Teaching kids to be robust so they can handle things, put things into perspective?
Must have been a generation that missed out on that. You know the generation that has it that a discussion document in a draw in a government office means that in a short number of years New Zealand will be an apartheid state, there'll be two equal Parliaments running the country and Maori will own most of the land.
The same generation which has it that we definitely won't be able to open our mouths for fear of being chucked in jail for "hate speech." Over something Dennis Frank quotes (below) from Russell Palmer:
"At this point it's not a law, it's not an act, it's not even a bill. Instead, it's a discussion document aimed at seeking opinions before the ministry comes up with a law change".
They are just sayings meaning roughly the same thing. ie. don't get hurty feelings…..a few people on this blog should take note.
" Like water off a ducks back" is another along the same lines as don't let it get to you.
As for the snowflake one and shattering, they're not meant to be taken too literally, else a saying like "ÿou can't have your cake and eat it too" is pretty useless. I can imagine you saying What's the point of having cake if you cant eat it !
Today Ms Bligh dismissed Mr Newman's reaction to what she called "bit of fun" while Treasurer Andrew Fraser told him to "have a cup of concrete" and harden up.
"At this point it's not a law, it's not an act, it's not even a bill. Instead, it's a discussion document aimed at seeking opinions before the ministry comes up with a law change".
"The Justice Ministry's discussion document largely focuses on the problems of the current laws and what the new laws aim to do, but – and this is perhaps one reason for the confusion – most of it largely does not give the specific wording of what is being proposed. This makes reading the document somewhat like having a set of directions without knowing where you're going to end up. However, in the second appendix is a chart which includes the six proposed changes to be made, what the current laws are like, and a section of notes on each proposal".
He then delineates the six with admirable precision. You may have wondered about the prospect of insults producing prosecutions. Kiwi males have long been in the habit of insulting aussie males & vice versa. Sadly the prospect of such legal entertainment seems dim. The two bunches of dimwits don't seem to hate each other. To get the police prosecutor & attorney general musing over the prospect, there would have to be a threat issued: `you guys come across the ditch, we'll give you a whack around the earhole'.
Discerning hatred will be the challenge: emotions can be evident to many, but the evidence is subjective. The only objective proof is if someone says/writes "I hate [this group]" where this group is identified by a generally-recognised cultural or ethnic label. Contempt & ridicule are mentioned. I don't hate suit-wearers, but I have viewed them with contempt since the 1960s and do express that view on a sporadic basis – but don't recall hating them since I was a teenager. Nor do I suggest that citizens eliminate the social problems they continue to cause by eliminating the offenders!
So prosecutions are likely to hinge on a combination of behaviours & attitudes becoming evident to the authorities mentioned above. "To be considered a hate crime, communication must intentionally incite/stir up, maintain or normalise hatred using abuse, insults or threats (including inciting violence) against at least one of the groups identified in proposal 1. For a successful prosecution, it would have to include all four of these things."
Yeah. While paranoia is understandable in the circumstances, it ain't reasonable. Folks ought to relax & take a balanced approach. Good law will only come from consideration of all sides of the issue, then careful deliberation.
Another not so academic consideration is that; if NZ signs up to international treaties, we are obliged to abide by them eventually.
But, lost in the din around the Incitement to Hatred and Discrimination discussion, is this complimentary discussion that I was barely aware of. It runs until the 6th of August too:
Aotearoa New Zealand is home to people from over 213 different ethnic groups, who speak over 150 languages, and belong to different faith communities. About a quarter of New Zealand’s population was born overseas and about a quarter identify as disabled. We are a superdiverse nation and over the next twenty years we are expected to become even more diverse…
Strengthening social cohesion involves changing attitudes and behaviours and is, therefore, a complex process. We need evidence-informed actions. The Government has a leadership role to play, but to make a real difference we will need to work collectively – individuals, communities and organisations across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors – from grassroots campaigns and community-led programmes right through to changes to wider policy settings and legislative safeguards. We all have a role to play.
Social cohesion is not about making all New Zealanders the same. We want our communities to value and welcome diversity, and to be able to share and discuss different points of view in a constructive and respectful way.
Yeah – that was just the page I happened to have open at the time; Sacha. I probably should have gone back a few levels for a better link.
It is mentioned on the discussion document government published page. But is easily skimmed past. I certainly wouldn't say that the last month since these discussions were opened to the public have been Aotearoa's most impressive display of social cohesion ever.
That's just another part of the problem. That judgement lies with Police.
Example: most rapes don't even get from Police to court, let alone conviction. And that's been on the books for a while.
So wait until they are to start making marginal calls about group 'incitement'. Then put it to Police Prosecutions, then Crown Law. Then a public jury of ordinary folks.
In that case, your comparison with rape is off, because rape doesn't involve freedom of speech issues. It should be at a low bar.
Setting hate speech at a higher bar is because there is an inherent conflict between the right to free speech and restricting speech that causes public harm (be it hate, porn, violence, incitement, etc).
That doesn't make it unenforceable. It just means that any prosecutions should be a slam dunk, because what was said was well over the line.
The group most hated in New Zealand since the 1993 legislation (which included no discrimination based on employment status) has been beneficiaries – which enabled the continuing poverty of the "brown" underclass. It also fed the 2005 election debate – across the board tax cuts (advantaging white men the most) or the WFF tax credits which helped poorer browner families (just not those on benefits).
Class-based hatred is so 19th century? Hating the rich has been a thing since then too, though. However calls for violence against them, not so much…
I do agree, however, that there's such a thing as institutionalised violence – mental, not physical, and beneficiaries were the target. Getting a court to accept such reasoning would be a fascinating legal challenge.
Institutionalised violence – where a majority use its determination of policy to oppress "weaker" groups. Maori from their land, middle class law and order managing the underclass (drug use offences so much higher for some than among the middle class). Those on benefits paying back grant money out of future benefits while those with student loans borrow their living costs but do not pay anything back until they find work.
Is public support of this institutionalised violence, hate speech, the National Party/ACT Party manifesto or social media comments by their support base?
"GCSB Minister Andrew Little said that the foreign intelligence agency has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. The GCSB had "worked through a robust technical attribution process" to establish its conclusions, Little said."
Well okay, but since the attacks happened in March, why this now?? Spooks don't take four months to report identification of source, do they? One would think tracking a virus normally takes hours or days, not weeks or months. Are the bureaucrats sitting on the reporting process? Or is it that the govt has known the source all these months and only just now issued its delayed reaction due to some obscure diplomatic coordination requirement emanating out of Five Eyes?? I don't get it.
China was suspected/blamed back in March. Now NATO-EU and Five Eyes have all concluded this was the case and said so at the same time.
The GCSB has worked through a "robust attribution process" and if the results were different to that derived by the others we would have said so and explained why they were wrong …
Presumably there is some signature identifying “APT40” known to the USA – whose own motive is to infer western tech vulnerability with use of Chinese suppliers (to broaden trade sanctions on security grounds).
When you've seen three key industries in your big brother Australia smashed by retaliatory trade tariffs, you'd pause, get your allies in order, and then front it.
We are now very likely to get a strong Chinese response that will affect our economy.
"Despite the strong language, there are no signs of fresh sanctions against China. In contrast, new sanctions were placed on Russia for the recent SolarWinds campaign which many experts believe was less serious than the Microsoft Exchange campaign linked to China."
That's the bit from the BBC report you linked that interests me. Why does the Biden administration believe punishing Putin and not Xi is a good idea?? Or perhaps they are simply giving Xi a window of opportunity to respond first.
So is there a proposal of wealth transfer from those who have worked all their lives to pay those 16 Billion we paid in Corporate welfare called housing equality because there is now no money for social housing?
Many of todays 50-60 year old have not had their first house until they were 30, but now they are being taxed to make sure the 18 year old gets their foot on the property ladder because successive governments have failed to maintain and build housing?
Another proposal from those who have never done a normal everyday wage job in their lives. How would they know what so many out there have to face. Having a government job with extended leave, sick leave, guarantied pension….hallo! I mean the majority has no such luxury. Paid for by the taxpayer no less! But they now have the audacity to espouse these theories that will affect the ones who actually contribute to the GDP of this country.
Really? Seriously? Are they living in another world or something? The wealth divide is created by the very same governments that pay them to come up with another idea how to get the remaining middle class into a dependant poor state. You will not lift anybody up by having everybody poor.
How about taxing those who have paid the dividends to the corporates financed curtesy of the taxpayer and will be an burden for at least 2 generations? There was some noise for a while that the fraudulent taking of the corporate support will be investigated, but no one actually believes that it will happen. Meanwhile we pay money meant for victims to the gangs. Build houses, get the money of the fraudsters and build houses for goodness sake.
Lets stop pretending everything is just a matter of milking more from those who work and we are fine.
That is the best idea here in an age,After '87 share market crash, Gordon McLaughlin I think did an in depth analysis and wrote a large essay (maybe North and South) not sure how to link but in the interweb somewhere.
Alternatively, you could argue that the rebuild cost plus a certain % should be the base value of any house. This would rectify the market very quickly as those houses build some 30 or more years ago would be not tradeable at 1 mil plus.
Trusts should be taxable at all levels. Its fraud by another name.
That's a tough area because although IRD can be called on to judge charitable purpose for donee organisations, mostly that's handled by DIA through the Charities Service. Important work though.
It's just a rehash of TOP policy (taxing equity in property ownership).
No government would apply it, because it has the perverse incentive of encouraging people to borrow against equity to buy more property to reduce their tax liability.
But the emotions dragged out of the home owning class at their doing anything to reduce growing inequality because of overvalued land values are just as concerning as poor policy proposals.
The problem is if the government devalues land, a lot of banks will demand their cash straight away.
To just have those who actually work and try to make it trough this jungle of deceit and lies pay for exactly that lot will change the next elections 100%.
Not during the term of the mortgage they won't – and if the person is making (and likely to remain doing so) the repayments they will renew. A bank flooding the market with homes for sale because of a valuation downturn would destroy itself.
You're talking about homeowners, not all workers mate.
Meanwhile we pay money meant for victims to the gangs.
Nice misleading headline and quite befitting this silly rant of yours. Don’t let facts get in the way of a good spin, inside your head. Feeling dizzy yet?
Gangs are just that. No other country in the world would recognize gangs as a legitimate source to deliver value for any taxpayer money spent. NONE. Good god, now we are entering the stage where the perpetrator becomes the victims keeper!
Yip,that's one of the reasons I'll never qualify as a leftie, anyone who is thick enough to think that someone who rises to the top of the fucking mongrel mob is not a dishonest ,violent selfserving low life is at best a gullible fool,
I am very much a social democrat but this government is not, despite their assertions. Justice would be one area that does not gel very well if we give money to gangs and/or billions to companies never to be paid back under the so called honor system.
Only naive people believe good intentions are all one needs and yet the freedom for those basics to have a framework for all has to be defended or fought for. Look at south Africa, Intentions good, outcome…not so much.
“A huge congress of the 'Socialist International' took place in 1951 in Frankfurt and the resultant declaration opposed any form of Bolshevik communism and Stalinism.”
The call for freedom, equality, justice and solidarity originates in old humanistic thoughts. It is central for the Christian idea of man, it has been the battle-cry of the French Revolution, it is reflected in the legal foundations of the United Nations, the UN's two Human Rights Covenants of 1966, and finally it also forms the core values of social democracy.
It is a dim-witted accusation and doubling down doesn’t it make it a better one. Do you take your cues from the same sources as Foreign Waka, by any chance, because it certainly looks that way?
Dimwitted ! Abuse is the last gasp of the losing side.
Na I did a bit of reading ,I get it that some in the police backed the idea ,plus others, and have decided all on my little lonesome that it's a fucking idiotic idea.
And it sure ain't making it easy being openly labour in my neck of the woods I tell ya.
Calling out your comment as dim-witted is not abuse, but if you’re that easily offended, I’d better back off from questioning your debatable reasoning and your dubious sources.
You’re entitled to your beliefs and opinions, which you seem to get straight from MSM headline writers and spin doctors who write the press releases and SM messages for National and ACT. I prefer critical analysis based on and informed by evidence although a good rant is necessary, from time to time.
You’re so close with your “the perpetrator becomes the victims [sic] keeper!”, yet so far.
Regardless of whether you see merit in the approach of financing the poacher to become gamekeepers it should be admitted that the optics of such a decision open up the advocates to serious questioning….and rightfully so imho
That would be a fair comment if the questioning were less partisan and more open-minded to what this is about. So far, it is mostly reflexive stereotyping and labelling with very little analysis. Very similar to many of the ‘debates’ we seem to be having nowadays, e.g., about (the) hate speech law. I get that most of those pundits have no interest in questioning let alone challenging their own engrained biases and therefore avoid genuine debate like a gang tangi. Lazy thinkers with regressive ideas.
And that is all bullshit…again….there must be numerous Iwi (or other) groups with less direct connections to the gangs that are crying out for that sort of funding to assist their communities.
While the likes of the Mongrel Mob and Black Power may be SMEs in comparison to the 501 influenced multi-nationals the fact remains their business model is drugs based and this is a braindead proposition in the wider publics eyes.
The fact this administration constantly creates sticks for its own back will be its undoing…not the competence of the opposing argument.
Sure, it is all BS again, which makes for a compelling and persuasive judgement.
I know that many law-abiding citizens view gangs as nothing but drug peddlers and sources of crime and misery. With such a blinkered view it is only logical and morally imperative to take a hard line on gangs, which means no State support for any gang associates and their affiliates and further demonising and excluding them from normative society. The same dim-witted thinking leaves no room for considering, even for a moment, that including gangs in approaches and strategies that could lead to better outcomes for all involved, i.e. for all society. I can understand all these things and yet not buy into the same thinking because it has not delivered much to write home about thus far except providing useful ammo for certain political ‘gangs’, their leaders, and their associates and affiliates. Maybe building a few more prisons is the right answer? Serco won’t mind 😉
What was the Human Rights Commissioner thinking when he gave a $200 koha?? Very bad optics; he must have lost his mind …
Agree Pat. Giving koha is different from being given $$$$ of Govt funds. I found nothing untoward about the HRC giving koha, in acceptance of a reciprocal concept of hosting.
As others say the optics, at the very least of giving a gang that has caused so much damage to society access to significant govt funds, are able to be questioned and I don't blame people for doing just this.
… there must be numerous Iwi (or other) groups with less direct connections to the gangs that are crying out for that sort of funding to assist their communities.
What a load of bullshit and ignorance. History and research proves this would only fuel the problems these ACT dickwits think they would solve! Perhaps if the party of selfish tax-dodgers and rorters paid their fair share of tax, NZ could seriously begin to deal to poverty – the real problem. The only surprise is that they aren't pushing gun rights to implement the Duterte solution (/sarc).
The greatest irony is that the announcement was made from the premises of a supplier of the county's most harmful drug!!!
The greatest irony is that the announcement was made from the premises of a supplier of the county's most harmful drug!!!
There is a bit or a lot of that 'taking battle with one's own agenda' going on these days either through non-consultation on issues that are deserving of consultation, both in central and local govt or disrupting events when brave souls want to consult.
Life's ironies abound. I suspect this undermining/battling of the ACT agenda was inadvertent.
Like? "Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me." — Casca
Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five. Was I with you there for the goose?" — Mercutio
"So, again, good night. I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins and worse remains behind." — Hamlet
The game's afoot: follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'" — King Henry V
It's posturing shiite – their existing policy is that anyone on Job Seeker Benefit goes onto an electronic (restricted spending) card after the first 4 weeks of cash benefit (eftpos card).
This government is a idiot for seeking to suppress further 1-off territory attacks, when lage, powerful armed terror groups like Mongrel Mob are growing unchecked and attacking in towns and cities at will.
Such misdirected nonsense from this government and Police on terror groups.
Where do you get your information from? Pretty dodgy to say the least.
From your comment, it sounds as thought there is only one gang in NZ and that they are armed to the gills and in the midst of a shooting war with all and sundry.
Hate to disabuse you of your fantasies but some reading suggests the 501 seeded gangs are more heavily armed (weapons arrive with drugs from South America) and NZ's numerous other gangs are no doubt just as lethal. It also seems you work on other very misguided assumptions that are not worth addressing as it is obvious you have more than a few mind-blocks.
By the way, when were you last terrorised by an armed Mongrel Mob Member? Was it when you didn't pay for the drugs you received or was it after you shot up their pad?
Odd you should mention this. Last night I was dealing with my disabled brother who has discovered a very recent bullet hole in his house. Police have told them they know who it was but no action can be taken.
About 20 years ago when some pissed prospects decide leave the party at the pad down the road and invite themselves into our flat and proceed to start smashing the place up.
Since Labour came into office in 2017 gangs have recruited 2660 new members, an increase of just under 50 per cent. We now have over 8,000 – that's equivalent to the entire town of Kawerau. All facts on the record.
Plenty of our small towns have gangs as the primary organising power of their society. Including places like Kawerau.
This is the product of the policy of Australia's Liberal coalition government, therefore the product of the people of Australia, and literally the product of Australian society.
Thousands of criminals, trained by Australia, have been exported to New Zealand in the last 6 years. With them they bring sophisticated networking, fundraising and recruitment practice, all nurtured in Australia. They also bring their anger, magnified.
NZ has become a dumping ground for the failures of a morally corrupt Australian society and this is the primary reason for an increase in organised crime violence here.
Add to this their export of real terrorism in the form of murderous white supremacy, which we have known bubbles away in Australia under the radar since its colonisation, by criminals.
Yes there's a wee bit of that. But they are our people doing this crime, our people are the criminals, and apart from the Comancheros they came back to fully formed gangs ready to expand – which they are doing big time.
And there's no way the Ardern government isn't responsible for effectively policing them.
You only have to look to some Latin American nations, Mexico leaps to mind, as to what happens when govts fail to police gangs.
Two years ago I had a very interesting Mexican colleague (I think I mentioned him here in a thread before) who explained to me in detail one night over dinner, how two of his business partners were in separate incidents, both kidnapped, ransomed and murdered. We’re talking legit, tech based, middle-class professionals – specifically targeted for purely monetary gain and no other reason. Needless to say this is also the reason why he now lives in Australia.
You will read this and feel nothing – having it retold by someone who lived through it first hand is deeply chilling. And if NZ imagines that it's immune to this kind of collapse of social moral structure it would be deluding itself.
Difficult for me to imagine a modern NZ government of any flavour being kind/friendly to individuals or groups that indulge in kidnapping or other serious crimes in NZ, but your imagination may be more 'vivid' than mine.
Suspect that the NZ police and MPs are concerned about the types and level of crimes carried out by gangs in NZ, from the Mongrel Mob to triad-type and white-supremacist gangs.
No it bloody doesn't. The fact of so many left wingers openly siding with criminal gangs who inflict nothing but misery on their own people is a testament to a dismal moral degeneracy I find very hard to understand.
A gun sick nation. USA a fourth-world nation and soon emulating Nigeria probably.
[second time removed the following text from user name: “Timely warning”]
I haven’t done anything to my user name – don’t know why it should be different. Thanks for adjusting incognito. I see now – will do. Very timely warning eh.
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Bryce Edwards writes Toxicity and disinformation are becoming a big part of New Zealand politics. And much of this relates to debates about ethnicity, race, and racism. We should all be concerned about this trend. Personal abuse, dishonesty, and contempt in the public sphere are bad for democracy, ...
House-building and infrastructure industry leaders are begging the Government for project-pipeline certainty and warning of a 2009/10-style exodus of skilled staff overseas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government won last year’s election with a pledge to ‘get things done’ and ‘get New Zealand back on ...
What's the matter with him? (He's alright)How do you know? (The Lord won't mind)Don't play no games (he's alright)Love from the bottom to the top.You’re alright, but how about her, or him? What makes them tick? Are they a solid citizen or a slippery fecker? Why are we all so ...
Recently, the transport consultancy Crank publicly released a report about children’s vision for transport in Auckland. It was produced in 2023 to help shape Auckland Council’s Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) Reduction Strategy. That got me thinking, and after going back to the recent Long Term Plan Consultation Feedback results, one ...
One of National’s showpiece election promises appears to be in more trouble with Waikato University yesterday withdrawing its call for tenders to develop a new medical school. The move will delay any substantial increase in the number of doctors being trained in New Zealand. The University’s decision just over a ...
Today, I ran across a Twitter thread about writerly use of the word ‘said’: https://x.com/APoetForThePyre/status/1794895108581859794 As a writer, I have my opinions about this, and since it has been a long, long time since I offered thoughts on the unwritten rules of writing, I thought I would explore the matter ...
This story by James Goodwin was originally published by The Revelatorand is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Communities across the United States may soon find themselves facing a grim scenario. By adopted local ordinances that obstruct the development of new renewable energy resources within ...
Toxicity and disinformation are becoming a big part of New Zealand politics. And much of this relates to debates about ethnicity, race, and racism. We should all be concerned about this trend. Personal abuse, dishonesty, and contempt in the public sphere are bad for democracy, social cohesion, and the integrity ...
Buzz from the Beehive With just a few days to go before Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers her first Budget speech, her colleagues have been focused in recent days on issues beyond our shores. Education Minister Erica Stanford made the only announcement of concern to citizens who want to know ...
James Kierstead writes – White sand beaches. Palm trees waving in a gentle breeze. Seas of turquoise and ultramarine, cobalt and denim stretching out as far as the eye can see. Such is the view of New Caledonia that you get on travel websites. And it’s not an ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Whenever politicians dole out taxpayer funding to groups or individuals, they must do so in a wholly transparent way with due process to ensure conflicts of interest don’t occur and that the country receives value for money. Unfortunately, it’s not clear that this has ...
Frank Newman writes – Earlier this week Local Government NZ sent a letter to the leaders of the coalition parties and Ministers Simeon Brown and Tama Potaka. It was signed by 52 local government leaders (see list appended). The essence of the letter is this: Our position…is ...
T he ANC’s goal in Wednesday’s election will be to staunch the bleeding of its support. The ANC has reason to feel anxious. For months, the polls have been indicating the ANC will lose its overall majority for the first time since the Mandela election of 1994. The size of ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to June 3 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm today.Parliament’s Environment Select Committee resumes hearing submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm today.Auckland ...
Tomorrow the AT board meet again and I’ve taken a look through the items on their public agenda to see what’s interesting. It’s also the first meeting for two recently appointed directors, former director at Ritchies Transport, Andrew Ritchie and former mayor of Hamilton, Julie Hardaker. The public session starts ...
The Government is looking again at changing fringe benefit tax rules to make it harder to claim a personally-used double-cab ute as a company vehicle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Having repealed the previous Government’s ‘ute tax’ last year, the new Government is looking at removing a defacto tax ...
Hi,I pitched a documentary to a big streamer last week and they said “no thanks” which is a bummer, because we’d worked on the concept for ages and I think it would have been a compelling watch. But I would say that because I was the one pitching it, right?As ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 19, 2024 thru Sat, May 25, 2024. Story of the week This week's typiclal compendium of stories we'd rather were plot devices in science ficition novels but instead ...
This National government has been aggressively anti-environment, and is currently ramming through its corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" legislation to give three ministers dictatorial powers over what gets built and where. But that's not the only thing they're doing. On Thursday they introduced a Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, ...
Whenever politicians dole out taxpayer funding to groups or individuals, they must do so in a wholly transparent way with due process to ensure conflicts of interest don’t occur and that the country receives value for money. Unfortunately, it’s not clear that this has occurred in the announcement this week ...
Last night began earlier than usual. In bed by 6:30pm, asleep an hour later. Sometimes I do sleep odd hours, writing late and/or getting up very early - complemented with the occasional siesta, but I’m usually up a bit later than that on a Saturday night. Last night I was ...
Early in the COVID-19 days, the Boris Johnson government pressed a Big Red Button marked: act immediately, never mind about the paperwork.Their problem was: not having enough PPE gear for all the hospital and emergency staff. Their solution was to expedite things and get them the gear ASAP.This, along with ...
Up until 1989, you could attend a New Zealand University, and never need to pay a cent for your education. That then changed, of course. The sadists of the Fourth Labour Government introduced substantial fees for study, never having had to pay a cent for their own education. The even ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Minister for Children Karen Chhour is putting children first: Hon KAREN CHHOUR: I move, That the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the bill.It’s a privilege ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Applause and cheers erupted in the House on Wednesday afternoon as Children’s Minister Karen Chhour condemned Te Pāti Māori’s insults about her upbringing. Chhour, who grew up in state care, is repealing section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act – sparking uproar from ...
I could corrupt youIt would be uglyThey could sedate youBut what good would drugs be?Good Morning all,Today there’s a guest newsletter from Gerard Otto (G). By which I mean I read his post this morning and he has kindly allowed me to share it with you.If you don’t already I ...
Is the solution to any of the serious, long term issues we all have to face as a nation, because many governments of all stripes we can probably all admit if we’re deeply truthful with ourselves haven’t done near enough work at the very times they should have, to basically ...
The 2018 Social Security Act suggests that Labour may have retreated to the minimalist (neo-liberal) welfare state which has developed out of the Richardson-Shipley ‘redesign’. One wonders what Michael Joseph Savage, Peter Fraser and Walter Nash would have thought of the Social Security Act passed by the Ardern Labour Government ...
MPs are supposed to serve the public interest, not their own self-interest. And according to the New Zealand Parliament’s website, democracy and integrity are tarnished whenever politicians seek to enrich themselves or the people they are connected with. For this reason, the Parliament has a “Register of Pecuniary Interests” in ...
By now, most of you will have heard about the FLICC taxonomy of science denial techniques and how you can train your skills in detecting them with the Cranky Uncle game. If you like to quickly check how good you are at this already, answer the 12 quiz questions in the ...
Buzz from the Beehive The hacks of the Parliamentary Press Gallery have been able to chip into a rich vein of material on the government’s official website over the past 24 hours. Among the nuggets is the speech by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and a press statement to announce ...
When Labour was in power, they wasted time, political capital, and scarce policy resources on trying to extend the parliamentary term to four years, in an effort to make themselves less accountable to us. It was unlikely to fly, the idea having previously lost tworeferendums by huge margins - ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: When Whanau Ora chief executive John Tamihere was asked what his expectations for the Budget next Thursday were, he said: “All hope is lost.” Last year Whānau Ora was allocated $163.1 million in the Budget to last for the next four years ...
Nick Hanne writes – There’s a common malady suffered by bureaucracies the world over. They wish to save us from ourselves. Sadly, NZ officials are no less prone to exhibiting symptoms of this occupational condition.Observe, for instance, the reaction from certain public figures to the news ...
Peter Dunne writes – As the city of Tauranga prepares to elect a new Mayor and Council after three and a half years being run by government-appointed Commissioners, the case for replacing the Wellington City Council with Commissioners strengthens. The Wellington City Council has been dysfunctional for years, ...
The budget today is a sad state of affairs and the country can now see the result of Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ wrong choices and the Government’s broken promises. ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has repeatedly said she will not be borrowing for tax cuts and denied fiscal irresponsibility. Today, the budget has revealed Nicola Willis has borrowed $12 billion – and her tax cuts cost $10 billion. ...
In six short months the Minister for Housing has shrunk the pool of potential home owners in New Zealand, removed housing security for renters, re-introduced competition on existing stock between investors and speculators, and served power and billions of dollars to landlords on a silver platter, says Labour housing spokesperson ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect New Zealanders' right of free speech. The “Protection of Freedom of Expression Bill” will ensure that no organisation or individual, when acting within the law, is unreasonably denied use of a public venue for an organised event or ...
The Green Party unequivocally condemns the governing parties’ attempts to limit the public’s say on the controversial Māori wards legislation, after the select committee considering the legislation set a deadline for submissions of just five days. ...
Disabled children and families nationwide have recently found out they’re no longer able to use disability support funding for programmes during school hours in another quiet update from the Government. ...
Following a horrific case of stalking that ended in tragedy, Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen has drafted a bill that would add stalking to the Crimes Act. ...
The Rt Hon Winston Peters, joined by Mike King, has announced $24 million over four years for the ‘I Am Hope Foundation’, and will provide young people aged between 5 to 25 years with free mental health counselling services. This funding will help I Am Hope’s ‘Gumboot Friday’ initiative give ...
Te Pāti Māori have launched a petition to stop the repeal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. This announcement comes prior to the first reading of the Section 7AA repeal bill in Parliament today. “Section 7AA forces the Government to adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi with respect ...
The Government has yet again failed to do the one thing that needs to happen to ensure houses can be built – commit to ongoing funding, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Treasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Budget 2024 delivers on the Government’s promises, with savings across the public sector being reinvested in frontline services and meaningful tax reductions to support hard-working Kiwis. “This Budget is prudent and fiscally responsible. By identifying billions of dollars of lower-value spending across the public sector, ...
Mr Speaker, I move that the Appropriation (2024/25 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time. Tēnā koutou katoa. E mihi ana ki a Ahumairangi, ki a Tangi-te-keo, ki te Whanganui-a-Tara. Tāne whakapiripiri e tū nei, e ngā tāngata whenua o te rohe, e ngā mema ...
Responsible and effective climate related initiatives that support New Zealand to reduce emissions, and adapt to the future effects of climate change are a priority, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Our Government is committed to meeting emission reduction targets, including the overall goal of carbon net-zero by 2050, while ...
Budget 2024 invests more than $1 billion in a package of initiatives to further support the rebuild and recovery of communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods to improve New Zealand’s emergency preparedness, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell say. ...
Revenue from the Waste Disposal Levy will be spent on a wider range of projects supporting the environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation in addition to minimising waste, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “The Government will introduce a Bill as part of Budget 2024 legislation which expands the scope ...
Budget 2024 sets the path for a sustainable tertiary education sector that supports and incentivises hard working learners, businesses, and tertiary education providers, Tertiary Education Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The first year Fees Free policy was an expensive failure and did not deliver its aim of more students going into ...
Budget 2024 confirms a $2.68 billion investment in roads, rail, and public transport to unlock economic growth and enable Kiwis and freight to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “This funding includes a billion-dollar increase over that signalled during the consultation ...
Kua tū te haka a Tāne Rore me ngā mahi a Hine Rēhia! Secure long-term funding of $48.7 million from 2025 will ensure the future of Te Matatini prospers with the support of the Government, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. I tēnei tahua pūtea kua whakangaoa e te Kāwanatanga ...
Supporting regional productivity, prosperity and resilience will be at the heart of the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “The coalition Government is committed to building a stronger, more productive economy, and this fund will help support our regional economies to grow,” Mr Jones says. “Building infrastructure ...
Critical support services that improve the lives of disabled people, their families, and those who care for them will receive significant investment through Budget 2024. “The coalition Government wants the best outcomes for the disability community, which is why we are prioritising the essential frontline services they rely on,” says ...
Budget 2024 lays the foundations for a better performing infrastructure system, with investments to ensure Kiwis spend less time waiting in traffic, that improve our climate resilience, and in modern classrooms that support our kids to achieve at school, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Government is determined to address ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour says this Budget makes a good start in reducing low value government spending, and there is more efficiency to be found in future Budget cycles. “The coalition Government inherited a dire fiscal situation. Core Crown expenditure increased nearly 70 percent between 2017 and 2023. Debt ...
Frontline Police numbers will be increased by 500 officers by the end of 2025 to help reduce crime and improve public safety, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello says. “We are serious about restoring law and order and that starts with having more Police on the beat to deter crime and ...
A focus on supporting frontline Police in this year’s Budget will keep our communities safer, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “We are serious about cracking down on crime and keeping communities safe so people can go about their lives in peace. We back our Police and are giving them more ...
The coalition Government is boosting education spending by $2.93 billion over the next four years to improve student outcomes, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. "The investment includes extra funding for new classrooms, additional teacher support and early childhood education,” Ms Stanford says. “It also includes previously announced additional funding for ...
Health will get a significant funding boost of $16.68 billion across three Budgets as part of our plan to invest in frontline services such as emergency departments, primary care, medicines and public health to ensure New Zealanders can get the healthcare they deserve, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “Our ...
Budget 2024 restores discipline to spending to get the books back in order, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Operating allowance for Budget 2024 lowered to $3.2 billion: the lowest operating allowance since Budget 2018 Future operating allowances lowered to $2.4 billion The Multi-Year Capital Allowance receives a $7 billion top-up, ...
Budget 2024 delivers overdue tax relief to 3.5 million New Zealanders so they can keep more of what they earn. Tax relief as set out in the National Party’s 2023 tax plan From 31 July this year average income households receive tax relief of up to $102 a fortnight and ...
Budget 2024 sets out the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy, ease the cost of living, deliver better health and education services and restore law and order, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “This is a fiscally responsible Budget that delivers on key coalition Government commitments.” Tax relief for the squeezed ...
Hon. Karen Chhour National Network of Family Violence Services National Family Violence Conference 2024 9:25am Wednesday 29 May 2024 It is an honour to open this conference, and I want to acknowledge the broad range of expertise, experience, and hard work represented by the people here in this room. ...
The Government has strengthened settings for managing a mass arrival, with the passing of the Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill today. “While we haven’t experienced a mass arrival event in New Zealand, it is an ongoing possibility which would have a significant impact on our immigration and court systems,” Immigration ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed the passage of legislation giving the New Zealand Superannuation Fund a wider range of investment opportunities. The New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Controlling Interests) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament today. “The bill removes a section in the original act that ...
Three decades of negotiations between iwi and the Crown have been settled today as the Whakatōhea Claims Settlement Bill passes its third reading in Parliament, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “While no settlement can fully compensate for the Crown’s past injustices, this settlement will support the aspirations and prosperity ...
New Zealand will support Papua New Guinea’s response to the devastating landslide in Enga Province, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins have announced. “Ever since learning of the horrendous landslide on Friday, New Zealand has been determined to play our part in assisting Papua New Guinea’s ...
Tena koutou katoa. Kia ora tatou. Na mihi nui kia koutou. Greetings and thank you for having me at this year’s WasteMINZ conference. In particular, I acknowledge WasteMINZ’s chair Parul Sood, WasteMINZ board members, CEO Nic Quilty and the team, and all of today’s delegates. I’m going to take this ...
The Government is consulting New Zealanders on a package of proposals for simple and effective regulation of shooting clubs and ranges, Associate Minister of Justice, Nicole McKee announced today. “Clubs and ranges are not only important for people learning to operate firearms safely, to practice, and to compete, ...
Over 300 people have been successfully flown out of New Caledonia in a joint Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) operation. As of today, seven New Zealand government aircraft flights to Nouméa have assisted around 225 New Zealanders and 145 foreign nationals ...
Defence and Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins departs for Singapore tomorrow for defence and technology summits and meetings. First up is the Asia Tech X Singapore Summit, followed by the Five Power Defence Arrangements Defence Ministers Meeting and wrapping up with the Shangri-La Dialogue for Defence Ministers from ...
Over the next four years, Budget 24 will support the training and recruitment of 1,500 teachers into the workforce, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced today. “To raise achievement and develop a world leading education system we’re investing nearly $53 million over four years to attract, train and retain our valued ...
1. New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters; Minister of Health and Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Dr Shane Reti; and Minister for Climate Change Hon Simon Watts hosted Cook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Hon Tingika Elikana and Minister of Health Hon Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown on 24 May ...
The Government has approved two-year extensions for four New Zealand Defence Force deployments to the Middle East and Africa, Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today. “These deployments are long-standing New Zealand commitments, which reflect our ongoing interest in promoting peace and stability, and making active ...
The Climate Change Commission Chair, Dr Rod Carr, has confirmed his plans to retire at the end of his term later this year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Prior to the election, Dr Carr advised me he would be retiring when his term concluded. Dr Rod Carr has led ...
Nine highly respected experts have been appointed to the inaugural board of the new Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission is a new independent Crown entity which was established under the Integrity Sport and Recreation Act last year, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed today that Vote Foreign Affairs in Budget 2024 will balance two crucial priorities of the Coalition Government. While Budget 2024 reflects the constrained fiscal environment, the Government also recognises the critical role MFAT plays in keeping New Zealanders safe and prosperous. “Consistent with ...
New social housing funding in Budget 2024 will ensure the Government can continue supporting more families into warm, dry homes from July 2025, Housing Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka say. “Earlier this week I was proud to announce that Budget 2024 allocates $140 million to fund 1,500 new social ...
Introduction Today, we are sharing a red-letter occasion. A Blackball event on hallowed ground. Today we underscore the importance of our mineral estate. A reminder that our natural resource sector has much to offer. Such a contribution will not come to pass without investment. However, more than money is needed. ...
Increasing national and regional prosperity, providing the minerals needed for new technology and the clean energy transition, and doubling the value of minerals exports are the bold aims of the Government’s vision for the minerals sector. Resources Minister Shane Jones today launched a draft strategy for the minerals sector in ...
The coalition Government’s legislation to restore the rights of communities to determine whether to introduce Māori wards has passed its first reading in Parliament, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says. “Divisive changes introduced by the previous government denied local communities the ability to determine whether to establish Māori wards.” The ...
The coalition Government has today introduced legislation to slash the tangle of red and green tape throttling some of New Zealand’s key sectors, including farming, mining and other primary industries. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says the Government is committed to unlocking development and investment while ensuring the environment is ...
The decision by Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to approve the continued use of hydrogen cyanamide, known as Hi-Cane, has been welcomed by Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay. “The EPA decision introduces appropriate environmental safeguards which will allow kiwifruit and other growers to use Hi-Cane responsibly,” Ms ...
The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand is disappointed the Government’s budget has once again failed to include an increase for the Work and Income Funeral Grant. ...
This week an Israeli airstrike killed dozens of refugees in Rafah, and our government has done and said next to nothing in response. What happened to New Zealand’s stance on human rights?In 1984, we banned nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from entering New Zealand waters. The US and France hated ...
Waikato Regional Council has sent a clear message to the Government that proposed legislative changes impacting Māori wards and constituencies are “inequitable”. ...
The Government has indicated that 20 million that had been tagged to support Youth Transitional Housing projects over the next 3 years will now no longer go ahead. ...
Officials advising the government on the Budget advised ministers to tweak the government's tax policy to save cost, and said it should commence from 1 October, rather than 31 July. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naomi Langmore, Professor, Australian National University A superb fairy wren foster parent about to feed a Horsfield’s bronze cuckoo chick.Mark Lethlean How do new species arise? And why are there so many of them? One possible reason is the arms race ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Gurrieri, Associate Professor in Marketing, RMIT University Mattel released a new range of Barbie dolls this week honouring nine trailblazing women in sport. The recognised athletes include Matildas soccer star Mary Fowler, tennis champion Venus Williams and seven other record-breaking and ...
In today’s extract from The Bulletin, a bumper budget reading list*. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The top lines We made it. After weeks of anticipation, we finally learned the details of the coalition government’s first budget. There were the anticipated tax cuts, confirmation ...
J Swap gave money to Shane Jones, and then to NZ First after it got into power. Now the company is asking for protected land to be opened for quarrying. ...
Analysis - The wall-to-wall coverage of public service cuts in recent months is set to become the new normal, with little money left from here on out. ...
The government’s myopic focus on short-term interests – both the taxpayers’ and its own – risks causing long-term damage, warns Max Rashbrooke. Evidence of a continued addiction to spending? Or, conversely, a slash and burn approach to the public finances? Neither of these rival interpretations of finance minister Nicola Willis’s ...
Featuring dangerous driving in an Austin Mini, line dancers vs the Open Polytechnic and the many misdemeanours of Hell Pizza.For as long as there have been ads in New Zealand, there have been people complaining about them. Fifty and a bit years ago, a lightning rod for those complaints ...
New Zealand’s position on recognising Palestinian statehood is a muddled, awkward fence-sitting one, especially when international opinion is turning towards recognition as a tool for peace Opinion: On May 10, the United Nations General Assembly called on the Security Council to admit Palestine as a full member of the organisation ...
FICTION 1 Amma by Saraid de Silva (Hachette, $37.99) A review by Betty Davis will likely appear next week in ReadingRoom of da Silva’s intergenerational epic set in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and it will likely be headlined “Novel of the Year”. 2 Bird Child andOther Stories ...
The amount allocated to Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People is 24 percent more than what it received last year, including $80 million before the Budget to see the department through an overspend. The ministry will get an extra $1.1 billion until 2028. That’s on top of its nominal baseline funding ...
Police have been ordered to find $120 million in savings in the next year, or risk falling off a fiscal cliff. Among the Budget’s “time-limited funding” table – read: fiscal cliffs page – is funding for police cost pressures. The $120m in funding is a one-off, with nothing beyond Budget ...
Winston Peters didn’t have everything his own way in this year’s Budget, with the country’s aid falling – potentially quite sharply The post Overseas aid falls further in Budget appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and his “shadow”, Michaelia Cash, are both volatile characters. When they met this week to discuss the government’s draft religious discrimination bill, an incendiary issue in the best of circumstances, sparks flew. ...
Over the course of three hours of budget speeches, parliament turned into an unruly, overtired detention hall, where MPs forgot all about tax cuts and started yelling random words from the dictionary. Joel MacManus was there.Nicola Willis tried so hard to make the budget boring. The white cover page, ...
Opinion - Māori whānau will get far less in this Budget than Pākehā, writes Julia Whaipooti. How can we strive for equality when our starting point is so different? ...
Opinion - Māori whānau will get far less in this Budget than Pākehā, writes Julia Whaipooti. How can we strive for equality when our starting point is so different? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Bron Batten, Scott Price and Sarah Mainwaring perform on stage in Multiple Bad Things. Ferne Millen Back to Back Theatre is an internationally lauded ensemble of collaborators based in Geelong. With some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Craig Elliffe: Small cuts, big consequences Honestly, who would want to be Nicola Willis at this point? The effect of $14.7 billion of tax cuts is ...
“The whole country must pay attention when our final report is released and take responsibility to make sure it never happens again,” said Judge Shaw. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Taucher, Lecturer in History, Murdoch University The world has reacted with anger this week after an Israeli air strike on a safe zone for displaced civilians in southern Gaza reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people, including women ...
A special Gone By Lunchtime meets When the Facts Change crossover episode for budget day. Nicola Willis has kept her word: in her first budget, the National-led coalition has delivered tax cuts. As for whether she is right to say that those cuts are delivered thanks to savings and new ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis describes her budget as moderate and responsible. But what do the experts think? Jacqueline Paul: $20m rangatahi housing cut a short-sighted decision The budget for 2024 is deeply disappointing and fails to at least attempt to address Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent housing crisis, especially for rangatahi. As someone ...
Everything you need to know about Budget 2024, and not a line more.After sharing home-made choc-chip cookies with the prime minister, finance minister Nicola Willis presented her first budget today at 2pm, wearing a blue power suit and a sense of determination. “I have kept my pledge,” she announced, ...
Budget 2024 includes $2.5 billion in new spending over four years for education and a further $429 million in redirected savings, most of it from the Ministry of Education. ...
Councils will see some relief from the huge infrastructure challenge they’re facing right now in the Government’s Budget, LGNZ Vice-President Campbell Barry said today. ...
Opinion: So here we are then, back on a track. Having wandered off into the foothills of kindness, the valleys of wellbeing and the sheer rock walls of high inflation and interest rates, guide Nicola Willis has appeared in her bright blue trouser suit holding up a blue balloon to ...
The Government’s Budget ignores the climate and biodiversity crises Aotearoa is facing and will shoulder future generations with “unconscionable debt”, says the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) New Zealand. ...
"Just like the average farmer’s budget, the Government doesn’t have a lot of spare cash laying around to spend on nice-to-haves and optional extras," says Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford. ...
“Budget 2024 was always going to be delivered against a backdrop of significant fiscal constraints and GPNZ recognises those challenges. We were well briefed, we knew despite our desperate situation this wasn’t going to be our year for change,” ...
The Finance Minister says she "regrets" funding for extra cancer drugs was not possible in Budget 2024, despite it being promised during the election campaign. ...
Nothing in this year's budget can disguise the fact that this government is hellbent on worsening conditions for all of us, at the expense of all of us. ...
A Regional Infrastructure Fund is one aspect of the new Budget’s infrastructure package, partially focused on resilience and recovery. But mostly it’s about roads. The infrastructure package represents “a record amount” of investment via a “coherent pipeline” according to Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop. These are the statements that industry ...
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Re harmful speech
https://twitter.com/glukianoff/status/1416737342421970945
Well yeah, life hurts it's hard sometimes people can be arseholes and sometimes shit goes wrong.
The saying is about teaching kids to be robust and not to worry or place to much wait on what people might say.
Teaching kids to be robust so they can handle things, put things into perspective?
Must have been a generation that missed out on that. You know the generation that has it that a discussion document in a draw in a government office means that in a short number of years New Zealand will be an apartheid state, there'll be two equal Parliaments running the country and Maori will own most of the land.
The same generation which has it that we definitely won't be able to open our mouths for fear of being chucked in jail for "hate speech." Over something Dennis Frank quotes (below) from Russell Palmer:
"At this point it's not a law, it's not an act, it's not even a bill. Instead, it's a discussion document aimed at seeking opinions before the ministry comes up with a law change".
It's a drawer, not a draw that you can paint any way you like.
A "short number of years" – you mean not while the current government is in office or any National successor.
Given most land is privately owned or public Crown land, there is no chance Maori iwi can own most of the land.
Well, that was an artful segue. /sarc
The new modern versions of "sticks and stones" seems to be either:
harden up snowflake or
have a cup of concrete
Err, if snowflakes were hard they would shatter. And still melt.
The concrete one sounds a wee bit weird.
They are just sayings meaning roughly the same thing. ie. don't get hurty feelings…..a few people on this blog should take note.
" Like water off a ducks back" is another along the same lines as don't let it get to you.
As for the snowflake one and shattering, they're not meant to be taken too literally, else a saying like "ÿou can't have your cake and eat it too" is pretty useless. I can imagine you saying What's the point of having cake if you cant eat it !
You've obviously been speaking with my dietician lol
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/have-a-cup-of-concrete-and-harden-up-fraser-tells-newman-20110526-1f5ds.html
Ah, the land of colourful phrases.
They really do have a knack for it.
Russell Palmer of RNZ has clarified the govt hate speech law proposals here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/proposed-hate-speech-laws-what-you-need-to-know/MVWR2D7MNZXJCD7FEUUUDQCH4A/
"At this point it's not a law, it's not an act, it's not even a bill. Instead, it's a discussion document aimed at seeking opinions before the ministry comes up with a law change".
"The Justice Ministry's discussion document largely focuses on the problems of the current laws and what the new laws aim to do, but – and this is perhaps one reason for the confusion – most of it largely does not give the specific wording of what is being proposed. This makes reading the document somewhat like having a set of directions without knowing where you're going to end up. However, in the second appendix is a chart which includes the six proposed changes to be made, what the current laws are like, and a section of notes on each proposal".
He then delineates the six with admirable precision. You may have wondered about the prospect of insults producing prosecutions. Kiwi males have long been in the habit of insulting aussie males & vice versa. Sadly the prospect of such legal entertainment seems dim. The two bunches of dimwits don't seem to hate each other. To get the police prosecutor & attorney general musing over the prospect, there would have to be a threat issued: `you guys come across the ditch, we'll give you a whack around the earhole'.
Discerning hatred will be the challenge: emotions can be evident to many, but the evidence is subjective. The only objective proof is if someone says/writes "I hate [this group]" where this group is identified by a generally-recognised cultural or ethnic label. Contempt & ridicule are mentioned. I don't hate suit-wearers, but I have viewed them with contempt since the 1960s and do express that view on a sporadic basis – but don't recall hating them since I was a teenager. Nor do I suggest that citizens eliminate the social problems they continue to cause by eliminating the offenders!
So prosecutions are likely to hinge on a combination of behaviours & attitudes becoming evident to the authorities mentioned above. "To be considered a hate crime, communication must intentionally incite/stir up, maintain or normalise hatred using abuse, insults or threats (including inciting violence) against at least one of the groups identified in proposal 1. For a successful prosecution, it would have to include all four of these things."
Legal academic despairs.
https://twitter.com/Publicwrongs/status/1416930574002921475
Yeah. While paranoia is understandable in the circumstances, it ain't reasonable. Folks ought to relax & take a balanced approach. Good law will only come from consideration of all sides of the issue, then careful deliberation.
Another not so academic consideration is that; if NZ signs up to international treaties, we are obliged to abide by them eventually.
But, lost in the din around the Incitement to Hatred and Discrimination discussion, is this complimentary discussion that I was barely aware of. It runs until the 6th of August too:
https://social-cohesion.citizenspace.com/social-cohesion/public-consultation/consultation/subpage.2021-06-24.6598578873/
[fixed typo in user name]
So it's official despite the url. Interesting.
Yeah – that was just the page I happened to have open at the time; Sacha. I probably should have gone back a few levels for a better link.
It is mentioned on the discussion document government published page. But is easily skimmed past. I certainly wouldn't say that the last month since these discussions were opened to the public have been Aotearoa's most impressive display of social cohesion ever.
https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/key-initiatives/proposals-against-incitement/#cohesion
It was at the bottom of that page. They have certainly kept it quiet.
If a law is going to be that hard to enforce, and even harder to prosecute and convict, it sets itself up as bad law from the outset.
It's it high bar so as not to waste time and resources chasing minor stuff.
That's just another part of the problem. That judgement lies with Police.
Example: most rapes don't even get from Police to court, let alone conviction. And that's been on the books for a while.
So wait until they are to start making marginal calls about group 'incitement'. Then put it to Police Prosecutions, then Crown Law. Then a public jury of ordinary folks.
Unenforceable law should not be law.
So a possible law change shouldn't be discussed if there might be marginal calls involved?
We're discussing just fine.
Fair call.
In that case, your comparison with rape is off, because rape doesn't involve freedom of speech issues. It should be at a low bar.
Setting hate speech at a higher bar is because there is an inherent conflict between the right to free speech and restricting speech that causes public harm (be it hate, porn, violence, incitement, etc).
That doesn't make it unenforceable. It just means that any prosecutions should be a slam dunk, because what was said was well over the line.
The group most hated in New Zealand since the 1993 legislation (which included no discrimination based on employment status) has been beneficiaries – which enabled the continuing poverty of the "brown" underclass. It also fed the 2005 election debate – across the board tax cuts (advantaging white men the most) or the WFF tax credits which helped poorer browner families (just not those on benefits).
But little about that in this legislation.
Class-based hatred is so 19th century? Hating the rich has been a thing since then too, though. However calls for violence against them, not so much…
I do agree, however, that there's such a thing as institutionalised violence – mental, not physical, and beneficiaries were the target. Getting a court to accept such reasoning would be a fascinating legal challenge.
Institutionalised violence – where a majority use its determination of policy to oppress "weaker" groups. Maori from their land, middle class law and order managing the underclass (drug use offences so much higher for some than among the middle class). Those on benefits paying back grant money out of future benefits while those with student loans borrow their living costs but do not pay anything back until they find work.
Is public support of this institutionalised violence, hate speech, the National Party/ACT Party manifesto or social media comments by their support base?
"GCSB Minister Andrew Little said that the foreign intelligence agency has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. The GCSB had "worked through a robust technical attribution process" to establish its conclusions, Little said."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/447239/government-points-finger-at-china-over-cyber-attacks
Well okay, but since the attacks happened in March, why this now?? Spooks don't take four months to report identification of source, do they? One would think tracking a virus normally takes hours or days, not weeks or months. Are the bureaucrats sitting on the reporting process? Or is it that the govt has known the source all these months and only just now issued its delayed reaction due to some obscure diplomatic coordination requirement emanating out of Five Eyes?? I don't get it.
China was suspected/blamed back in March. Now NATO-EU and Five Eyes have all concluded this was the case and said so at the same time.
The GCSB has worked through a "robust attribution process" and if the results were different to that derived by the others we would have said so and explained why they were wrong …
Presumably there is some signature identifying “APT40” known to the USA – whose own motive is to infer western tech vulnerability with use of Chinese suppliers (to broaden trade sanctions on security grounds).
When you've seen three key industries in your big brother Australia smashed by retaliatory trade tariffs, you'd pause, get your allies in order, and then front it.
We are now very likely to get a strong Chinese response that will affect our economy.
"Two hours ago, China expressed outrage at the accusations it paid criminal groups to carry out cyber hacks, including the Microsoft breach and ransomware attacks. Beijing called the claims "a huge lie," "slander" and "ridiculous," and threatened devastating consequences, according to a post in China's English-language Global Times." https://www.newsroom.co.nz/8things/furious-china-threatens-retaliation-as-nz-and-allies-blame-it-for-cyber-attacks
Whoopee! Perhaps a covert donation to Groundswell? With a bit of belt & road advice: "give them a belting, guys, send them down the road"…
Make fun all you like, but Biden is fronting this for allies, including ourselves, who have been attacked.
They are unified because this really is economic war — just minus the blood and body count.
A bit more context here.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57889981
"Despite the strong language, there are no signs of fresh sanctions against China. In contrast, new sanctions were placed on Russia for the recent SolarWinds campaign which many experts believe was less serious than the Microsoft Exchange campaign linked to China."
That's the bit from the BBC report you linked that interests me. Why does the Biden administration believe punishing Putin and not Xi is a good idea?? Or perhaps they are simply giving Xi a window of opportunity to respond first.
So is there a proposal of wealth transfer from those who have worked all their lives to pay those 16 Billion we paid in Corporate welfare called housing equality because there is now no money for social housing?
Many of todays 50-60 year old have not had their first house until they were 30, but now they are being taxed to make sure the 18 year old gets their foot on the property ladder because successive governments have failed to maintain and build housing?
Another proposal from those who have never done a normal everyday wage job in their lives. How would they know what so many out there have to face. Having a government job with extended leave, sick leave, guarantied pension….hallo! I mean the majority has no such luxury. Paid for by the taxpayer no less! But they now have the audacity to espouse these theories that will affect the ones who actually contribute to the GDP of this country.
Really? Seriously? Are they living in another world or something? The wealth divide is created by the very same governments that pay them to come up with another idea how to get the remaining middle class into a dependant poor state. You will not lift anybody up by having everybody poor.
How about taxing those who have paid the dividends to the corporates financed curtesy of the taxpayer and will be an burden for at least 2 generations? There was some noise for a while that the fraudulent taking of the corporate support will be investigated, but no one actually believes that it will happen. Meanwhile we pay money meant for victims to the gangs. Build houses, get the money of the fraudsters and build houses for goodness sake.
Lets stop pretending everything is just a matter of milking more from those who work and we are fine.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/125796416/tax-on-all-housing-needed-to-fix-distortion-of-social-fabric
They are too late: the 10 year bright line test greatly decreases outing capital circulation other than for a handful.
St John et at should have concentrated on IRD powers to unwind trusts. That's where 90% of our private wealth is.
IRD are making some moves against faux charity trusts, but it's the tip of the iceberg.
Re: Trusts
That is the best idea here in an age,After '87 share market crash, Gordon McLaughlin I think did an in depth analysis and wrote a large essay (maybe North and South) not sure how to link but in the interweb somewhere.
Alternatively, you could argue that the rebuild cost plus a certain % should be the base value of any house. This would rectify the market very quickly as those houses build some 30 or more years ago would be not tradeable at 1 mil plus.
Trusts should be taxable at all levels. Its fraud by another name.
Trusts with a charitable purchase disbursing well are a strong societal good.
Arguably using a trust to protect family intergenerational wealth is also useful.
But so many are tax minimization instruments pure and simple. They need legal attack from the state.
Ad, can you please fix your name typo on next comment from same device
Yes apologies fat fingers
And arguably not. We did fine with an estate tax prior to 1991.
That's a tough area because although IRD can be called on to judge charitable purpose for donee organisations, mostly that's handled by DIA through the Charities Service. Important work though.
It's just a rehash of TOP policy (taxing equity in property ownership).
No government would apply it, because it has the perverse incentive of encouraging people to borrow against equity to buy more property to reduce their tax liability.
But the emotions dragged out of the home owning class at their doing anything to reduce growing inequality because of overvalued land values are just as concerning as poor policy proposals.
The problem is if the government devalues land, a lot of banks will demand their cash straight away.
To just have those who actually work and try to make it trough this jungle of deceit and lies pay for exactly that lot will change the next elections 100%.
Not during the term of the mortgage they won't – and if the person is making (and likely to remain doing so) the repayments they will renew. A bank flooding the market with homes for sale because of a valuation downturn would destroy itself.
You're talking about homeowners, not all workers mate.
Nice misleading headline and quite befitting this silly rant of yours. Don’t let facts get in the way of a good spin, inside your head. Feeling dizzy yet?
Gangs are just that. No other country in the world would recognize gangs as a legitimate source to deliver value for any taxpayer money spent. NONE. Good god, now we are entering the stage where the perpetrator becomes the victims keeper!
Yip,that's one of the reasons I'll never qualify as a leftie, anyone who is thick enough to think that someone who rises to the top of the fucking mongrel mob is not a dishonest ,violent selfserving low life is at best a gullible fool,
I am very much a social democrat but this government is not, despite their assertions. Justice would be one area that does not gel very well if we give money to gangs and/or billions to companies never to be paid back under the so called honor system.
Only naive people believe good intentions are all one needs and yet the freedom for those basics to have a framework for all has to be defended or fought for. Look at south Africa, Intentions good, outcome…not so much.
https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/ghana/10519.pdf
“A huge congress of the 'Socialist International' took place in 1951 in Frankfurt and the resultant declaration opposed any form of Bolshevik communism and Stalinism.”
The call for freedom, equality, justice and solidarity originates in old humanistic thoughts. It is central for the Christian idea of man, it has been the battle-cry of the French Revolution, it is reflected in the legal foundations of the United Nations, the UN's two Human Rights Covenants of 1966, and finally it also forms the core values of social democracy.
What on Earth has self-ID as Lefty got to do with the price of fish?
What's fish got to do with me calling anyone a daft gullible leftie for thinking giving money to the mob is a good idea. ?
It is a dim-witted accusation and doubling down doesn’t it make it a better one. Do you take your cues from the same sources as Foreign Waka, by any chance, because it certainly looks that way?
Dimwitted ! Abuse is the last gasp of the losing side.
Na I did a bit of reading ,I get it that some in the police backed the idea ,plus others, and have decided all on my little lonesome that it's a fucking idiotic idea.
And it sure ain't making it easy being openly labour in my neck of the woods I tell ya.
Calling out your comment as dim-witted is not abuse, but if you’re that easily offended, I’d better back off from questioning your debatable reasoning and your dubious sources.
Iran – Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Shia militias in Iraq.
USA – countless groups many different nations (Mujahadeen, Contras etc)
You’re entitled to your beliefs and opinions, which you seem to get straight from MSM headline writers and spin doctors who write the press releases and SM messages for National and ACT. I prefer critical analysis based on and informed by evidence although a good rant is necessary, from time to time.
You’re so close with your “the perpetrator becomes the victims [sic] keeper!”, yet so far.
Regardless of whether you see merit in the approach of financing the poacher to become gamekeepers it should be admitted that the optics of such a decision open up the advocates to serious questioning….and rightfully so imho
That would be a fair comment if the questioning were less partisan and more open-minded to what this is about. So far, it is mostly reflexive stereotyping and labelling with very little analysis. Very similar to many of the ‘debates’ we seem to be having nowadays, e.g., about (the) hate speech law. I get that most of those pundits have no interest in questioning let alone challenging their own engrained biases and therefore avoid genuine debate like a gang tangi. Lazy thinkers with regressive ideas.
And that is all bullshit…again….there must be numerous Iwi (or other) groups with less direct connections to the gangs that are crying out for that sort of funding to assist their communities.
While the likes of the Mongrel Mob and Black Power may be SMEs in comparison to the 501 influenced multi-nationals the fact remains their business model is drugs based and this is a braindead proposition in the wider publics eyes.
The fact this administration constantly creates sticks for its own back will be its undoing…not the competence of the opposing argument.
Sure, it is all BS again, which makes for a compelling and persuasive judgement.
I know that many law-abiding citizens view gangs as nothing but drug peddlers and sources of crime and misery. With such a blinkered view it is only logical and morally imperative to take a hard line on gangs, which means no State support for any gang associates and their affiliates and further demonising and excluding them from normative society. The same dim-witted thinking leaves no room for considering, even for a moment, that including gangs in approaches and strategies that could lead to better outcomes for all involved, i.e. for all society. I can understand all these things and yet not buy into the same thinking because it has not delivered much to write home about thus far except providing useful ammo for certain political ‘gangs’, their leaders, and their associates and affiliates. Maybe building a few more prisons is the right answer? Serco won’t mind 😉
What was the Human Rights Commissioner thinking when he gave a $200 koha?? Very bad optics; he must have lost his mind …
Well I hope youre feeling happy in your superiority of thought….and therein lies the problem.
Meanwhile in the real world…
Agree Pat. Giving koha is different from being given $$$$ of Govt funds. I found nothing untoward about the HRC giving koha, in acceptance of a reciprocal concept of hosting.
As others say the optics, at the very least of giving a gang that has caused so much damage to society access to significant govt funds, are able to be questioned and I don't blame people for doing just this.
Possibly, in the ‘real world’, these do exist, I wouldn’t know, obviously. But they could perhaps read this: https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/about-the-justice-sector/proceeds-of-crime-fund/. Or maybe they did and applied, but were not approved because they didn’t meet all criteria? Or maybe they applied too late, after the deadline closed? Or maybe they didn’t apply at all for funding and then started to throw rubber gumboots? Some must have been successful though: https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/about-the-justice-sector/proceeds-of-crime-fund/#listofinitiatives.
But of course, it’s all bullshit, again 🙁
It's an envy tax. Read the comments on the article. It would be a very hard sell for any government.
Ugly spin
https://twitter.com/RyanSproull/status/1417224152365207577
War-tearing Palestinians off the lands they are living on sought by Israel for settling its citizens on, would be more accurate.
… and where shall we be when everyone has "cancelled" everything else?
When nobody can even talk about it!
There's always the RSA. Tears in the beers.
OH REALLY – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/447264/act-proposes-limiting-gang-members-freedoms.
What a load of bullshit and ignorance. History and research proves this would only fuel the problems these ACT dickwits think they would solve! Perhaps if the party of selfish tax-dodgers and rorters paid their fair share of tax, NZ could seriously begin to deal to poverty – the real problem. The only surprise is that they aren't pushing gun rights to implement the Duterte solution (/sarc).
The greatest irony is that the announcement was made from the premises of a supplier of the county's most harmful drug!!!
There is a bit or a lot of that 'taking battle with one's own agenda' going on these days either through non-consultation on issues that are deserving of consultation, both in central and local govt or disrupting events when brave souls want to consult.
Life's ironies abound. I suspect this undermining/battling of the ACT agenda was inadvertent.
The ACT leader looks every day more like the mask for comedy on a theatrical stage, or the trickster in some Shakespearean play. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60264/21-phrases-you-use-without-realizing-youre-quoting-shakespeare
Like? "Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me." — Casca
Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five. Was I with you there for the goose?" — Mercutio
"So, again, good night. I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins and worse remains behind." — Hamlet
The game's afoot: follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'" — King Henry V
It's posturing shiite – their existing policy is that anyone on Job Seeker Benefit goes onto an electronic (restricted spending) card after the first 4 weeks of cash benefit (eftpos card).
This government is a idiot for seeking to suppress further 1-off territory attacks, when lage, powerful armed terror groups like Mongrel Mob are growing unchecked and attacking in towns and cities at will.
Such misdirected nonsense from this government and Police on terror groups.
Where do you get your information from? Pretty dodgy to say the least.
From your comment, it sounds as thought there is only one gang in NZ and that they are armed to the gills and in the midst of a shooting war with all and sundry.
Hate to disabuse you of your fantasies but some reading suggests the 501 seeded gangs are more heavily armed (weapons arrive with drugs from South America) and NZ's numerous other gangs are no doubt just as lethal. It also seems you work on other very misguided assumptions that are not worth addressing as it is obvious you have more than a few mind-blocks.
By the way, when were you last terrorised by an armed Mongrel Mob Member? Was it when you didn't pay for the drugs you received or was it after you shot up their pad?
Odd you should mention this. Last night I was dealing with my disabled brother who has discovered a very recent bullet hole in his house. Police have told them they know who it was but no action can be taken.
I'm still trying to work out what this means.
About 20 years ago when some pissed prospects decide leave the party at the pad down the road and invite themselves into our flat and proceed to start smashing the place up.
You are just stupidly ignorant.
Auckland's SH1 motorway was shut down by a gang gun exchange on Thursday night.
More gang gun violence occurred in Massey yesterday.
At least 900 people joined a gang last year – an increase of 13% on the year before.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300193448/number-of-people-joining-gangs-increased-by-at-least-13-per-cent-this-year-police-data-shows
Since Labour came into office in 2017 gangs have recruited 2660 new members, an increase of just under 50 per cent. We now have over 8,000 – that's equivalent to the entire town of Kawerau. All facts on the record.
Plenty of our small towns have gangs as the primary organising power of their society. Including places like Kawerau.
Different reasons why:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/123699877/new-zealand-gangs-on-the-rise-why-young-kiwis-are-getting-patched
December last year there were two drive-by shootings from gangs within 24 hours – in Napier.
Police raids on gangs have increased this year, with huge hauls and Proceeds of Crime seizures.
They ride our streets in packs unimpeded. They are now so big that the governemnt has to employ them to manage the impact of the drugs they import.
Targeted assassinations by gangs, using firearms, are now much more prevalent.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/125565035/targeted-assassinations-becoming-more-prevalent-in-gang-scene
You want a discussion on the impact of terrorist groups in New Zealand, start with the armed terror groups that are embedded and expanding already.
Personally I regard them as outlaws. In the original sense of that word, and all that implies.
This is the product of the policy of Australia's Liberal coalition government, therefore the product of the people of Australia, and literally the product of Australian society.
Thousands of criminals, trained by Australia, have been exported to New Zealand in the last 6 years. With them they bring sophisticated networking, fundraising and recruitment practice, all nurtured in Australia. They also bring their anger, magnified.
NZ has become a dumping ground for the failures of a morally corrupt Australian society and this is the primary reason for an increase in organised crime violence here.
Add to this their export of real terrorism in the form of murderous white supremacy, which we have known bubbles away in Australia under the radar since its colonisation, by criminals.
Yes there's a wee bit of that. But they are our people doing this crime, our people are the criminals, and apart from the Comancheros they came back to fully formed gangs ready to expand – which they are doing big time.
And there's no way the Ardern government isn't responsible for effectively policing them.
You only have to look to some Latin American nations, Mexico leaps to mind, as to what happens when govts fail to police gangs.
Two years ago I had a very interesting Mexican colleague (I think I mentioned him here in a thread before) who explained to me in detail one night over dinner, how two of his business partners were in separate incidents, both kidnapped, ransomed and murdered. We’re talking legit, tech based, middle-class professionals – specifically targeted for purely monetary gain and no other reason. Needless to say this is also the reason why he now lives in Australia.
You will read this and feel nothing – having it retold by someone who lived through it first hand is deeply chilling. And if NZ imagines that it's immune to this kind of collapse of social moral structure it would be deluding itself.
Frightening and so true. But it seems that our government wants to make friends with gangs. I don't think being kind will be the preferred remedy.
Difficult for me to imagine a modern NZ government of any flavour being kind/friendly to individuals or groups that indulge in kidnapping or other serious crimes in NZ, but your imagination may be more 'vivid' than mine.
Four arrested face two kidnapping charges
Suspect that the NZ police and MPs are concerned about the types and level of crimes carried out by gangs in NZ, from the Mongrel Mob to triad-type and white-supremacist gangs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_in_New_Zealand#Race-based_gangs
Imho those convicted of kidnapping in NZ should be made an example of – NZ kidnapping rates are too high compared to Australia.
https://knoema.com/atlas/New-Zealand/Kidnapping-rate
A clever, amusing title to brighten the day. It's about a serious subject but just a pause for a smile before reading further.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018804301/money-for-the-mob-and-hoha-over-koha
They get paid by the market to bring the drugs in, and paid by the public to mitigate the damage of drugs.
Pretty sweet deal.
That sums up a lot of business in NZ Ad.
No it bloody doesn't. The fact of so many left wingers openly siding with criminal gangs who inflict nothing but misery on their own people is a testament to a dismal moral degeneracy I find very hard to understand.
👏
Here's an extremely accurate description of our "inclusive" education system. The HRRT needs to fast-track hearing IHC's complaint:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/125796031/young-lives-up-in-smoke-more-special-education-help-is-needed-at-schools
'Murica
https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1416925524065148928
Well lets hope shooting incidents do not become that common and blase in NZ.
A gun sick nation. USA a fourth-world nation and soon emulating Nigeria probably.
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I haven’t done anything to my user name – don’t know why it should be different. Thanks for adjusting incognito. I see now – will do. Very timely warning eh.
Please correct your user name next time you comment, thanks.
Maybe some actual data would help with your comparisons.
The Auckland to Hamilton train had a bad day yesterday by the sounds of it.
Train wreck of a commute: 'Bits of the train were bouncing down the tracks' – NZ Herald
No worries, we'll get it fixed and it'll go like the clappers. In the meantime a bit of the old pioneer spirit needed, and patience.
[third and last time; removed the following text from user name: “Timely warning”]
See my note above. Will do.
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That's the last time they name a service after an extinct bird.
The front fell off.