I still have a bit of faith that most Kiwis don't particularly like National or Luxon, but the resentment and anger at Jacinda and lockdowns is still palpable out there. She was wise to fall on her sword, but the hostile sentiment still remains. Hopefully people will wake up soon when they see the Nats trying to sell off half the country again. Before it's too late.
"Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says farmers have been treated ‘’like villains’’ for the last six years, and his Government was working hard to remove red tape and regulations that were slowing down the economy."
He hasn't got a clue or is the worst served PM by advisors in history. He turned up at a well known Marlborough wine company in the campaign sprouting the same target of doubling production only to be rebuked by the owner who pointed out that that was impossible because most of the suitable land was already in grapes and the industry's goal was quality not quantity. He has no idea that doubling production is almost impossible in most areas of primary production, certainly in sheep, probably also in beef and almost all other sectors as the constraints are not only local but mostly external with protected markets and over supply. The man is a muppet who has spent most of his working life in the US and is seriously ill-informed personally and professionly.
Can only assume he means further dairy intensification (double the intensification by definition) with all the destructiveness that brings upon the environment.
Trading off the New Zealand brand while simultaneously destroying that brand. Vulture capitalist, anyone?
They seem to be blithely unaware (or just callous) that climate catastrophies will totally fuck up the supply chain that underpins global free markets, and environmental collapse will put a stop to our food producing capacities
We need to become self sufficient in all things as soon as possible, which means subsidies for farmers to produce for the domestic market, (as well as encouraging those who can to have home gardens).And regenerative agriculture! Something Damien O'Connor was pushing for in our area.
We produce milk powder that ends up as a filler in all manner of unhealthy foodstuffs, nothing to be proud of, while ruining one of the most essential elements to life…our water.
Puppet rather than muppet as this is just another role where he works to direction, has the rhetoric provided and gets rewarded based on his ability to get the 'job' done.
That 'job' as we're starting to see is an ideologically driven destruction. Haters and wreckers.
No one from Fonterra would be interviewed about Mr Spierings' payout, but a Fonterra statement said he was given the $4.6m when he left the co-op last August.
It said the payment covered the final part of a deferred bonus dating back to 2017 and Mr Spierings' final remuneration for this year including his base salary, superannuation, and holiday pay.
Mr Spierings' annual annual salary was $2.5m a year but he earned over $8m for each of the last two years with bonuses.
Did Luxon and Stuff mean 'villeins' and not 'villains'? Defined as "(in medieval England) villeins were feudal tenants entirely subject to a lord or manor to whom they paid dues and services in return for land."
Bowls of decidedly pink-tinged rice are about to feature on sustainable food menus, according to researchers who created rice grains with beef and cow fat cells grown inside them.
Scientists made the experimental food by covering traditional rice grains in fish gelatin and seeding them with skeletal muscle and fat stem cells which were then grown in the laboratory.
After culturing the muscle, fat and gelatin-smothered rice for nine to 11 days, the grains contained meat and fat throughout, resulting in an end product the researchers believe could become a nutritious and flavourful food.
Prof Jinkee Hong, who led the work at Yonsei University in South Korea, cooked and tasted the beef-cultured rice, which he hopes will be a more affordable source of protein than traditional beef, with a much smaller carbon footprint.
So the prediction that this lot would wreak the economy for us all by Feb is coming true, every day these muppets are doing more bat shit ideological shitfuckary with economy than ann randy on steroids.
In fact it's a bloody roid rage event. How much of a fetishist wet dream can this lot run with? We can only guess that purity is the only thing holden them together.
How many times have we got to have this shitfucker bugger with people lives till they work out ideological free markets and business does it best – is a sick bloody joke?
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. 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 economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
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. ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
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 ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
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Gender critical feminists are generally socially conservitive and reactionary. Quite frankly, there are views that need to be silenced, if we are to have some form of social progress.
The overturning of Roe v Wade is one of the end points of allowing free speech.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[moved from here https://thestandard.org.nz/a-sad-lament-from-the-serial-left/#comment-1989347%5D
This is complete nonsense. You are mistaking GCFs for gender critical conservatives. GCFs are left wing/centre left/progressive feminists, often with very long histories of work on women’s rights including on abortion rights. It’s that work (theory, analysis, academic, grassroots) that informs gender critical feminist positions. GCFs often critique conservative gender politics.
The reason we have a reactionary, conservative backlash against trans people is because the liberal left got sucked into No Debate by Stonewall UK and other progressional lobby groups. Had GCFs and women generally been allowed to speak freely, we would have solid left wing positions on women’s sex based rights to push back on the conservative positions. Instead, trans allies appear to have decided to shut all women up because anything is better than questioning gender identity ideology. Can’t really complain afterwards about the debate then being dominated by people like Kellie Jay Keen or Matt Walsh.
If people want o understand what gender critical feminism is, read Jane Clare Jones, Kathleen Stock, Julie Bindel, Jo Phoenix, Brighton Sisters, Women’s Place UK, FiLiA
Here’s the Standard’s category for gender critical feminism posts
https://thestandard.org.nz/category/government-and-politics/gender-critical-feminism/
No, Gender critical feminists have always been right wing. I have spent hours combing through the twitter feeds of various CG feminists, such as Maya Forstater, Helen Joyce, and the Landy sisters (to name a few), and there is a lot of stuff there that the likes of Pat Roberston, Jerry Falwell and the likes would agree with.
If there was any justice in this world, Matt Walsh would be in a prison cell for holding his posionious views.
[Please provide some evidence for your claims. You know how this works: your own explanation, supporting quotes and links from sources that are evidence based. Don’t use Pink News.
The claims are:
That’s a mod request. Please do this before you comment again elsewhere on TS. – weka]
The Landy’s aren’t GCF, they’re reactionary gender critical activists.
Neither is Forstater a GCF. I would guess her politics are centrist, and she is a feminist in the contemporary centrist understanding of the term. eg
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/maya-forstater-transgender-twitter-jk-rowling-b1838151.html
I don’t consider Joyce to be GCF either, she is a socially liberal centrist conservative. I do think of her as feminist, but again in the centrist contemporary understanding.
Weka – please – why does Millsy have to provide all that supportive material for his expressed view, while on this thread, Anker can write,
"UNiversitites (sic) here and overseas have been captured by the ideologically driven left ie critical race theory and gender ideology. They have had a very significant influence on our institutions for example the public service" without having to provide links, quotes etc?
I don't get it.
As I see it, Weka is trying to bring rigour to the left. Millsy often makes wild claims that do a disservice to the left. While I don't agree with everything Anker says, I've never seen her behave like Millsy. And Anker is quite right about our universities. I should know – I work at one. In 2022 our boss encouraged us to enroll in a Critical Theory course – not compulsory at this stage, but we were told it would be "good for your careers".
the short answer is that millsy is telling lies about gender critical feminism.
It's akin to a right winger saying on TS that feminists hate men and always have. Or that Māori radicals want to kill white people. You can get away with that opinion in limited circumstances but once it becomes a pattern, expressed as fact in different ways over time, it's tedious as fuck because it's basically propaganda designed to mislead political debate. As such it has no place on TS. Millsy has form for this on multiple topics and has been moderated for it by more than just me.
I know millsy is wrong on GCF because I am very well informed on the topic. Re anker's comment. Anyone is free to ask her for evidence if they think she is wrong. I don't think she is wrong (again, I am well informed so I know what she is talking about). I probably disagree with her framing and the extent to which it is happening, and her view could do with some teasing out so that other people know what she is talking about, but that's a different matter from what millsy is doing.
It's not akin to saying that feminists hate men and always have. Or that Māori radicals want to kill white people.
Akin to would be saying feminists are too political, and that Māori radicals all vote Labour. That's akin, and debatable.
By describing millsy's comment as similar to feminists hate men and always have and Māori radicals want to kill white people is the definition of a straw man argument.
That means projecting and attributing a false, exaggerated argument onto your opponent, then attacking that falsehood.
GCF is an actual thing. Millsy was telling lies about what GCF is. I agree that my comparisons were poor, I will try and think of better ones. But the point I was making is that someone could come onto TS and tell lies about specific politics and that would cause a problem. For obvious reasons.
If people want to make an argument against gender critical feminist politics, then make the argument. But millsy wasn't doing that. They were misleading what GCF is, and they weren't making any argument apart from throwing out slurs about GCF being the same as rw fundamentalist christian positions.
The problem here is that No Debate means people criticising GCF haven't actually had to formulate an argument. They just repeat talking points and thought terminating cliches.
Using Pink News as a main reference point rots people's brains.
Probably because Millsy appears to be quite happy to imprision people for what he beleives is 'wrong think'
mod note.
I will also remind you of this, where you agreed to post evidence at the time of making claims,
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09-01-2024/#comment-1983905
in response to this mod note about making unsubstantiated claims,
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09-01-2024/#comment-1983853
Please reread that.
Never mind. I withdraw the allegations.
[that’s not good enough. It took time for me to research and then moderate. Why should any of the mods have to keep doing this when we have explained repeatedly over the past few years? 2 month ban.
When you come back you will be in premod again, and you will have to provide evidence for every claim you make at the time you make it.
If you don’t you will get a longer ban and eventually a permanent one.
I strongly encourage you to review the moderations on this, because we have explained what the problem is a number of times. I will post links to them below – weka]
mod note.
I started compiling this list below and I cannot understand why you should be given 15th chance. Ban upgraded to your second 12 month ban, simply to preserve moderator sanity.
the moderations from the past, in reverse chronological order, I gave up half way through 2022.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10-02-2024/#comment-1989245
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-01-2024/#comment-1984201
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-01-2024/#comment-1984202
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09-01-2024/#comment-1983853
https://thestandard.org.nz/atlas-smirked/#comment-1983696
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-01-2023/#comment-1929460
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29-12-2022/#comment-1928564
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-11-2022/#comment-1920633
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-11-2022/#comment-1920681
"Gender critical feminists have always been right wing.."?
I don't think many here would agree with you.
All the Gender Critical Feminists I know are pretty much like me. Older – with a history of working for progressive and women's movements and causes for most (if not all) of our working lives. Many are lesbians, and none of them ever vote for any kind of Tory.
We are GC because we worked for the stuff that the Trans Activists are busy stripping from us. We are not going to hand our rights over easily, and for those of us who are lesbian, we don't care if you call it a "Ladydick", or a "Girldick" or a "Shenis" – we are not interested it in and anything it hangs off.
Am with Visubversa on this. Politicised lesbian women are the staunchest most trustworthy allies to have in progressive struggles has been my experience for many years.
The new women with cocks and balls–trans women–are unlikely ultimately, to get away with denigrating lesbians. Trans women like any other group are entitled to have lives free of harassment but that does not entitle them to hound other traditionally oppressed people.
There can be some horrific othering and demonising of marginalised people on this forum sometimes. Punching down rather than up. It's not progressive and it's really depressing.
You mean baseless smears against Graham Linehan that you like to throw round and don't back up?
Hypocrite much.
Graham Linehan is a white cis male. Hardly marginalised.
He's also a hateful transphobe.
Sounds yucky.
Who would support him?
The Sovereign crowd, I suppose.
And you're a hateful misogynist.
What, no link? I provided a link to support my claim, but you did not :/
Graham Lineman sets up fake accounts in order to troll, harass, and doxx people online. That's a big no, no pretty much everywhere in decent society.
Visibersa and Tiger's comments on any other group of people (particularly marginalised people) I suspect would attract significant moderator attention…
…like I said it’s pretty depressing that sort of stuff is said here.
I’ve explained this to you before. If you are going to throw out lazy slurs, I will throw out one about you.
As for your link, that’s about as useful as me giving this one,
https://thestandard.org.nz/search/muttonbird+trans/?search_comments=true&search_posts=true&search_sortby=date
People can just go read and see for themselves, right?
So make an actual argument, that way you will get respect. But that sentence is just another meaningless slur.
In my long experience, and the experience of many gender critical women and men, what you are doing here is very familiar. Point the finger, accuse someone of being transphobic, but almost never explain what that means, nor engage with critical debate about your position.
How about you just lay out what your specific concerns are about visubversa and Tiger’s comments and then we can look at them and see if they are justified or have meaning. That’s what we do here, it’s robust debate.
My concerns about visubversa and Tiger's comments are that they trivialise and delegitimise all transgender people by mocking them as nothing more than sexual fetishists and imposters with cocks and balls.
This is a from of prejudice akin to racism which we don't stand for I think. Tiger asked that transgender people should be able to lives free of harassment conditional on none falling foul of the law. What, the, fuck.
Your claim below that my defense of transgender people living lives free of prejudice means I'm also defending prison rape is another straw man argument. That whole comment is akin to describing all Maori men as violent in the home because there have been some cases of that.
thanks for clarifying MB, I think that’s useful.
I agree TM’s comment is close to the line, if not over it, in terms of talking about TW generally.
But visubversa named two groups: Trans Rights Activists (not all trans people), and the trans women and their allies who insist that lesbians should accept trans identified males into their sex lives. Lebsians have every right to be be both extremely fucked off about that as well as politically resistant.
I don’t think that is what they meant at all. This is what they said,
How that reads to me is general support for the human rights of TW, and those rights don’t extend to telling lesbians they should like girldick.
That’s not a form of of prejudice like racism, it’s a political analysis of gender identity ideology. If you want to argue that lesbians should like girldick, please do so. If not, then my question for you is why you can’t see what is happening to lesbians. Or why you don’t think it’s important?
If your position is that you believe trans people should be allowed/enabled to live lives free of prejudice, then that’s great. I agree.
I don’t believe all trans people are rapists, and you appear to have missed my point. GCFs, GC women, and people in general have been blocked from talking about serious issues around gender identity ideology.
Note I am not talking about trans people, or trans women, I am talking about the ideology and the politics that flow from it.
That ideology says trans women are literally women and society should enact legislation that allows any man to self identify as a woman at any time and then he must be treated as if he were a woman. That is why we have rapists self-identifying as women, and it’s why it took gender critical feminists and other GC people to force liberals and society to put some blocks on that. Although afaik there are still places in the world where men can self ID into women’s prisons.
I’ve seen it argued on TS that this is right, men should be allowed to do this, and women apparently should suck this up. So if you want to put say TM’s comments in the broader TS context, you have to understand that there have been left wing, pro-feminist men on TS who have argued that it’s ok for women to be rape collateral damage in order to support gender identity ideology.
What could have been fought for instead was safe prisons for gender non conforming males. But no, that won’t work because there is a subset of trans women for whom affirmation of their self ID has to be enshrined across all society. No matter who it hurts.
wealthy white cis men who are AGP are not more oppressed than lesbians in the (neo)liberal hierarchy of oppression. Critiquing gender identity ideology is not punching down.
If you wanted more support for TQ+ you probably should have stepped in quite some years ago when women were being subjected to heinous, often sexualised, online violence from the men you are defending here.
https://terfisaslur.com/
Women sorted that out themselves, and chose their own wellbeing and politics. Funny how many left wing men are now against them. Who is punching down exactly?
Sorry, who am I defending here apart from transgender people?
These trans identified males:
https://terfisaslur.com
And the ones here protesting a feminist conference with signs saying things like "suck my dick you transphobic cunts"
https://thestandard.org.nz/new-misogyny-same-as-the-old-misogyny/
Or this rapist who self-ID into a women's prison,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Bryson_case
Or this trans woman who told a crowd to punch feminists
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-66676737
Or this bloke who did punch a GC woman,
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/26/woman-punched-in-brawl-between-transgender-activists-and-radical-feminists
And this one, a young man who punched an elderly woman because of her GC politics,
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/posie-parker-protest-activist-pleads-guilty-to-punching-elderly-woman-at-heated-auckland-trans-rights-protest/A5RG2HY2TJFLFKAP4OT7JLGIGU/
And before you say oh that's just a few rare examples, I could go on all day. As could anyone whose been paying attention and listening to women for the last 6 years.
Excellent review of the Superbowl. Bread and Circuses.
Super Bowl LVIII Review: An American Orgy of Late Stage Capitalism | The Daily Blog
That man at half time who did the slow strip in the white ensemble sure could move his legs though….. I do wonder how an American journalist would write up a T20 game in India or a Saudi Arabian view of the World Darts Final. I prefer to watch Parliament- lots of circus, not much bread and far less fattening.
But wait there's more. In a poetic script of our times, written in pure American tradition:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350180345/shots-fired-kansas-city-chiefs-super-bowl-celebration
Looks like the fiasco of Auckland's transport is about to be inflicted on the Cook Strait ferry service. National ideology is to do nothing, gut the state and create an opaque provider/funder split. Listening to Willis on RNZ just now the obvious plan for Cook Strait is to use Bluebridge and offload/on load rail containers in an inefficient manner. There will be a nightmare where Kiwirail own the rail, a private monopoly carry the freight at crippling costs, and the government spends nothing on infrastructure. Tax cuts now, and to hell with the infrastructure deficit.
As the sun sets on New Zealand, here are those new ferries sailing off into the pockets of amateur landlords:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/governments-3-billion-landlord-tax-cut-would-be-retrospective-and-trigger-some-refunds-ird/FR2BQCUMDBEDHGZETZZEYJARZI/
But that's ok- those refunds mean the landlords won't have to raise their rents, so the workers and beneficiaries who are taking the massive income hit to pay for it, don't need to worry about being priced out of a roof over their heads. So everyone wins, right? /s
Who has shares in Bluebridge? Willis? Luxon?
+100
Well now, why aren't they for the high jump? Seems like a conflict of interest.
The landlord tax given away by the government would have funded the new ferries and new port facilities with state of art rail freight facilities for generations to come
I too heard Willis on RNZ this morning ..doesn't give a toss.
This government is simply crap….but Luxon will be ok with his 7 houses.
The fact that we will have useless ferries in three years time should be an election issue.
Like blip's list of Key's lies, this needs to go on the "National are good economic managers" legacy of disappointment.
Sir Dove Meyer Robinson would be spinning in his grave.
This country is going to be in an absolute state of destruction in 3 years time after this pack of vandals have had their go. Let's hope that the general public will learn their lesson and never again give this C of C the keys to the purse again.
We're heading for disaster in several ways.
A new pandemic wave is about to break.
Water infrastructure isn't getting fixed.
Cheaping out on Cook Strait ferries is forgetting the Wahine disaster (and disrespecting the power of Tangaroa)
BuckleMask up.Lord Bethell
@JimBethell
Gobsmacked by huge 200k upward revision of long-term sickness numbers by @ONS. Overall picture is emphatic. Britain is too sick to work productively. The economic hit will be HARD. @hmtreasury will be gutted. Mandarins! We need to address our underlying health! Urgently!
1 of 5
[…]
https://obr.uk/frs/fiscal-risks-and-sustainability-july-2023/#chapter-2
[…]
https://twitter.com/JimBethell/status/1754518991941579038
( https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1754518991941579038.html)
@drseanmullen
New Study Sheds Light on COVID-19 and Dementia Risk in Older Adults
A groundbreaking study in preprint at Lancet has revealed a significant link between COVID-19 infection and the increased risk of new-onset dementia (NOD) in older adults (60+ years).
Here’s what you need to know…
What Did Researchers Do? – Reviewed 11 studies involving nearly 940,000 people who had COVID-19 and over 6.7 million controls (without COVID-19). – Compared the risk of developing dementia post-COVID across various time frames up to 24 months after infection.
Key Findings: – COVID-19 survivors are at a higher risk of developing dementia, with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.58, meaning they’re 58% more likely to develop dementia than those without the virus. – This risk spikes to 84% higher than non-COVID individuals at 12 months post-infection. – Women and patients with severe COVID-19 showed significantly higher risks of developing dementia.
[…]
https://twitter.com/drseanmullen/status/1757429814376398963
( https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1757429814376398963.html )
Could have been a direct quote from Kiwiblog anytime during the previous Government's time. I wonder if that reveals the failings of the whole oppositional, binary system we operate in? They're right, then we're right; they're wrong then we are wrong.
What irks me most is the language these Government MPs are using; trash-talking the previous Government and its specific ministers seems churlish, mean-spirited, and a word beloved by Kiwibloggers, nasty 🙂
completely agree. The left wing anger is palpable and justified. But we're no longer in a world where that oppositional binary system works (before it worked albeit dysfunctionally). We're still using that system, but the game has completely changed and we haven't caught up yet.
How to change that? Or how to adapt to the new dynamics so that we have agency towards all of life?
(and this is where we're going to sorely miss the likes of James Shaw).
But James' success was short-lived; largely trashed by the incoming orcs?
Sorry, "arsonists"
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2024/02/climate-change-arsonists.html
this is another serious problem with our oppositional binary system, how to Tory proof legislation and policy. But it works the other way too, if we tory-proof from our side, they can socialist-proof from theirs.
Shaw walked a different path from that. The value is threefold (at least).
To step out of the oppositional binary for a moment, how about we list Shaw's achievements that will survive this government, wholly or in part?
One less obvious one is that all the people in government departments who are on board with climate and transition thanks to having had two terms of a Green Climate Minister, they're not going to suddenly disappear.
Afaik the the zero carbon act will survive.
some more here
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/133356580/the-unexpected-climate-plans-of-the-new-government
He was also constantly frustrated by the lack of depth and speed of progress and I have no doubt he's appalled by the tweaks from this Government; clean car discount etc.
All progressive actions are vulnerable to regressive governance.
What's the solution to that?
that's the million trees question.
A few starting thoughts.
I still believe strongly that providing narratives of how things can work out is imperative.
Macro implied above that we need to replace the government in 3 years time. What are the things that we can do between now and then that increase the chances of a change of govt in 2026? At the moment we are understandably focused on anger and calling out NACTF. This is important too (micky's posts and many of the comments on TS are great at this).
In addition, we need to be talking about how to win next time. That gives us 2024 and 2025 to organise. Then 2026 being the election campaign itself (I bet you have some thoughts on political campaigning!)
That's a short term, working with the system we've got option. I might see if I can do a post on that but have been wanting TS lefties to get the initial anger out of their system a bit.
Alongside and overlapping that is what Swarbrick is talking about, movement building at the community level. The left have been banging on about that for a long time, so I'm curious to see what CS comes up with.
I said yesterday that the details on that are probably going to be available to members as the Greens work on that over the next year. So anyone who hasn't and is inclined, might want to join the party now and get involved at the local level.
That is both short, medium and long term mahi. Getting our heads around the generational nature of change is probably a fairly big challenge.
Back to the how things work out. What would a new government in 2026 look like? Where will be at with climate/ecology? Can we develop a two pathways approach (parliament and community/movement)? What would that look like when we win in 2026?
I feel we could co-create a wonderful system, for sure.
But if the "others" stick to their game plan, they'll smash everything again. Community /movements would have to be free from the need for Government assistance, and also wary that the threat they will represent, will be met by unkind Government actions.
Let's start with the low hanging fruit then.
I agree that government funding is problematic. In the age of the internet, networking, and crowd funding, this is less of a problem now than it used to be.
In CS' electorate campaign, the workers were free from government crackdown, and I assume used a mix of fundraising and GP monies (some of which come from the government??).
I assume this is true for the three other electorates the Greens did well in.
We can help build on that by getting involved.
Great questions Weka and ones I've been waiting for more people to ask. We can all see the horror show unfolding in front us but what do we do about it? I hear your point about letting the anger disappate a bit but I feel it's going to continue as the wreckers continue their work.
Perhaps one answer is to harness it. I'm on the verge of re-joining the Greens
nice one. It does seem such a simple act to join the Greens, or Te Pati Māori, whichever is the best fit.
Agree about the anger. I'm a fan of using anger to act. Is that a skill that can be learned?
While joining The Greens is a positive step, any meaningful solution is to be found at grass/flax roots level.
No party can implement the changes needed and get voted in.
To move to a less carbon dense lifestyle is the answer to almost all serious issues we face- climate, economic, social, inequality, ecosystem collapse/extinctions.
Transition Towns offer a great model, tweaked to your own circumstance/location.
Sharing will be at the heart of our future.
When we move, the pollies have no option but to follow.
They'll smash the grass-roots, just as they smashed forests.
that’s dark.
Who's "they”?
"how to Tory proof legislation and policy"
Sigh. I wish we could find a way to "Tory proof" the WCC. Can we please have our infrastructure fixed rather then provide huge subsidies to US theatre owners?
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350085030/council-planning-buy-reading-cinema-land-offset-earthquake-strengthening-cost
When this deal became public knowledge the Mayor, Tory by name, then started a witch hunt against the Councillors who opposed the scheme.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/133216223/accused-wellington-councillors-brand-leak-review-political-and-biased-attack
are you in favour of all commercially sensitive transactions being done publicly?
In general my opinion is this.
If a transaction is between private individuals or organisations I see no reason for them not to be confidential.
When, on the other hand, one side of the transaction is a Governmental organisation, such as the central Government or a local body which is financed by the taxpayer or the ratepayer I don't see that there is any transaction that should be hidden.
I believe that the Governmental group should always offer the same deal to anyone. The only way to ensure that that happens is to make them known. I certainly don't want the Wellington Council giving special rates to their mates at my, the ratepayer's, expense.
If you, as a private individual chose to charge one of your friends less for work you do for them, and it is you own money that is providing the discount, why should it be anything to do with me?
the commercially sensitive transaction in this case was the WCC buying a piece of land. Where it being public might increase the amount the WCC had to pay.
I was thinking about contract bidding being done privately. Aren't there rules in place for that kind of thing to prevent mates rates?
The people who owned the cinemas were the ones who owned the land they were sitting on. They were selling it to the Council but were going to keep on running the cinemas.
As the sellers they obviously knew how much they were going to be paid.
I can see no way that the Council could have to pay more money if the public knew how much the price was going to be.
Just curious and I can't let it go, where do you sit in regards to Speaker Brownlee's secrecy in relation to the identity of the 4 swipe card holders?
It would be safe to assume there is a commercial imperative tied up in it all.
I have no idea what this is about and I therefore have no way of making a reasoned comment.
Gosh, I'm surprised it passed under yr radar.
https://thestandard.org.nz/who-are-the-four-lobbyists-with-parliamentary-swipe-cards/
Don't have to know details to have an opinion as to its appropriateness.
If Winston had any gumption he would vote against the ferry policy. I don't think it is popular with the NZ people.
That is how MMP is supposed to work.
'how to Tory proof legislation and policy.'
Tory-proofing is difficult when they operate in bad faith and rely on disinformation campaigns against progressive reforms.
Jacinda's frustrating incrementalism and consensus-building was an attempt to embed legislation for the long term. The miniscule carbon prices attached to farming were hammered out over years of negotiations in good faith. But Groundswell threw that away and decided to drive tractors up and down the country at the horror of having to pay for a tiny bit of their emissions.
Co-governance was a principle established by the previous National government and should be uncontroversial by now, but the munters and shit-stirrers found it a useful wedge for their racist conspiracy theories.
I still have a bit of faith that most Kiwis don't particularly like National or Luxon, but the resentment and anger at Jacinda and lockdowns is still palpable out there. She was wise to fall on her sword, but the hostile sentiment still remains. Hopefully people will wake up soon when they see the Nats trying to sell off half the country again. Before it's too late.
The general public never learn. They make the same mistakes time and again. Everywhere.
"Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says farmers have been treated ‘’like villains’’ for the last six years, and his Government was working hard to remove red tape and regulations that were slowing down the economy."
Groundswell has the Government's ear.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350174744/luxon-farmers-have-been-treated-villains
He hasn't got a clue or is the worst served PM by advisors in history. He turned up at a well known Marlborough wine company in the campaign sprouting the same target of doubling production only to be rebuked by the owner who pointed out that that was impossible because most of the suitable land was already in grapes and the industry's goal was quality not quantity. He has no idea that doubling production is almost impossible in most areas of primary production, certainly in sheep, probably also in beef and almost all other sectors as the constraints are not only local but mostly external with protected markets and over supply. The man is a muppet who has spent most of his working life in the US and is seriously ill-informed personally and professionly.
Can only assume he means further dairy intensification (double the intensification by definition) with all the destructiveness that brings upon the environment.
Trading off the New Zealand brand while simultaneously destroying that brand. Vulture capitalist, anyone?
They seem to be blithely unaware (or just callous) that climate catastrophies will totally fuck up the supply chain that underpins global free markets, and environmental collapse will put a stop to our food producing capacities
We need to become self sufficient in all things as soon as possible, which means subsidies for farmers to produce for the domestic market, (as well as encouraging those who can to have home gardens).And regenerative agriculture! Something Damien O'Connor was pushing for in our area.
We produce milk powder that ends up as a filler in all manner of unhealthy foodstuffs, nothing to be proud of, while ruining one of the most essential elements to life…our water.
And that leaked Cabinet paper!
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/leaked-cabinet-paper-reveals-government-considering-allowing-potential-influx-of-overseas-landlords.html
More leaks please
I wonder how many are now privately experiencing voter remorse?
But the Groundswellers cheered themselves silly!
Puppet rather than muppet as this is just another role where he works to direction, has the rhetoric provided and gets rewarded based on his ability to get the 'job' done.
That 'job' as we're starting to see is an ideologically driven destruction. Haters and wreckers.
"Puppet rather than muppet "
Agreed.
I thought that too, about his Waitangi Day speech.
Luxon may have no idea, but does he care? Spierings brought Fonterra to its knees.
Did Luxon and Stuff mean 'villeins' and not 'villains'? Defined as "(in medieval England) villeins were feudal tenants entirely subject to a lord or manor to whom they paid dues and services in return for land."
The previous head of Federated Farmers is now a Minister.
The previous GM Corporate Relations for Fonterra is now our Minister of Finance.
There's more of course if people just want to go through the CV's.
Big tRumpy vibe….
Luxon got out of the tractor cab sporting a wide smile.
“That was great fun — the highlight of my day,” Luxon said.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/southern-field-days-christopher-luxon-attends-first-day-as-farmers-flock-to-event/E45YGGU5WJCDLFRD6FV7V62C2Q/
Soylent pink. Its here…
Bowls of decidedly pink-tinged rice are about to feature on sustainable food menus, according to researchers who created rice grains with beef and cow fat cells grown inside them.
Scientists made the experimental food by covering traditional rice grains in fish gelatin and seeding them with skeletal muscle and fat stem cells which were then grown in the laboratory.
After culturing the muscle, fat and gelatin-smothered rice for nine to 11 days, the grains contained meat and fat throughout, resulting in an end product the researchers believe could become a nutritious and flavourful food.
Prof Jinkee Hong, who led the work at Yonsei University in South Korea, cooked and tasted the beef-cultured rice, which he hopes will be a more affordable source of protein than traditional beef, with a much smaller carbon footprint.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/14/lab-grown-beef-rice-could-offer-more-sustainable-protein-source-say-creators
'believe could' is doing some heavy lifting there.
BUT PINK RICE IS PEOPLE!
This should help Biden out.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/christopher-luxon-joins-anthony-albanese-justin-trudeau-in-major-statement-on-israel-gaza.html
So these three have "grave concern about "indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive" into the southern Gazan city of Rafah.""
Well whoop de doo. No call for a ceasefire. Just continuing to enable genocide.
Luxon just wanting to look prime ministerial while the human toll mounts.
Despicable.
So the prediction that this lot would wreak the economy for us all by Feb is coming true, every day these muppets are doing more bat shit ideological shitfuckary with economy than ann randy on steroids.
In fact it's a bloody roid rage event. How much of a fetishist wet dream can this lot run with? We can only guess that purity is the only thing holden them together.
My favourite today –
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/509263/auckland-train-cancellations-kiwirail-says-foundations-on-some-tracks-not-strong-enough
How many times have we got to have this shitfucker bugger with people lives till they work out ideological free markets and business does it best – is a sick bloody joke?