I heard a quick promo on the radio the otherday which Hosking was talking to Roberson about such figures. Hosking asked -what about Australia which is 'higher'.
Robertson queried where he got his numbers from, but really should have a better answer which I can do now
1. Iron Ore prices have jumped up dramatically in last 9 months, flows to GDP
2.Iron Ore etc
3. Tourism In normal times Australia a 'net tourism exporter' as it residents travel much more than us ( more competition means their airfares for equivalent routes are cheaper). Covid has meant the boost to domestic tourism is greater, but a few areas more affected than others. And of course international tourism is a bigger part of NZ economy , more like 4-5% nothing like the inflated number 20% the 'industry' claims…that would make foreign tourists a $40 bill input …laughable.
We have shortages within the workforce and growth, then why are industries, some contributors here and the government doing all they can to suppress any wage growth ? The nurses battle just to name one.
I wait to read that we need to keep interest rates down for those with debt.
You are mistaking growth, as an increase on returns on investment, ie profits. A good thing. With an increase in wages, ie wage inflation. A bad thing.*
*(mainly because it cuts into growth in profits. A very bad thing).
Yes. "One Roof' earlier this year was running opinion columns by person, who very little was said. A look at linkedin showed he was the Founder and former CEO of 'The Property Council', hardly a mere 'commentator'
The Herald also seems to be running stories by staff who either joined them from 'Property Press' or are moonlighting/ contra deal
I'm ready…a mix of Russian Red and two other Kiwi garlic strains going into a 3m2 lovingly prepared bed. Up here, I guess I should have planted earlier…but I'm a bit of a stickler for the solstice ritual. Have warned the neighbours there could be naked dancing and music….
Three weeks ago I bunged three cloves of shop bought garlic into a yogurt pot to see if they'd grow. Two are well over 10 cm and the one I thought had failed is up about 4cm. Last years crop was a fizzer due to drought and us not having collected enough water to maintain even minimum hydration. This year…our cups runneth over…77000 litres stored up. Still picking outdoor tomatoes.
Armed with a search warrant, Italy’s police wildlife unit entered the house of a suspected cactus trafficker, finding more than 1000 rare cacti poached from Chile's Atacama Desert in a locked room.
The collecting of huia feathers comes to mind. The great thing about plants though, is their potential for propagation; from one rare (poached) plant can come thousands. Standing a huia feather in a glass, however, results only in disappointment.
Indeed, I suspect many plants here have come from a single imported specimen, in many cases the intransigent position of MPI has created a black market and prevented the mass propagation of endangered species many of which stand pretty much zero chance of surviving in the 'wild' here.
Something I saw in NT Times this morning about US 'labour shortage', which sort of reflects what the industry groups are claiming here – but they want the migrant tap of cheaper labour to be turned back on.
However as NY Times points out , a lot more people have quit there jobs this year , as last year was a holding pattern for those who feel underpaid or dont like their job anymore
"By some estimates, more than five million fewer people quit last year than would otherwise be expected, as some workers, riding out the labor market’s convulsions, stuck with jobs they may have wanted to leave anyway"
So the mirage of labour shortage , often meaning not 5-10 people applying only 1 or 2, is just a consequence of the labour force stability last year ( apart from those that lost their job) and a higher turnover in last 6 months
Only one quote suggested that Hubbard was taking someone else's place. Difficult to see, as no other woman in NZ seems to have qualified for her weight class.
But far be it for me to suggest that your desire to exclude a trans personbe critical of a trans person's gender from a competition should remain unexpressed.
It's not excluding trans people, it's excluding trans women from a particular category, not sport generally. We exclude men from women's sports. Straight people can be excluded from gay and lesbian space. Paheka from Maori spaces and so on. Exclusion isn't inherently bad.
"be critical of a trans person's gender"
No-one cares about gender, the issue is biological sex.
The trip from women wanting to discuss the fairness issues of trans women and other biological males in women's sports, to 'bigots want to exclude trans people from sport and should stfu' is a big one.
Lots of people think that Hubbard should compete based on biological sex. That means not in the women's competition, because the reason we have women's separate from men's sport is fairness due to physical differences between the two sexes. There’s plenty of research and analysis out now on how males retain male advantage despite medication to alter hormones.
Instead of expecting women to be disadvantaged to make way for trans women and other males, we should be retaining women's rights and looking at how to create sports that will work for trans people. And non-binary, because that's what's coming up next.
I just forgot most of the many levels on which this debate has become utterly pointless.
So sure, Hubbard has taken someone else's place for the Olympics (even though nobody else from NZ qualified for that weight class), and will have an unfair advantage over other Olympic competitors (even though her record suggests she seems to be on a par with other Olympic-qualifiedwomen weightlifters in her class), and excluding transwomen from a category isn't exclusion at all. She should have seperate but equal events, I guess.
if it's pointless why are you here? It matters a great deal to many women. You can ignore the arguments all you like, but please don't pretend that you don't know what they are or that they don't exist.
"and excluding transwomen from a category isn't exclusion at all"
excluding transwomen from the category of women is exclusion, just like we exclude other males.
Let's just cut to the chase. The end point here is that women would not be able to have female only space if we are no longer allowed to name our own class. You may not care about that (still surprises me though), but it's supreme bullshit to say this is about fairness if you are elevating trans women at the expense of women. Because that just looks like the same old sexist shit all over again.
I made a comment because the regrettable leftish tendency to oppose injustice jumped the gun on my better judgement. Tends to happen when I read links that don't seem to be based on an impartial selection of facts – I'd still like to see who missed out because Hubbard qualified for the Olympics in her weight class.
If you still think the trans recognition movement is about "elevating" transwomen above other women rather than addressing the basic othering and exclusion of transpeople (and the entire damned spectrum of nonbinary people), or don't see why that is important, no worries.
In twenty years probably nobody will get what the fuss was about.
If you still think the trans recognition movement is about "elevating" transwomen above other women rather than addressing the basic othering and exclusion of transpeople (and the entire damned spectrum of nonbinary people
I neither said that nor believe that. Read it again. What I said is that you, and lefties in general, can’t claim to be supporting trans people out of fairness while removing women’s rights. That you as a man think you know better than feminists what women’s rights entail and whether there is a conflict of rights, fundamentally undermines any position of being on the side of justice.
as for othering, what strikes me as significant about that comment, apart from the gall of lecturing a politicised woman on it, is that I’m guessing you are in favour of sex blindness, similar to how liberal Americans like the idea of colourblindness. It just doesn’t work.
…regrettable leftish tendency to oppose injustice …
Just so there's no confusion…the "injustice" you're referring to is towards Hubbard? From the gender critical who object to male- bodied transwomen athletes competing against women in women's sport?
Any possibility you could, for a nanosecond or two, put yourself in the shoes of these young women…
You are doing that thing again where you are inserting your comments after the comment that you are replying to rather than in chronological order. This is making the discussion hard to follow. I note that you only do this when discussing this issue and it seems an unfair advantage to do this with what are not moderator comments.
Solkta, not quite sure what you mean. I can go into the back end and reply directly to a comment when the reply buttons have run out and this will show my comments as a reply in the Replies tab, and will put my comments ahead of other commenters in the same stream I think.
But I haven't been doing that tonight, I've just been on my mobile and laptop replying as per normal in the front end. Can you please explain a bit better what you are seeing (I think there are issues with the mobile version and if this is another one I will pass it on to Lynn).
it's supreme bullshit to say this is about fairness if you are elevating trans women at the expense of women.
ok, fair call. "at the expense of" vs "over".
It's still a bullshit framing that will be reduced to the history books and a few social conservatives in a couple of decades.
As for the rest, I don't just listen to transwomen on this. I listen to other women who disagree vehemently with anything close to your position, and throw the t-acronym you dislike about with free abandon. I listen to Rosemary, who referred me to fecking youtube comments about "genetic manipulation" and "axes" for some damned reason. I even try to listen to you, and reflect upon the points you make.
But the thought of being referred to youtube comments and tweets with highly selective evidence for the next couple of months just makes me very tired.
Your comment at 9.02pm is showing directly after McFlock's at 7.33pm that it replies to but before Rosemary's comment at 7.50pm and another of McFlock's at 8.25pm.
The same thing was happening the last time i commented on this issue a couple of weeks ago and i mentioned it in reply to you then.
That’s weird. I suspect it’s when I’m on the mobile version and logged in. I get a reply button on the mobile that I don’t get on my laptop. It’s not anything I am doing intentionally (and I don’t remember reading a comment from you on this before but if you have a link handy it would be helpful to look at another example).
ok, just tested it. It's something the mobile version is doing (not me). And it happens whether I am logged in or not. So it should also happen with anyone using the mobile version where a thread has run out of replies on the desktop version but there are still reply buttons on the mobile version.
edit, just noting that the mobile version doesn’t have time stamps on each comment like in the desktop version.
You have been trying really hard to put words in my mouth and i really don't appreciate it. You have been behaving like RL.
All i have been saying is that LGBTQ spaces are for all LGBTQ people. If L people want to have a separate space then that space can't be within LGBTQ space, ie Pride.
Also, inserting your posts out of time sequence is making all this hard to follow. As these aren't moderation notes this seems unfair.
@McFlock, I hadn't seen that comment from you the other day either. Ironically, one of things I was hoping from posting Hilton's tweet is the kind of discussion you brought to bear on it, but unfortunately it got derailed early on.
If Hilton is cherry picking problematically (rather than her just tweeting some charts she was working on that day), I'd like to know. Sometimes it's easier to get someone to explain charts than to figure it out myself (I don't have that background), so I laid down a challenge.
Imo, she's worth following because she does usually explain better what her argument is.
The other irony is that if there hadn't been such a massive suppression of debate, I'd be putting up researches and clear posts on the topics and we could be wrangling with the issues in the comments, rather than me dropping stuff I find on twitter randomly in OM or DR and us talking past each other.
Assuming of course I could get past the elephant in the living room of why there are no feminists posting about feminism here. So you might understand then why I'm tetchy about the whole thing.
For one thing, in the extended chart she's looking at one result in all weight classes and controlling for age.
Seems to me, if you're looking at a sport that has its main divisions by weight, maybe control for that? If the arguments are that two groups have people of different weights, then neglecting to control for that factor creates a chart that's misleading. The primary questions are whether a 130kg trans woman has an advantage over another non-trans woman, and whether weight classes reflect the participants. If the weight classes for the Masters are divided by the blank lines, then some classes consist of only a 5kg spread in weight, while the SHW class Hubbard is in has something like a 40kg spread between the four competitors.
She has a fair call about Hubbard's age, but then Precious Mackenzie was getting weightlifting medals for NZ in his 40s. So not sure one datapoint means anything.
The other way in which the masters seem to be an aberration in the apparent spread between the gold medalists and the following three competitors, compared to e.g. the panpacs or the 2019 world champs (and dayum that was a fascinating googlehole). In the world champs Hubbard came 6 out of 19, with not one opponent under 100kg as far as I can see, with at least a couple heavier than her.
But I don't see the last ten years of the IWF world champs all in a line, just the one with a lot of people in it for the fun. Might skew the spread a bit.
edit: hell of a google digression to get a handle on it, though – wikipedia, competition score pdfs, all sorts of sports websites. Interesting – didn’t know people kept such data online.
there's a whole thesis to be written on how left wing men have abandoned the concept that women get to have their own politics while at the same time upholding the right of trans women to have their own politics. It's almost like it wasn't real and all the time it was just men supporting women where their interests aligned, not because women a deserving of a full place in society. Of course such a thesis won't be written at the moment because the punishments in academia are too severe. Not even going to be a post on TS.
yes. Its the apparently the largest NZ team in weightlifting…. as those going met the standard and in separate classes. I wonder why so many qualified.
never mind, the pitchforks and hoods are being passed to the mob ,out to protect the purity of womenhood.
The men and womens groups of that american group of bigots had this as their creed
'This organisation is not anti-jew, anti-catholic nor anti-negro BUT we restrict our membership to native born, white, protestant, gentile American citizens.' …plus White supremacy.
Change a few words and we are back in the 1920s.
These are the possible women classes, Hubbard is the selectee in 87 kg and over, in spite of lies told in Rueters link.
45 kg (99.2 lb) (non-Olympic)
49 kg (108 lb)
55 kg (121 lb)
59 kg (130 lb)
64 kg (141 lb)
71 kg (157 lb) (non-Olympic)
76 kg (168 lb)
81 kg (179 lb) (non-Olympic)
87 kg (192 lb)
87 kg and over (191 lb+)
[you’re going to have to up your game in this debate. I couldn’t make much sense of your previous comment, and this one is not much better. What lies? If you are going to make a claim of fact, you have to back it up. There’s an expectation that in controversial topics you will do this in real time, not after being asked. The reason for this is to stop people just dropping in bullshit and slurs that derail or flame instead of debating the issues.
Please reread the Policy especially the bit about not using tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. If you want to make the argument that gender critical women are the same as the KKK (I think this is what you are doing), then you will have to make the argument, credibly, and back it up. You cannot just call feminists nazis on TS.
I’m leaving your comment, but know that you’re now using up my moderator time for the second time in a few days and I’ve got short patience for regulars here being so disrespectful of the boundaries and kaupapa of the site. And yes I will do the same moderation if gender critical people start with the same kind of slurring, derailing, non-debate bullshit. – weka]
Im not your student or subordinate and dont have to justify my view the lies told in mere Reuters link. – no context from the story added , no mention why its important , just a drive by link tossed there along with STFU.
Wheres this person who was left out because Hubbard was selected ? Wheres the beef ?
'understanding' is the new 'safety', a cliche used to dismiss opinions or inclusion that dont align with the 'right outlook' on gender
Feedback: some of your comments are really hard to parse. Honestly, I have to read them three times to understand what you mean.
Rosemary didn't tell anyone to STFU in the opening comment, she made the point that women are being told to not talk about the issues and she linked to an article discussing that.
Wheres this person who was left out because Hubbard was selected ? Wheres the beef ?
Women have already lost out competing against Hubbard. Hubbard will be competing against female athletes again, with Hubbard's male bodied advantage. That's the beef.
'understanding' is the new 'safety', a cliche used to dismiss opinions or inclusion that dont align with the 'right outlook' on gender
what does that even mean? this is a classic example of you saying something but not explaining.
You can assert independence from boundaries on TS, but I will continue to moderate, and across the board the thing that it ends up being about is wasting moderator time. There's only so many times I'm going to ask for you to up your game and support your assertions before I just start putting in short, and then increasing bans. You can say some abhorrent things here, but there are rules around how you do that. I've explained well enough where the boundaries, ball is in your court.
no context from the story added , no mention why its important , I prefer brevity, ghostwhowalksnz, and letting the link speak for itself. My personal opinion on the matter would be indicated by the "I guess its tough shit for female athletes."
Golly gosh…this is akin to a Year 8 English class on comprehension.
No one cares about your views on gender purity, or the cliches used to exclude others who dare to different. Hubbard is doing what she wants to do whether you like it or not
I think the main thing is this was basically created by the IWF rule change and the pressure should be on them to change their rules. Hubbard is elegable and NZ selectors should follow the selection rules of their sport. Other sports will probably follow the consensus trend emerging from that process eventually.
The New Zealand Medical Council are threatening doctors with terminating their employment if they have the temerity to criticise the vaccine rollout. Shades of East/ Germany/ the Soviet Union .All free speech regarding the vaccine rollout has been cancelled.We are not a country that welcomes both sides of an argument being presented, and the public making up its own mind. No informed consent here ! The Death of Democracy!!!
If you read that article, you’ll see that you’re barking up the wrong tree and that you have the wrong end of the stick.
There are plenty of experts, including medics, who are criticising the Government without fear of losing their jobs, e.g., the Plan B group and Professor Des Gorman come to mind.
I take a dim view of commenters who spread misinformation here.
Thanks Rosemary – Dr Thornley (of Plan B fame?) is a signatory; say no more. There were two news items on the PlanB website in April, but nothing since then.
Succumbed to the 'relentless pressure' – get my first jab of this experimental vaccine next week. Maybe it'll be the end of me, and yet I can hardly wait – weird eh?
The council has received 13 complaints about medical staff from the public this year – although that included instances of multiple complaints about the same doctor.
I agree and I don’t know why the letter was even brought into it other than as a distraction and diversion from the utter nonsense spouted by Historian Pete.
Some commenters here have a habit of shovelling all shit into their favourite pet wheelbarrow to confirm their ingrained conscious and sub-conscious biases. SSDD.
That discusses "a letter" but fails to provide a link to it?
Attached photo shows supporters outside the courthouse for the section 23 case , and it requires little in the way of effort to find the Ngai Kaitiaki Tuku Ihu website.
Honest and unbiased reporting would encourage readers to actually read the 'offending' letter and make their own minds up as to the appropriate response.
I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that any doctor who actively dissuades people from using a tested and safe vaccine during a pandemic is unfit to practise medicine and deserves to be struck off.
Sure, if they can documentclear levels of harm, especially if that harm is in the same order of magnitude or greater than from covid, they're whistleblowers.
You fail to mention said doctors are peddling misinformation about Covid 19 which I am sure is contrary to the ethical standards expected of such people. Any doctors who behave like that deserve to be struck of the medical register forthwith.
Can you please point to the investigation and reasons why the Council is investigating doctors for potentially spreading misinformation around Covid-19? Thank you in advance.
This letter…written in April and signed by 40-odd members of MC who all appended their MC registration numbers. This I saw as an indication of their integrity and willingness to put their reputations on the line. ( You might have noticed I have a thing about folks opining anonymously.)
I understand more have since signed. IMHO there is certainly nothing in that letter that warrants such a response from the Medical Council. (I hope there is another letter somewhere that merits such censure.) A link within the article would have helped.
This is the only such letter that I've read. I had to go looking for it and it was by chance I found it. Well, not quite…I read the decision from the case Sue Grey took to the court over Section 23 of the Medicines Act which forced an immediate response from Government to rectify the 'anomaly.' Fascinating stuff if holding truth to power is one's thing.
There was a time, not long since, when folks here would do likewise and dig a little deeper into the scary, shouty headlines dealt up by MSM. Having personally been a victim of such I make a real effort to fact check.
I have no detailed knowledge of the MC investigation. In any case, Historian Pete made all sorts of weird and wild accusations without rhyme or reason. I don’t think he’s a genuine historian. Do you?
Firstly, I have witnessed the biggest suppression of news and debate that has occurred in New Zealand since the 1952 Waterfront Strike. I can remember the NZBC around 2005 refusing to air a topic on the grounds that they were unable to present both sides of the story. Now it is par for the course that only one side is presented .The New Zealand public have a right to hear both sides. I have neither seen on TV{Tova Obrien anyone?} nor read in newspapers ie the Herald, any reasonable coverage of the views of those opposed to the" Vaccine' rollout. This is a suppression of free speech. How can these Doctors have a professional debate when they are closed down in all avenues. They have the courage to speak out at a significant risk to their professional careers. They have a credo to live up to: To do no harm. And the Pfizer jab is to them not in the interests of their patients.So they refuse to be gagged.
Secondly My own reseach on the topic has lead me to believe that firstly the jab is not a vaccine.A vaccine immunises the patient and prevents transmission.The Pfizer jab does neither. A plethora of toxic side effects is occuring after the " vaccination", especially the second one, which includes death. This is occurring far more frequently than would have occurred if the rollout had not happened at all . The Authorities are doing a sterling job of suppressing the real deaths happening being revealed to the public. However the TRUTH is slowly being revealed. Resistance is growing as we speak .This toxic Experimental "vaccine" has been established in haste, and many throughout the world now fear that long term it will result in unaccepable casualties ..
So, the death of free speech, and the termination of informed consent. And serious harm to a large number of the public. A determined group of Doctors acting on their conscience .I know whose side I'm on!!!
Professional debates do not happen in the media, generally. So no suppression there.
Professional debate between scientists involves evidence. The moonbats have none, so no suppression there.
The news media is supposed to disseminate news, not moonbat theories, otherwise the nightly news would headline whatever the local crazy person was yelling in the street. So no suppression there.
Your own research has led you to make some interesting claims, including "The Authorities are doing a sterling job of suppressing the real deaths happening being revealed to the public." I'm glad that you have managed to compromise this veil of official secrecy with your own research, which doubtless includes unearthing evidence buried in youtube videos. They can bury the corpses, but they can't censor online content, eh! /sarc
Intriguing PoV. Personally think it's OK that these determined doctors won't be getting immunised against COVID-19 – just hope their patients will be OK.
The Pfizer vaccine was 79 percent effective against the Delta variant and 92 percent against the Alpha variant at least 14 days after the second dose. The AZ vaccine was 60 percent effective against the Delta variant and 79 percent against the Alpha variant.
Earlier, Public Health England released similar study results. The study said two full doses of the Pfizer vaccine reduced the chance of hospital admission for the Delta variant infection by 96 percent. Two doses of the AZ vaccine lowered the risk of the infection progressing to a serious disease by 92 percent.
You undermine your own credibility by attributing every single climatic event to CC. Tornados have been occuring in NZ for as long as it has been above the waves and they are common in one form or another in almost every country in the world, and as for heavy rain and floods, if you believe that they are only a recent addition to weathers numerous variations, you are really dreaming. Even last weeks large floods in Canterbury are merely proof of how the Plains were formed over millennia. If you want to be believed you must first of all be believable.
You undermine your own credibility by attributing every single climatic event to CC.
Yes Adrian, I sometimes undermine my credibility, here and elsewhere.
As to whether I attribute "every single climatic event to CC", others can judge the credibility of that charge. Fwiw, I believe that "attributing every single climatic event to CC" is as silly as suggesting that there is no causal link between climate trends (and the frequency and/or severity of extreme weather events), and global warming. Time will tell.
It’s called “attribution science” and New Zealand researchers have been working on it since 2009, Niwa’s principal climate scientist, Dr Sam Dean, says.
The problem has been that getting an answer has taken many months, by which time people have moved on, he says. But two pieces of work are under way that may produce answers “within days after an extreme weather event”.
“Attribution has a really strong role in communicating with people the idea that climate change is the here and now. It's not something for the distant future,” Dean says.
“I spent years talking about what might happen in the year 2100 if we don't mitigate climate change and that's still true, but it disengages with people. It's much more powerful to [show that we] live in a different world now. We've already had more than a degree of warming and that is affecting everything – from ecosystems to floods to heat waves to droughts.”
Climate Change Indicators: Weather and Climate Rising global average temperature is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns. Scientific studies indicate that extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense with human-induced climate change. This chapter focuses on observed changes in temperature, precipitation, storms, floods, and droughts.
Suppression of free speech. Decades ago, when MMP was mooted we held a public meeting to explain it. Quite a good turn-out, and worked well as we sat and listened and took it in. The time was well-used and the understanding was enhanced as we did not give any time to the FPP proponents who gnashed their teeth.
No-thinking types like them did not want us to waste our time exercising our minds about possible worthy changes to the political process. We also had a very firm woman time-keeper of a Liberal persuasion who was interested in a well-controlled meeting which enabled informed discussion.
The types 'agin-it' just want to choose their weapons and hit people over the head to stop them daring to divert their minds from the very satisfactory system they have decided they like and want to retain.
Listen Shit-For-Brains, there is no alternative evidence on the pros and cons for vaccination, but what there is a job offer going on your preferred planet and you and your dopey flat-earthers should be right on to it as it needs qualified expendables to join them. See Jenny at 9 at 3.00pm. Bon voyage and good riddance.
Historian Pete- the first job of the historian is to get the dates right; otherwise, anything you say afterwards is somewhat blighted by doubt as to your actual knowledge, doubt of your proofreading skills and doubt as to your right to appropriate the title of historian.
The Waterfront Dispute (that it was a strike is actually itself disputed) took place in 1951.
All hail to the “suppression of free speech” when the nut-bars turn up. I s'pose you support Donald Trump and believe the presidential election was stolen from him.
Do you believe the moon landing was a fake and that the American government was responsible for the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks? Or worse still do you believe it was a false flag and it never happened at all?
Geez… you need brain surgery on the one and only brain cell you possess.
A. Non-stop ads on TV exhorting us all to buy oversized 4 wheel drive utes.
Or,
B. A plan to shift the planet further away from the sun so that we can all continue to enjoy driving them well into the future.
Scientific American
A Modest Proposal: Let’s Change Earth’s Orbit
What’s the worst that could happen?
Maddie Bender, June 18, 2021
….Sure, it’s a Sisyphean task in which humanity is Sisyphus and the boulder being eternally pushed uphill is Earth itself. But at least we’d get to keep driving our sweet SUVs! I say we get to work.
And can we get rid of that annoying 22 degree tilt in the earth's axis please? I get an awful crick in my neck compensating, and the four seasons are a nuisance and a bore.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
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The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
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The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
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I learned a new word this morning: sponcon
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018800326/undeclared-sponcon-causing-political-and-editorial-headaches
One Roof…AKA the marketing arm of the NZ economy
GDP was up 1.6% in Q2-2021, our economy is on FIRE!
lol….very good
I heard a quick promo on the radio the otherday which Hosking was talking to Roberson about such figures. Hosking asked -what about Australia which is 'higher'.
Robertson queried where he got his numbers from, but really should have a better answer which I can do now
1. Iron Ore prices have jumped up dramatically in last 9 months, flows to GDP
2.Iron Ore etc
3. Tourism In normal times Australia a 'net tourism exporter' as it residents travel much more than us ( more competition means their airfares for equivalent routes are cheaper). Covid has meant the boost to domestic tourism is greater, but a few areas more affected than others. And of course international tourism is a bigger part of NZ economy , more like 4-5% nothing like the inflated number 20% the 'industry' claims…that would make foreign tourists a $40 bill input …laughable.
We have shortages within the workforce and growth, then why are industries, some contributors here and the government doing all they can to suppress any wage growth ? The nurses battle just to name one.
I wait to read that we need to keep interest rates down for those with debt.
You are mistaking growth, as an increase on returns on investment, ie profits. A good thing. With an increase in wages, ie wage inflation. A bad thing.*
*(mainly because it cuts into growth in profits. A very bad thing).
Yes. "One Roof' earlier this year was running opinion columns by person, who very little was said. A look at linkedin showed he was the Founder and former CEO of 'The Property Council', hardly a mere 'commentator'
The Herald also seems to be running stories by staff who either joined them from 'Property Press' or are moonlighting/ contra deal
I wonder if that too is sponcon ?
Bugger! It’s going to be a long day today.
Y'all have prepared the beds for the garlic of course? Homegrown is so much more effective at warding off the evil 'fluences.
Already planted my Russian Red garlic!
I'm ready…a mix of Russian Red and two other Kiwi garlic strains going into a 3m2 lovingly prepared bed. Up here, I guess I should have planted earlier…but I'm a bit of a stickler for the solstice ritual. Have warned the neighbours there could be naked dancing and music….
Planted our garlic six weeks ago to (hopefully) harvest before garlic rust gets chance to take hold. Plants are already 10cm high.
Three weeks ago I bunged three cloves of shop bought garlic into a yogurt pot to see if they'd grow. Two are well over 10 cm and the one I thought had failed is up about 4cm. Last years crop was a fizzer due to drought and us not having collected enough water to maintain even minimum hydration. This year…our cups runneth over…77000 litres stored up. Still picking outdoor tomatoes.
Garlic, onions, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, you name it. My dreams are more lucid than Nostradamus’s!
Cactus smuggling. It's a thing.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/garden/300337908/rare-poached-cacti-found-in-italian-raid-and-sent-home-to-native-chile
Poached cactus! Imagine!
Acquired taste.
Nopales.
Definitely an acquired taste. I gave them a good go when I worked in Tijuana, but just couldn't get there.
There's money in rare plants and plenty of it, every now and then you can get a peak on Trademe ie the plant that went for 27K the other week.
There are a number of amazing private collections in NZ that sit under the radar lest MPI get wind of them.
The collecting of huia feathers comes to mind. The great thing about plants though, is their potential for propagation; from one rare (poached) plant can come thousands. Standing a huia feather in a glass, however, results only in disappointment.
Indeed, I suspect many plants here have come from a single imported specimen, in many cases the intransigent position of MPI has created a black market and prevented the mass propagation of endangered species many of which stand pretty much zero chance of surviving in the 'wild' here.
There's money in cacti…prime Far North Real estate, complete with ready to harvest crop.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-woman-caught-smuggling-succulents-and-endangered-cacti-into-new-zealand/7COM2VJ6FAZWMQ24G53RCN2R6Q/
finally, something that almost certainly won't be smuggled in someone's pants.
McFlock @ (3.4) … Or tucked up inside their rear end!
well, that's an ouchie…
Never say Neve.
Talking of cactuses/cacti reminded of Cactus Kate and started my wondering what that prickly persona was up to.
Reading between the lines, it seems CK wants to demote the Prime Minister and the First Man and replace them with their daughter.
Be careful what you wish for Kate. One day it might come true.
Something I saw in NT Times this morning about US 'labour shortage', which sort of reflects what the industry groups are claiming here – but they want the migrant tap of cheaper labour to be turned back on.
However as NY Times points out , a lot more people have quit there jobs this year , as last year was a holding pattern for those who feel underpaid or dont like their job anymore
"By some estimates, more than five million fewer people quit last year than would otherwise be expected, as some workers, riding out the labor market’s convulsions, stuck with jobs they may have wanted to leave anyway"
So the mirage of labour shortage , often meaning not 5-10 people applying only 1 or 2, is just a consequence of the labour force stability last year ( apart from those that lost their job) and a higher turnover in last 6 months
Celebrations afoot at the news that local 'lassie' Laurel scores another first place.
I guess its tough shit for female athletes, who can just go and stfu.
Really …and who else made the qualifying mark ?…what would you know about weightlifting any way
The NZ team includes 3 female and 2 male in differing categories
Take your own advice !
You are making little sense. Again. Did you actually read the links provided?
I guess not.
Only one quote suggested that Hubbard was taking someone else's place. Difficult to see, as no other woman in NZ seems to have qualified for her weight class.
But far be it for me to suggest that your desire to
exclude a trans personbe critical of a trans person's gender from a competition should remain unexpressed.It's not excluding trans people, it's excluding trans women from a particular category, not sport generally. We exclude men from women's sports. Straight people can be excluded from gay and lesbian space. Paheka from Maori spaces and so on. Exclusion isn't inherently bad.
"be critical of a trans person's gender"
No-one cares about gender, the issue is biological sex.
The trip from women wanting to discuss the fairness issues of trans women and other biological males in women's sports, to 'bigots want to exclude trans people from sport and should stfu' is a big one.
So nobody wants to exclude Hubbard from the event?
are you being stupid or a smart arse?
Lots of people think that Hubbard should compete based on biological sex. That means not in the women's competition, because the reason we have women's separate from men's sport is fairness due to physical differences between the two sexes. There’s plenty of research and analysis out now on how males retain male advantage despite medication to alter hormones.
Instead of expecting women to be disadvantaged to make way for trans women and other males, we should be retaining women's rights and looking at how to create sports that will work for trans people. And non-binary, because that's what's coming up next.
I just forgot most of the many levels on which this debate has become utterly pointless.
So sure, Hubbard has taken someone else's place for the Olympics (even though nobody else from NZ qualified for that weight class), and will have an unfair advantage over other Olympic competitors (even though her record suggests she seems to be on a par with other Olympic-qualified women weightlifters in her class), and excluding transwomen from a category isn't exclusion at all.
She should have seperate but equal events, I guess.if it's pointless why are you here? It matters a great deal to many women. You can ignore the arguments all you like, but please don't pretend that you don't know what they are or that they don't exist.
"and excluding transwomen from a category isn't exclusion at all"
excluding transwomen from the category of women is exclusion, just like we exclude other males.
Let's just cut to the chase. The end point here is that women would not be able to have female only space if we are no longer allowed to name our own class. You may not care about that (still surprises me though), but it's supreme bullshit to say this is about fairness if you are elevating trans women at the expense of women. Because that just looks like the same old sexist shit all over again.
I made a comment because the regrettable leftish tendency to oppose injustice jumped the gun on my better judgement. Tends to happen when I read links that don't seem to be based on an impartial selection of facts – I'd still like to see who missed out because Hubbard qualified for the Olympics in her weight class.
If you still think the trans recognition movement is about "elevating" transwomen above other women rather than addressing the basic othering and exclusion of transpeople (and the entire damned spectrum of nonbinary people), or don't see why that is important, no worries.
In twenty years probably nobody will get what the fuss was about.
I neither said that nor believe that. Read it again. What I said is that you, and lefties in general, can’t claim to be supporting trans people out of fairness while removing women’s rights. That you as a man think you know better than feminists what women’s rights entail and whether there is a conflict of rights, fundamentally undermines any position of being on the side of justice.
as for othering, what strikes me as significant about that comment, apart from the gall of lecturing a politicised woman on it, is that I’m guessing you are in favour of sex blindness, similar to how liberal Americans like the idea of colourblindness. It just doesn’t work.
@McFlock
…regrettable leftish tendency to oppose injustice …
Just so there's no confusion…the "injustice" you're referring to is towards Hubbard? From the gender critical who object to male- bodied transwomen athletes competing against women in women's sport?
Any possibility you could, for a nanosecond or two, put yourself in the shoes of these young women…
…and maybe read the comments?
Score table was reasonably close. Hardly a massive advantage.
Youtube comments gonna youtube.
@weka
You are doing that thing again where you are inserting your comments after the comment that you are replying to rather than in chronological order. This is making the discussion hard to follow. I note that you only do this when discussing this issue and it seems an unfair advantage to do this with what are not moderator comments.
Solkta, not quite sure what you mean. I can go into the back end and reply directly to a comment when the reply buttons have run out and this will show my comments as a reply in the Replies tab, and will put my comments ahead of other commenters in the same stream I think.
But I haven't been doing that tonight, I've just been on my mobile and laptop replying as per normal in the front end. Can you please explain a bit better what you are seeing (I think there are issues with the mobile version and if this is another one I will pass it on to Lynn).
ok, fair call. "at the expense of" vs "over".
It's still a bullshit framing that will be reduced to the history books and a few social conservatives in a couple of decades.
As for the rest, I don't just listen to transwomen on this. I listen to other women who disagree vehemently with anything close to your position, and throw the t-acronym you dislike about with free abandon. I listen to Rosemary, who referred me to fecking youtube comments about "genetic manipulation" and "axes" for some damned reason. I even try to listen to you, and reflect upon the points you make.
But the thought of being referred to youtube comments and tweets with highly selective evidence for the next couple of months just makes me very tired.
Test comment
Test logged out.
@weka
Your comment at 9.02pm is showing directly after McFlock's at 7.33pm that it replies to but before Rosemary's comment at 7.50pm and another of McFlock's at 8.25pm.
The same thing was happening the last time i commented on this issue a couple of weeks ago and i mentioned it in reply to you then.
That’s weird. I suspect it’s when I’m on the mobile version and logged in. I get a reply button on the mobile that I don’t get on my laptop. It’s not anything I am doing intentionally (and I don’t remember reading a comment from you on this before but if you have a link handy it would be helpful to look at another example).
ok, just tested it. It's something the mobile version is doing (not me). And it happens whether I am logged in or not. So it should also happen with anyone using the mobile version where a thread has run out of replies on the desktop version but there are still reply buttons on the mobile version.
edit, just noting that the mobile version doesn’t have time stamps on each comment like in the desktop version.
Your test comment is showing for me as out of sequence before my last comment.
The other time i was referring to was in Daily Review of 21/05.
thanks Soltka, I hadn't seen that comment before (and it's useful for me to read on terms of the conversation there as well as the threading issue).
yes, my test comments are out of chronological sequence, because I made them on my phone using the mobile version. This comment is on my laptop.
@McFlock, I hadn't seen that comment from you the other day either. Ironically, one of things I was hoping from posting Hilton's tweet is the kind of discussion you brought to bear on it, but unfortunately it got derailed early on.
If Hilton is cherry picking problematically (rather than her just tweeting some charts she was working on that day), I'd like to know. Sometimes it's easier to get someone to explain charts than to figure it out myself (I don't have that background), so I laid down a challenge.
Here's what she said later in the thread,
https://twitter.com/FondOfBeetles/status/1399673573988524035
Imo, she's worth following because she does usually explain better what her argument is.
The other irony is that if there hadn't been such a massive suppression of debate, I'd be putting up researches and clear posts on the topics and we could be wrangling with the issues in the comments, rather than me dropping stuff I find on twitter randomly in OM or DR and us talking past each other.
Assuming of course I could get past the elephant in the living room of why there are no feminists posting about feminism here. So you might understand then why I'm tetchy about the whole thing.
For one thing, in the extended chart she's looking at one result in all weight classes and controlling for age.
Seems to me, if you're looking at a sport that has its main divisions by weight, maybe control for that? If the arguments are that two groups have people of different weights, then neglecting to control for that factor creates a chart that's misleading. The primary questions are whether a 130kg trans woman has an advantage over another non-trans woman, and whether weight classes reflect the participants. If the weight classes for the Masters are divided by the blank lines, then some classes consist of only a 5kg spread in weight, while the SHW class Hubbard is in has something like a 40kg spread between the four competitors.
She has a fair call about Hubbard's age, but then Precious Mackenzie was getting weightlifting medals for NZ in his 40s. So not sure one datapoint means anything.
The other way in which the masters seem to be an aberration in the apparent spread between the gold medalists and the following three competitors, compared to e.g. the panpacs or the 2019 world champs (and dayum that was a fascinating googlehole). In the world champs Hubbard came 6 out of 19, with not one opponent under 100kg as far as I can see, with at least a couple heavier than her.
But I don't see the last ten years of the IWF world champs all in a line, just the one with a lot of people in it for the fun. Might skew the spread a bit.
edit: hell of a google digression to get a handle on it, though – wikipedia, competition score pdfs, all sorts of sports websites. Interesting – didn’t know people kept such data online.
I read his comment and decided to treat it with the contempt it deserves.
Nothing new in men deriding women. Unless they're talking about transwomen, then these men are on their side.
If it wasn't so fucking depressing it'd be hilarious.
there's a whole thesis to be written on how left wing men have abandoned the concept that women get to have their own politics while at the same time upholding the right of trans women to have their own politics. It's almost like it wasn't real and all the time it was just men supporting women where their interests aligned, not because women a deserving of a full place in society. Of course such a thesis won't be written at the moment because the punishments in academia are too severe. Not even going to be a post on TS.
Between you and me and the gatepost, I think the wee mites are shit-scared of us.
Fear begats hate and all that.
yes. Its the apparently the largest NZ team in weightlifting…. as those going met the standard and in separate classes. I wonder why so many qualified.
never mind, the pitchforks and hoods are being passed to the mob ,out to protect the purity of womenhood.
The men and womens groups of that american group of bigots had this as their creed
'This organisation is not anti-jew, anti-catholic nor anti-negro BUT we restrict our membership to native born, white, protestant, gentile American citizens.' …plus White supremacy.
Change a few words and we are back in the 1920s.
These are the possible women classes, Hubbard is the selectee in 87 kg and over, in spite of lies told in Rueters link.
45 kg (99.2 lb) (non-Olympic)
49 kg (108 lb)
55 kg (121 lb)
59 kg (130 lb)
64 kg (141 lb)
71 kg (157 lb) (non-Olympic)
76 kg (168 lb)
81 kg (179 lb) (non-Olympic)
87 kg (192 lb)
87 kg and over (191 lb+)
[you’re going to have to up your game in this debate. I couldn’t make much sense of your previous comment, and this one is not much better. What lies? If you are going to make a claim of fact, you have to back it up. There’s an expectation that in controversial topics you will do this in real time, not after being asked. The reason for this is to stop people just dropping in bullshit and slurs that derail or flame instead of debating the issues.
Please reread the Policy especially the bit about not using tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. If you want to make the argument that gender critical women are the same as the KKK (I think this is what you are doing), then you will have to make the argument, credibly, and back it up. You cannot just call feminists nazis on TS.
I’m leaving your comment, but know that you’re now using up my moderator time for the second time in a few days and I’ve got short patience for regulars here being so disrespectful of the boundaries and kaupapa of the site. And yes I will do the same moderation if gender critical people start with the same kind of slurring, derailing, non-debate bullshit. – weka]
mod note.
Im not your student or subordinate and dont have to justify my view the lies told in mere Reuters link. – no context from the story added , no mention why its important , just a drive by link tossed there along with STFU.
Wheres this person who was left out because Hubbard was selected ? Wheres the beef ?
'understanding' is the new 'safety', a cliche used to dismiss opinions or inclusion that dont align with the 'right outlook' on gender
Feedback: some of your comments are really hard to parse. Honestly, I have to read them three times to understand what you mean.
Rosemary didn't tell anyone to STFU in the opening comment, she made the point that women are being told to not talk about the issues and she linked to an article discussing that.
Women have already lost out competing against Hubbard. Hubbard will be competing against female athletes again, with Hubbard's male bodied advantage. That's the beef.
what does that even mean? this is a classic example of you saying something but not explaining.
You can assert independence from boundaries on TS, but I will continue to moderate, and across the board the thing that it ends up being about is wasting moderator time. There's only so many times I'm going to ask for you to up your game and support your assertions before I just start putting in short, and then increasing bans. You can say some abhorrent things here, but there are rules around how you do that. I've explained well enough where the boundaries, ball is in your court.
the lies told in mere Reuters link. Specifically?
no context from the story added , no mention why its important , I prefer brevity, ghostwhowalksnz, and letting the link speak for itself. My personal opinion on the matter would be indicated by the "I guess its tough shit for female athletes."
Golly gosh…this is akin to a Year 8 English class on comprehension.
protect the purity of womenhood.
Nevermind the 1920s….your ancestors, it seems, failed to land far enough from the tree.
Come back when you've learned the difference between 'biological sex' and 'gender.'
The difference between the twain matters…especially in sex segregated sports.
No one cares about your views on gender purity, or the cliches used to exclude others who dare to different. Hubbard is doing what she wants to do whether you like it or not
Hubbard competed as a man in weightlifting.
Now Hubbard competes as a woman.
You don't see a problem with this with respect to fairness to women athletes who have always competed as women because they are, well, women?
I care about Rosemary's views.
No-one cares that Hubbard is trans, all power to them on that and living their life.
Meanwhile,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/300319156/transgender-athletes-will-be-able-to-play-rugby-but-nz-rugby-is-unsure-who-against
Safety: biological sex actually matters when it comes to physicality.
I think the main thing is this was basically created by the IWF rule change and the pressure should be on them to change their rules. Hubbard is elegable and NZ selectors should follow the selection rules of their sport. Other sports will probably follow the consensus trend emerging from that process eventually.
The New Zealand Medical Council are threatening doctors with terminating their employment if they have the temerity to criticise the vaccine rollout. Shades of East/ Germany/ the Soviet Union .All free speech regarding the vaccine rollout has been cancelled.We are not a country that welcomes both sides of an argument being presented, and the public making up its own mind. No informed consent here ! The Death of Democracy!!!
This is a fine example why you should include a link in your comment, so that others can see what you’re on about and check for themselves.
For example, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445179/doctors-spreading-misinformation-about-covid-19-may-lose-their-job-medical-council
If you read that article, you’ll see that you’re barking up the wrong tree and that you have the wrong end of the stick.
There are plenty of experts, including medics, who are criticising the Government without fear of losing their jobs, e.g., the Plan B group and Professor Des Gorman come to mind.
I take a dim view of commenters who spread misinformation here.
Is this the offending letter signed by the offensive Doctors?
?
Thanks Rosemary – Dr Thornley (of Plan B fame?) is a signatory; say no more. There were two news items on the PlanB website in April, but nothing since then.
Succumbed to the 'relentless pressure' – get my first jab of this experimental vaccine next week. Maybe it'll be the end of me, and yet I can hardly wait – weird eh?
What letter are your talking about? Historian Pete didn’t mention a letter!? He was also very confused.
It is not about a letter. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445179/doctors-spreading-misinformation-about-covid-19-may-lose-their-job-medical-council
I agree and I don’t know why the letter was even brought into it other than as a distraction and diversion from the utter nonsense spouted by Historian Pete.
Some commenters here have a habit of shovelling all shit into their favourite pet wheelbarrow to confirm their ingrained conscious and sub-conscious biases. SSDD.
Sacha. You did follow the link within the RNZ piece?
The link that leads to a TVNZ article? (https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/health-professionals-sign-letter-misleading-claims-around-pfizers-covid-vaccine)
That discusses "a letter" but fails to provide a link to it?
Attached photo shows supporters outside the courthouse for the section 23 case , and it requires little in the way of effort to find the Ngai Kaitiaki Tuku Ihu website.
Honest and unbiased reporting would encourage readers to actually read the 'offending' letter and make their own minds up as to the appropriate response.
This complaint process is not about that letter.
What is the nature of this criticism? Logical, I hope, given that it's coming from “doctors“.
three exclamation marks. It must be serious.
I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that any doctor who actively dissuades people from using a tested and safe vaccine during a pandemic is unfit to practise medicine and deserves to be struck off.
Sure, if they can document clear levels of harm, especially if that harm is in the same order of magnitude or greater than from covid, they're whistleblowers.
But distributors of woo should be struck off.
Dr Woo?
The crazy is bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside.
You fail to mention said doctors are peddling misinformation about Covid 19 which I am sure is contrary to the ethical standards expected of such people. Any doctors who behave like that deserve to be struck of the medical register forthwith.
You fail to mention said doctors are peddling misinformation about Covid 19 …
Exactly what is it that they are saying that amounts to "peddling misinformation", if it is the letter I linked to above that is the source?
Nope. I reads newspapers and listen to the news. Try it. You might learn something.
So you’re getting all your information from MSM??
I tried to find it on the Medical Council website (https://www.mcnz.org.nz/) but could not find anything. The closest I could find was this: https://www.mcnz.org.nz/about-us/news-and-updates/expectations-for-covid-19-vaccination-released-for-doctors-and-dentists/
Can you please point to the investigation and reasons why the Council is investigating doctors for potentially spreading misinformation around Covid-19? Thank you in advance.
This letter…written in April and signed by 40-odd members of MC who all appended their MC registration numbers. This I saw as an indication of their integrity and willingness to put their reputations on the line. ( You might have noticed I have a thing about folks opining anonymously.)
I understand more have since signed. IMHO there is certainly nothing in that letter that warrants such a response from the Medical Council. (I hope there is another letter somewhere that merits such censure.) A link within the article would have helped.
This is the only such letter that I've read. I had to go looking for it and it was by chance I found it. Well, not quite…I read the decision from the case Sue Grey took to the court over Section 23 of the Medicines Act which forced an immediate response from Government to rectify the 'anomaly.' Fascinating stuff if holding truth to power is one's thing.
There was a time, not long since, when folks here would do likewise and dig a little deeper into the scary, shouty headlines dealt up by MSM. Having personally been a victim of such I make a real effort to fact check.
Ta
I have no detailed knowledge of the MC investigation. In any case, Historian Pete made all sorts of weird and wild accusations without rhyme or reason. I don’t think he’s a genuine historian. Do you?
The response is not about the letter.
The letter is not the source.
Then what is the source?
I sincerely hope, (as I said at https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2021/#comment-1799309) that there is something else other that the letter referred to in the TVNZ piece.
Sigh. Complaints from the public about particular practitioners triggered the process.
Perhaps taking the hint from Winston, Barnaby Joyce has returned.
As if Australia hadn't troubles enough.
Firstly, I have witnessed the biggest suppression of news and debate that has occurred in New Zealand since the 1952 Waterfront Strike. I can remember the NZBC around 2005 refusing to air a topic on the grounds that they were unable to present both sides of the story. Now it is par for the course that only one side is presented .The New Zealand public have a right to hear both sides. I have neither seen on TV{Tova Obrien anyone?} nor read in newspapers ie the Herald, any reasonable coverage of the views of those opposed to the" Vaccine' rollout. This is a suppression of free speech. How can these Doctors have a professional debate when they are closed down in all avenues. They have the courage to speak out at a significant risk to their professional careers. They have a credo to live up to: To do no harm. And the Pfizer jab is to them not in the interests of their patients.So they refuse to be gagged.
Secondly My own reseach on the topic has lead me to believe that firstly the jab is not a vaccine.A vaccine immunises the patient and prevents transmission.The Pfizer jab does neither. A plethora of toxic side effects is occuring after the " vaccination", especially the second one, which includes death. This is occurring far more frequently than would have occurred if the rollout had not happened at all . The Authorities are doing a sterling job of suppressing the real deaths happening being revealed to the public. However the TRUTH is slowly being revealed. Resistance is growing as we speak .This toxic Experimental "vaccine" has been established in haste, and many throughout the world now fear that long term it will result in unaccepable casualties ..
So, the death of free speech, and the termination of informed consent. And serious harm to a large number of the public. A determined group of Doctors acting on their conscience .I know whose side I'm on!!!
Professional debates do not happen in the media, generally. So no suppression there.
Professional debate between scientists involves evidence. The moonbats have none, so no suppression there.
The news media is supposed to disseminate news, not moonbat theories, otherwise the nightly news would headline whatever the local crazy person was yelling in the street. So no suppression there.
Your own research has led you to make some interesting claims, including "The Authorities are doing a sterling job of suppressing the real deaths happening being revealed to the public." I'm glad that you have managed to compromise this veil of official secrecy with your own research, which doubtless includes unearthing evidence buried in youtube videos. They can bury the corpses, but they can't censor online content, eh! /sarc
Intriguing PoV. Personally think it's OK that these determined doctors won't be getting immunised against COVID-19 – just hope their patients will be OK.
https://health-reporter.news/study-pfizer-vaccine-works-against-gamma-variant/
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Are the MSM still giving air time to climate change deniers?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300338071/auckland-tornado-46k-raised-for-killed-workers-family-papatoetoe-cleanup-continues
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445149/flash-floods-from-east-cape-to-napier-more-rain-expected-around-new-zealand
You undermine your own credibility by attributing every single climatic event to CC. Tornados have been occuring in NZ for as long as it has been above the waves and they are common in one form or another in almost every country in the world, and as for heavy rain and floods, if you believe that they are only a recent addition to weathers numerous variations, you are really dreaming. Even last weeks large floods in Canterbury are merely proof of how the Plains were formed over millennia. If you want to be believed you must first of all be believable.
Yes Adrian, I sometimes undermine my credibility, here and elsewhere.
As to whether I attribute "every single climatic event to CC", others can judge the credibility of that charge. Fwiw, I believe that "attributing every single climatic event to CC" is as silly as suggesting that there is no causal link between climate trends (and the frequency and/or severity of extreme weather events), and global warming. Time will tell.
Laughable …
"Secondly My own research on the topic has lead me to believe ….. [the rantings of a disturbed mind….]
Right who left the gate open and let the crazy in?
Suppression of free speech. Decades ago, when MMP was mooted we held a public meeting to explain it. Quite a good turn-out, and worked well as we sat and listened and took it in. The time was well-used and the understanding was enhanced as we did not give any time to the FPP proponents who gnashed their teeth.
No-thinking types like them did not want us to waste our time exercising our minds about possible worthy changes to the political process. We also had a very firm woman time-keeper of a Liberal persuasion who was interested in a well-controlled meeting which enabled informed discussion.
The types 'agin-it' just want to choose their weapons and hit people over the head to stop them daring to divert their minds from the very satisfactory system they have decided they like and want to retain.
Listen Shit-For-Brains, there is no alternative evidence on the pros and cons for vaccination, but what there is a job offer going on your preferred planet and you and your dopey flat-earthers should be right on to it as it needs qualified expendables to join them. See Jenny at 9 at 3.00pm. Bon voyage and good riddance.
"The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) was a publicly owned company of the New Zealand Government founded in 1962. The Broadcasting Act 1976 then reformed NZBC as the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand (BCNZ).[1] The corporation was dissolved on 1 April 1975, and replaced by three separate organisations: Radio New Zealand, Television One, and Television Two, later known as South Pacific Television. The television channels would merge again in 1980 to become Television New Zealand, while Radio New Zealand remained unchanged."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Broadcasting_Corporation
Historian Pete- the first job of the historian is to get the dates right; otherwise, anything you say afterwards is somewhat blighted by doubt as to your actual knowledge, doubt of your proofreading skills and doubt as to your right to appropriate the title of historian.
The Waterfront Dispute (that it was a strike is actually itself disputed) took place in 1951.
All hail to the “suppression of free speech” when the nut-bars turn up. I s'pose you support Donald Trump and believe the presidential election was stolen from him.
Do you believe the moon landing was a fake and that the American government was responsible for the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks? Or worse still do you believe it was a false flag and it never happened at all?
Geez… you need brain surgery on the one and only brain cell you possess.
Interesting assumption that he/she has a brain cell.
What's more crazy:
A. Non-stop ads on TV exhorting us all to buy oversized 4 wheel drive utes.
Or,
B. A plan to shift the planet further away from the sun so that we can all continue to enjoy driving them well into the future.
I did like that the actual guy was asking the Forest Service to do it. Just to add stupid icing to the stupid cake.
And can we get rid of that annoying 22 degree tilt in the earth's axis please? I get an awful crick in my neck compensating, and the four seasons are a nuisance and a bore.
Good news for you it is moving.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17657-global-warming-could-change-earths-tilt/
And rotating faster which makes my head spin…..